When was the last time you went for a proper, long drive? It happens all too rarely for me, and truth be told I haven’t had the chance to go for more than a quick blast since January.
A rare gap in the diary meant I could take our long-term Jaguar XE on a long road trip though, and I wanted it to be somewhere good, somewhere with a good driving road to really put our XE through its paces. You know the sort of roads I mean - the ones that go on and on, uninterrupted by junctions or roundabouts. The ones with epic scenery, very little traffic and a fairly relaxed attitude to speed limits.
Fortunately, the internet is awash with suggestions for great driving roads in the UK. Wales features heavily, as does Scotland and the Cotswolds, but one that keeps cropping up is the B4632 between Stratford-Upon-Avon and Cheltenham - perfect then, I’d go and find it.
An early start meant I was on my way up the M40 motorway before most of the country was out of bed, and by just after 9.30 I was in Shakespeare country. I’d intended to go and take pictures of Anne Hathaway’s cottage, but I got distracted by an old Sea Princess aeroplane I saw rusting away in a local airfield. One thing lead to another, and the result is the picture you see at the top of this blog. Anne Hathaway will have to wait.
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Lots of great stuff in County Durham
- The B6277 between Middleton-in-Teesdale and Alston
- The A686 between Alston and Haydon Bridge (a great set of hairpins about mid-way through the drive)
- An unnamed road between Allenheads and Nenthead, which I've driven a few times and have never met another car
- The B6278 between Eggleston and Stanhope
- And a personal favourite, the B6276 between Middleton-in-Teesdale and Brough
For anyone who is up this way for a weekend and fancies a drive, you could easily spend a whole day thoroughly enjoying yourself.
Nearly everywhere north of the Scottish Central Belt
Traffic is generally very, very light and spirited driving is only brought back down to a more chilled level when the likes of sheep cross right in front of you without warning, or dips and off-camber tarmac sections sort out the novices (in their uber stiff-suspension setups) from the 'locals' ..... or as we have found out on the way to Durness - foreign registered cars driving at speed on the wrong side of the road!
A reasonable top 3.
2. The RS 500 near Baden Baden.
3. The Route Napoleon (need more than a single tank.)
Oh and I'd much prefer to do these on a decent motorbike. :)