Heading southbound on the M5, we are half a mile before junction 27. Quite often in the summer months, due to the tourists, traffic wanting the A361 is queuing back up here, and beyond.

Approaching the junction.

Heading up the sliproad.

Better turn right, then!

Past the services...

...and over the motorway.

Off we go onto the oldest section of the link road.

There's two junctions vey closely spaced together here, and they still managed to fit a layby in. Not the smartest idea ever...

The old A373 road to Tiverton can be found by leaving here. The dual carriageway to Tiverton also used to be the A373 when it opened in 1983 - it changed to the A361 in 1988 when the link road to Barnstaple opened.

The slip road leaves us - the final exit for 6 miles.

Note the 'North Devon Link' on the route confirnation sign.

Over the Grand Western Canal.

Then the road turns quite boring...

Just a standard D2. And it was raining.

Traffic nearly always flows freely, though. Not like the single carriageway sections.

Over the brow of the hill.

...and around the bend.

Still raining.

And still boring.

It wasn't quite as dark as the picture makes it appear - things do improve, though...

...but not yet. Raining quite heavily now, and not making good picture taking.

If you can make it out, there's a half mile ADS for the next junction - the A396.

I did well managing to avoid taking pictures of my wipers - until now. Oh, and there's an LDS on the left if you can see it...

Diverge ahead.