Secrets of The Motorway - M26

#motorway #infrastructure #kent
Who knew about the M26!? This left over of a greater plan doesn't have much going for it, but it is one of the surviving remains of the infamous London Ringways project. That crazy idea to build several orbital motorways in around London.
What happened to that and why did we end up with the M26 as a result? I'll be answering that question as well as looking at some of the features you might now be aware of. Also, some sight seeing.
In this series we aim to explore what our motorway network is hiding. As we drive along at 70mph..ish...we simply just wouldn't be aware of what we're missing. This series aims to uncover some of the hidden secrets our motorways have to offer.
*VOICE OVER GUEST STAR*
Lewis ‪@RingwayManchester‬
Channel - / @ringwaymanchester
Twitter - @OfficialM3HHY
Many thanks for your input and assistance.
Find us on:
Twitter - @JonShenanigans
Facebook - Auto Shenanigans
Many thanks to:
Roads.org.uk
Pathetic.org.uk
Sabre-roads.org.uk

[@AutoShenanigans]

Hello! How the devil are you!? What a fun episode this is... of course the usual motorway nonsense but also a wonderful cameo from a special guest star. That cost me a fortune... be sure to like/subscribe and share the video. Special prize (no prize) for anyone who can work out what the outro song is and why it's featured in this weeks episode. See you next week for more Auto Shenanigans. x

[@idk-tv5rj]

hi John I’m a Scottish viewer Can you do Scottish motorways

[@SamSitar]

cancel brexit to stop those long queues.

[@AutoShenanigans]

I'm working my way up North dont worry.

[@MisterEightyFour]

First ever super like, totally worth it 💪🏻

[@tiborbakti9155]

Music: Largo from Xerxes by G F Handel First music broadcasted on AM radio programme in 1906 by Reginald Fessenden

[@somerandomguywastaken]

You know you're good at making videos when I'm a dedicated viewer with 0 interest in roads😂😂😂

[@MrWelki]

Yeah agree... I don't even drive 😀

[@michaelfitzgeraldnet]

Hell i am in Australia, never been to England. But I still watch these vids

[@michaelfitzgeraldnet]

@@thenewfast1 there is a lot to unpack from that question

[@IamTheHolypumpkin]

Same, I don't like car nor roads I'm totally a train and biking guy. I don't even have a driver's license.

[@yourLocalSentientThing]

@@michaelfitzgeraldnetSame scenario as you; I live in Texas yet I watch all these videos (and Jay Foreman’s) :D

[@nerd8192]

Love the bit with Ringway! 😂

[@aston-s]

That was a great and unexpected cameo

[@rickydub6950]

Same here, recognised instantly 😂

[@nezbrun872]

I don't know which channel's more nerdy!

[@samholdsworth420]

I like to toss ringway

[@samholdsworth420]

Manchesta ringway?

[@tomgosy]

Secrets of the Motorway AND Ringway Manchester IN ONE VIDEO??? I must admit I'm moderately overwhelmed

[@DigitalDiabloUK]

Haha Manchester Ringways 😂 Should have done a tie up with Map Men too 😊

[@stepheneyles2198]

"Fun fact for the pub quiz coming up after this traffic passes" - it completely v a n i s h e d ! ! ! ! 😱 Thanks for the entertaining look at another of our amazing motorways!!

[@stevec1097]

“Imagination required” …..when showing the empty field 😂 👍🏻

[@RicArmstrong]

Im a truck driver (lorry) here in the US and travel all over America. But I have always taken interest in UK highways too. I enjoy seeing the differences and similarities our two nations make when designing highways. 🇺🇲🇬🇧

[@justinrovers1]

I’m Canadian, haven’t been to the UK, or really care about motorways.. but i love your videos!! Between you and JAGO I don’t know why i love UK transport so much! thank you!!

[@philiptownsend4026]

Perhaps because it's good for a laugh? Otherwise you'd have to cry, as we frequently do.

[@roberthindle5146]

Jago appears in Jay Foreman's latest video too. I don't know why these crossovers blow my mind...well, they don't but they're quite amusing.

[@justinrovers1]

@@roberthindle5146 I know not only that but they also played the minute waltz from Just a Minute, soooo much stuff packed in each Ep. All three (auto Shenanigans, Jago and Jay Foreman) are excellent fun and they put ALOT of work into their videos :) thank you all

[@David_Crayford]

@@justinrovers1 Agree with all the above. While we are compiling a list of British KZbinrs I'd like to namedrop @TomScottGo and @3kliksphilip. Know any more? Add them to the list. 🙂

[@andrewmurray5542]

@@roberthindle5146 it's weird, isn't it. One by one, I subscribed to Jay Foreman, Jay Foreman, Geoff Marshall, Tom Scott and a few others, all independently, and they all now crossover from time to time into each other's videos. I think Jay Foreman seems to be the common link. Love it when it happens though.

[@philsharp758]

Excellent stuff as always, with a team up with Ringway Manchester. All we need now is Geoff Marshall, The Tim Traveller and the Whitewicks for a full house. :-)

[@liviurosca]

I did’t look at my phone like 5 seconds and M3HHY starts to talk about radio towers. I was thinking for a couple of seconds that i changed to another video. 😂😂

[@colclumper]

Can't forget Martin Zero

[@highpath4776]

Could do the ex-Motorway off the A40(M) at Sheperd's Bush with Rob's London

[@xr6lad]

Been binge watching RWManchester recently as found his series on number stations. Good channel

[@anonUK]

Isn't the Tim Traveller based in France? Has he done the A26 "Autoroute des Anglais"? He could do Calais while AutoS. does Dover...

[@AmauryJacquot]

I just love the cameo by @RingwayManchester, it's just magic !

[@RingwayManchester]

🙏

[@dylanronnquist1445]

I love the Ringway Manchester Cameo

[@captainlandslide9874]

“If you’re on the M25 and want to remain on the M25, you have to come off the M25 and then re-join the M25…” don’t ask me why but that had me in absolute hysterics! I blame tiredness.. 🤣🤣.

[@BusesFromHanworth]

I blame Dartford crossing 🤣🤣

[@zakelwe]

I live next to the junction and the number of people who "stay on the M25 " and actually end up on A21 and have to come off at the next A21/A25 junction and turn back is not small, to put it mildly. Also they need to take the 2nd slip and they take the first which means they then have to do a u turn in a junction with a high accident rate. And if I want to head towards the coast ? Can't get it on it at Junction 5 from the A21 so you have to go all the way up to junction 3 and head down the M20. Junction 5 of the M25 is dumb... always has been, always will be.

[@aztekstylz]

What's hilarious about this series is that during the 70's, motorway news filled the airwaves for years. 50 yrs later, Jon.

[@19LloydG]

I lived in Wrotham when the M26 was built. One of the major benefits of the M26 was that it took traffic from the A25 which starts at Wrotham Heath and goes to Westerham and beyond. In the 1960s and 1970s the A25 was a congestion nightmare. People in Westerham literally cried tears of joy when the M26 was opened. I am not exaggerating. The other advantage of the M26 was that it provided a shorter route westbound (for traffic on the M20) as opposed to a route which would have meant joining the M25 at Swanley. So there were very good reasons for building the M26. It was actually built at the same time as the section of M20 that goes past Wrotham (up Wrotham hill). A million tons of chalk were taken off the hill to lessen the motorway gradient and the chalk was used to make an embankment for a new Wrotham bypass which was constructed at the same time.

[@jshawbitter]

Love the Ringway Manchester bit really good

[@seanwieland9763]

5:40 Ringway Manchester X Auto Shennanigans is the crossover I needed. Thank you! ❤️

[@aidy6000]

An excellent Cameo. Two great tastes that taste great together. Enjoy the rest of your week Mr Shenanigans

[@richardvickers148]

loved the sound clip of "ringway Manchester " lmfao

[@TheMightyKinkle]

Nice cameo from Lewis there

[@RingwayManchester]

That RingwayManchester knows his stuff!

[@AutoShenanigans]

He does! This episode is in danger of being "factual."

[@UD503J]

As an American, it's pretty fun to see that other country's highway systems have as many quirks and "one day this will be completed" sections as we have.

[@stevewalsh1987]

Loved the Ringways Manchester bit 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ianjones2538]

In the 1990s and early 2000s I used to commute from Chatham to Croydon, and then Chatham to Heathrow. In those days, the M26 was relatively unused. After leaving the hell-hole that is the Medway Towns, and the short but congested stretch of the M20 at Maidstone, the M26 was a chance to relax for 10 minutes and enjoy (snatched) views of the North Downs before joining the M25 car park. It's not as free running now, and certainly not an opportunity to relax.

[@wirksworthsrailway]

Heeeey!! @Ringway Manchester!

[@stevekelly5166]

@RingwayManchester Brilliant, obscure reference or is it? A day or so ago I looked up the 6 DUGA TX/RX sites known as the 'woodpecker' back in the day because of a Ringway Manchester episode. One still standing near Chernobyl. And in 1966, who owned a radioset on the mono radiaogram the size of a settee in the front room capable of receiving Radio 3 in stereo? Probably only the Director General of the BBC! Fantastic episode about another short/strange motorway that almost makes sense when you explain the drunken bureaucracy that caused it and the sebsequent traffic jams. Right, I've got to empty my Pollution Control Valve.

[@highpath4776]

Dad built a Mono FM only reciever from a kit (must have been US one as they had FM sort of before UK. Might have had stereo functionallity but he only built a mono amp, though his work was building amps they were all PA systems and I think the components were sort of bits from work claimed as apprentice pieces

[@medler2110]

I believe the council have rejected the plans for the new services, which means Kent is still woefully lacking in facilities, despite promises from the Government to get more facilities to encourage people to become HGV drivers. Even with Ashford Truckstop doubling in size they still have to turn trucks away on many nights. As for hold ups at Dover, they've been going on ever since I've been doing European driving some 20+ years now. In 2015 it was chaos for weeks when My Ferry Link had to stop trading (something to do with P&O complaining about its links with Eurotunnel) and loads of French workers lost their job and blocked Calais. The locals got all upset they couldn't use the M20 and demanded action, the government then said they would build a holding area for some 4000 trucks just off the M20, which seemed a sensible place to put a holding area for HGv's using the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, but the locals forgot all about the M20 being closed for weeks in 2015 and complained it was in the wrong place, basically they want a holding area somewhere near the Shetlands.

[@alextaxi2593]

You forgot to mention that the holding area was to be bigger than heathrow airport have no toilets no shops and be built on green fields and no planning permission

[@mlies37]

Ha! The Ringways Manchester cameo was great!

[@equesta]

Loving the Ringway Manchester upstage! Just need a collab with Jay Foreman and Geoff Marshall too and my life will be complete.

[@robdavy4468]

That cameo from @ringwaymanchester was amazing! Bravo!

[@TheUKMediaWatch]

I’ve had a good week , thanks for asking 😉

[@wisteela]

Love the Ringway Manchester bit 😁

[@ForburyLion]

5:00 Was worth tuning in just for this.

[@alecoldroyd6213]

Nice to hear Ringway Manchester appearing in a Ringways vid!

[@moorlandmonster3540]

Just want to say hello to my mate Jules from SA. I just met him last week for the first time in 10 years and we found we were both subscribed to this channel!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thats cool!

[@iancharlton678]

John……. Whatever it is you are on, please take steps to maintain a reliable supply……. it clearly is of great creative benefit…… 🥳🇬🇧 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@m1geo]

Wasn't expecting to hear Ringway Manchester over here! 😂

[@hammyh1165]

😂 love the Ringway bit , amazing how many of us watch his channel too.

[@brynthomas3129]

Love hearing Ringways Manchester 😂😂 brilliant

[@Slimee44]

I don't even live in the UK and I find these videos extremely fascinating.

[@rabidpb]

You manage to tuck in some of the best channel cameos.

[@gary3561]

I found myself repeating almost everything you said about the Wrotham tower and nodding in agreement. The amount of times i had heard this info from my late Father growing up its embedded in my mind until its my time, too. So nice to see home again ive not been back to the Dartford area since before my nan died. Its almost like this video has a message that im going to have to return soon, despite me knowing already what i dont know is when. Needless to say thanks John for that little bit of a reminder of something good i once had with the man i never got to reconcile with.

[@GaryVandalize]

Hahaha wasn't expecting Lewis to appear here.

[@brianjrichman]

As a Radio Ham, my ears perked up when I heard you using a clip from Ringway Manchester's ultra boring chat about the Wrotham Hill transmitter tower and the antennas on it. It all makes sense to the radio nerds, but not the car nerds. Mind you, put me inside a car engine and I'm kind of lost. I can hardly count the lost years of commuting from Essex to Crawley in the early 1980's using those Motorways... Fun!

[@JonTheBrush]

Love a bit of Ringway Manchester :)

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Jon

[@zakamoriarty]

Hahaha... Ringway Manchester there as a cameo! Jago Hazard and Paul and Rebecca Whitewick next week along with Geoff Marshall? Are my interests so predictable? Infrastructure I guess... :-)

[@dw7920]

A genuine pleasure to hear Lewis @ringwaymanchester popping up on here. Both of you very different in your offerings yet both just as appealing to me. The joy of having eclectic interests.. Another great vid Jon - cheers. 👍

[@RingwayManchester]

👍🏻

[@UD503J]

Funny story, I had a Ringway Manchester vid open on another tab and thought I had accidentally swapped over somehow. That was a great crossover.

[@MikeWooshy]

Cheers John!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Hi Mike, thanks a lot mate, that's really kind indeed. I hope you are well, enjoy your day!

[@MikeWooshy]

@@AutoShenanigans pleasure is mine John, you're making great content. It should cover the cost of a burger king (other food outlets are available) on a motorway services! Cheers pal, you take care too.

[@G7LWT]

Great to see a crossover episode with two of my favourite content creators - thanks!

[@rp-kt1le]

Brilliant !

[@zachbladen]

This is unironically becoming one of my favourite weekly series' on youtube.

[@MattBrunton1965]

Bloody pirate radio jamming your signal! 😉

[@neillthornton1149]

Gotta admit, never expected a Ringway Manchester cameo....

[@jon-paulgrainger1303]

Nice to see Lewis make a appearance. Wicked vid as always dude.

[@yet_another_0ne915]

Nice injection of Ringway Manchester.

[@kirkhamandy]

Good stuff as usual, excellent cameo from Ringway Manchester, lol

[@JohannaMeoww]

This is probably one of the most complicated to explain motorways, and all that for a glorified slip road... Well you made it interesting so thank you again 😊

[@AutoShenanigans]

Cheers mate!

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Top notch 👍😀

[@bigjaffa02]

As a genuine Man Of Kent, well done on your pronunciation of "Wrotham". I award you one shiny sticker.

[@AutoShenanigans]

I learned from the best... KZbin comments :D

[@hamgammonable]

This is an absolute gem of a channel and to hear Lewis/RingwayManchester was a hilarious wee Easter egg. I feel absolutely called out by how I am a follower of both channels but loved it. Right, back to catching up with the episodes!

[@samlloyd7540]

Never driven a car, but these videos are both fascinating and informal. Keep up the great work!

[@Mike-H_UK]

Great video. It was interesting how many references you could make to different ringways in one video, including the Manchester one. I actually sent Lewis some links to BBC research papers about Wrotham's role in FM development a month or so ago, but it seems like he knew it all already!!

[@randallflagg9498]

The m26 only being accessible one way kinda makes sense. 99 percent of traffic thats coming south and would use it can and do just jump on the m20. Love your videos man, you crack me up. And teach me stuff I didn't know!

[@smilerbob]

Trouble is freight traffic that wants places like Sevenoaks (J5 of the M25) can't use the full length of the M26 when travelling East to West so end up using local roads that are not fully designed for them or taking the long route up to the M20 and along the M25 to J5. Would make sense to have an exit there onto the A21 but what do I know :)

[@BLX187]

Really nice road late at night. always a pleasure

[@cv4981]

Had a great week this week, having passed all my exams on my course! This video topped it all off :)

[@AutoShenanigans]

Good times well done.

[@checkflaps]

The junction makes for a weird quirk (I believe). Assuming you drive North from Hastings on the A21, and always stayed in the right lane on the motorway sections….. you’d end up in Dover (eventually)!

[@UK.RoadsCyclingandTransport]

Interesting motorway the M26, when you showed the map of the ringways project it shows the M10 and up until 2009 it was a motorway and got downgraded following the widening of the M1 near Hemel Hempstead, you should make a bunch of episodes called Britains lost motorways, I'll give you a clue, used to be 3/4 motorways in central London until 2000

[@Deadguy1988]

haha love the crossover with ringwaymanchester another channel I watch in a similar vain... no interest in radios or radio towers etc but I just can't stop watching.

[@AutoShenanigans]

Same for me.. I've no idea why I enjoy "numbers stations" but I do.

[@chameleonedm]

Heh, funny to see you do my own local routes, drove this today. Glad you showed off some of Knole park too, truly beautiful. Used to feed the deer there as a kid

[@JustAlfiee]

This video popped up on my home page and watched a bit of it and know I am definitely going to love watching any new content from this channel. Just subbed

[@circadianizzy]

Might as well have done an M621 and called this the M250. Fantastic video as always!

[@robertsedgwick1629]

a spaceship never ruins a shot!

[@tobyjackman3212]

This is the best video I have ever seen about anything

[@stevegray5263]

A mile or 2 south east of the Chevening junction is Dunton Green; along the High Street you can see the remains of the disused railway line which Westbound, became the alignment of the M25 southern section

[@williamsimpson8115]

There is actually a station right on the side of the M25 just up from Sundridge

[@gilesfitzherbert7725]

Haha, I accessed the M26 via that little road/track off the A225 to fly my radio controlled 'plane. I 'took off' heading east. Needless to say this was after the M26 had been built but before it opened for traffic :)

[@rfburns5444]

Ringway manchester has finally arrived

[@RingwayManchester]

He’s here to stay

[@chillybrit2334]

Love the Ringway Manchester cameo :D

[@tomstc]

Frickin awesome chuckled alot on this one! I was doing the 80s cartoon interchanges on my channel I may reintroduce this

[@kirkmooneyham]

I lived in Northern California for a time, and there is a small piece of "interstate" highway, located completely within the northern part of the state, called the I-505. It's sole purpose is to connect the north/south I-5 with the east/west I-80, even though the two interstates do cross and interchange in the state capitol of Sacramento. This is because the I-5 does this strange thing where it sort of shifts over, running east/west for a bit, routed in an odd direction to and through Sacramento. To prevent HGV drivers coming out of the San Francisco Bay Area from having to go all the way over to Sacramento to get to the I-5 heading north, the I-505 was built as a bypass of sorts. It makes sense when you look at a map from high level, but it does seem odd to have this one "short" section of oddly numbered interstate out in the countryside, passing through no major city or large town.

[@UD503J]

Yeah the three numbered Interstate sections are always fascinating to me. In Florida in the Tampa area there's two sections off of I-275 (itself a loop off of I-75) that basically just act as extended ramps into sections of St. Petersburg. They're both less than a mile long and less than a mile from each other. In Jacksonville, there's a state highway (albeit built to Interstate standards) called 9B that connects the 295 (which was 9A until just a few years ago) loop to 95, but only about a mile and a half from the proper interchange. It's apparently planned that in the future, it's also going to be renamed as 795.

[@PlayWatchViewKayden]

I love motorways, I love transformers, so naturally I love this video

[@corm7538]

Hello from St. Louis, Missouri, I've never been to England or any other parts of the UK but I find it interesting to see how another country handles building and maintaining of their major roadways which we call interstate highways here in the US.

[@mm7wabanamateurradiowomble30]

Love the way You present what appears to be completely bonkers road planning decisions and explain how we ended up with some proper crackers junction layouts. Never expected to hear Ringway Manchester doing his radio mast information thing on Your channel :-) Keep up the good work John. Your wombling around the road network finding interesting places in the countryside is appreciated :-)

[@AutoShenanigans]

"Wombling Around" :D accurate.

[@TheFlyingBusman]

Cracking intro. Absolutely love the humour in these vids as well as the interesting content. Fast becoming a firm favourite with me.

[@stuartmiller6725]

John, I love your presenting style and really enjoy your videos But whilst it might be boring to you respect to @ringwaymanchester - Another good content creator in his field

[@minibus9]

awesome video

[@tingstrap]

Thanks John, I live in Otford and have always wondered why that duel carriage way is there.

[@colbysquibb7854]

Thank you. Never travelled the M26, don’t need to know thanks to your excellent video. Looking forward to the M27!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Yeh I wouldn't bother with the M26. M27 coming soon.

[@paulsengupta971]

@@AutoShenanigans What?! Wouldn't bother with the M26? The M26 is brilliant, it cuts that corner better than any other road could! I was on it but a few hours ago on my way back home from Bonn. The best thing about it? It doesn't have any speed cameras, so the traffic flows properly rather than having (numpty) cars all bunched up in the outer 2 lanes doing 67-70mph as you get on the M25 and M20. It's an oasis of calm in a desert of shenanigans.

[@benjones1917]

Nice Ringway Manchester cameo 👌

[@damedavidfrith55]

Very well put together interesting facts and a blend of English humour

[@henrywade2189]

this will be a nostalgic video. growing up in nw kent the m26 was a vital part of many journies and even as a baby road enthusiast i noted how boring and low quality it is 😭

[@TomStorey96]

Love the cross over with Ringway Manchester. Another great channel. 🤣

[@kevincorby435]

Patrolled those roads in the early 90's nightmare if you needed to go the other way in a hurry! When I retired I used that road almost daily to travel from East Kent to the airports. It is rumored that one of the supports at J2a has organic matter as well as concrete holding it up.😉

[@nickchap]

Huh, human organic matter?😮

[@kevincorby435]

@@nickchap rumoured

[@AndreiTupolev]

A former acquaintance of the Krays? 🤔🤫

[@nickchap]

@@AndreiTupolev I remember the story now...rumoured and very likely

[@highpath4776]

@@AndreiTupolev SE London prob Richardsons

[@Jayneswoolandbuttons]

Brilliant as always. I have shared your fun and interesting channel on facebook today. Thanks, Jayne

[@theowinters6314]

I only ran into @RingwayManchester channel in the last week, so it was a nice surprise to have him show up here as well. :)

[@Dan23_7]

You need a blue cape with a white M on it “Motorway Man” 💪🏼💪🏼 Yet another glorious episode

[@andrewwisker6918]

Thank you another great vlog roll on next week 😀😀😀😀

[@AndyMarsh]

Great fun video... loved the cameo. But now I have Mary Bennett singing Slumber Dear Maid running through my head. Thanks!

[@karlosullings4577]

"imagination required" love it!

[@id097]

More than meets the eye ❤

[@JackScooter17]

it's jon! my favourite roadman