South East England
1 THE THAMES VALLEY: WINDSOR TO OXFORD
Best for: Dreaming spires and Royal-watchers. Distance: 55 miles
What to expect: From the world’s largest working castle to the historic university city, you’ll follow smaller roads through the leafy valley of the River Thames.
Route: Leave M25 at J13, and take A308 and B470 to Windsor and Eton. The B3026 and lanes along the Thames lead to Cookham. Take the A4155 to Henley, then A4130 and A4074 to Oxford.
Top tip: Park in Iffley Village on Oxford’s outskirts for a beautiful two-mile walk along the river into Oxford centre.
Pitstop: The old whitewashed Royal Oak, Bovington Green, has nearby Marlow’s gourmet food but not the prices (royaloak marlow.co.uk).
2 ANGLIA ADVENTURE: NORWICH, THE BROADS AND COAST ROAD TO THE WASH
Best for: Inland waterways and coastal views. Distance: 100 miles
What to expect: It might be flat but there’s plenty to see, from Norwich Cathedral to the Norfolk Broads. The coast road is a lovely drive all the way to the Wash at King’s Lynn.
Route: From Norwich take the B1150 north to Coltishall, then B1354 and A1062 through the Broads to Bastwick, then left on the A149 to Stalham and B1159 to the coast. Use a road atlas to explore smaller coast roads to Cromer. The A149 runs right along the North Norfolk coast, then to King’s Lynn.
Top tip: The best way to see the Broads is by boat – best place to hire one is Wroxham on the A1151.
Pitstop: With a restaurant and bedrooms overlooking the marshy coast at Brancaster, the White Horse gastro pub is a great spot to try fresh local seafood (whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk)
3 LONDON TO BRIGHTON: VIA THE DOWNS Best for: Drivers who prefer leafy country roads to motorways and dual-carriageways. Distance: 58 miles What to expect: Fields and woods through quiet villages and over the Downs to the seaside. Route: From M25 J6, take the B2235 to Godstone, then the long straight Tilburstow Hill Road south to join A22 at Blindley Heath. At Newchapel, turn on to B2028 and wind through villages to Haywards Heath. The B2112 leads to Ditchling, then take Ditching Road over the Beacon and down to Brighton.
Top tip: You’ll pass the entrance to Wakehurst, one of Britain’s best gardens, which includes the Millennium Seed Bank. There are 500 acres of flowers, woods and water features to explore.
Pitstop: Stop off at traditional Bull Inn, Ditchling, for modern British food with ingredients from its kitchen garden.
4 SUFFOLK PAINTER’S TRAIL: SUDBURY TO IPSWICH Best for: Artistic inspiration. Distance: 70 miles
What to expect: Lush riverbanks and thatched cottages that inspired some of Suffolk’s great landscape painters like Constable, Gainsborough and Munnings.
Route: From Gainsborough’s and Munnings’ homes at Sudbury head east on A134 to Leavenheath. The B1068 and B10710 lead to Flatford Mill, and then the A137 winds up to Ipswich’s Christchurch Mansion art gallery.
Top tip: Stop to visit Flatford Mill, where Constable painted The Hay Wain, one of Britain’s best-loved rural scenes.
Pitstop: Eat modern British dishes on the riverside terrace at the half-timbered Le Talbooth restaurant near Dedham (milsomhotels.com/le-talbooth)
5 ISLE OF WIGHT CIRCUIT
Best for: Sea views, yachting, harbours and beaches. Distance: 60 miles
What to expect: Quiet country roads without the busy dualcarriageways, roundabouts and hyper-markets of the mainland.
Route: Start at ferry terminals in Yarmouth, Cowes or Ryde and circumnavigate the island on the A3055 with detours to the Needles, Bonchurch, Bembridge and Osborne House.
Top tip: Turn into Love Lane from the A3055, a mile west of Ventnor. It leads to Steephill Cove, the island’s best ‘secret’ beach.
Pitstop: Waves splash against the wall of the Spyglass pub next to Ventnor beach. Expect hearty seafood (thespyglass.com).
6 NEGLECTED ENGLAND: BEDFORD TO BOSTON
Best for: Relaxed pottering through a fascinating but neglected patch of England.
Distance: 100 miles What to expect: Easy driving between the sights on flat country A-roads with long straights. Route: Leave Bedford on A6 north, then use lanes to bypass Kettering to the east through attractive villages such as Grafton Underwood and the elegant Boughton House. The A43 and A6116 lead to a scenic drive on the A6003 up to Oakham. The A606 runs around Rutland Water to beautiful Stamford and Burghley House. The A6121 and A151 lead to Bourne, then head north on A15 and turn left on A52 to Boston. Top tip: Take a detour from A606 at the east end of Rutland Water to see Normanton Church, apparently floating in the reservoir. Pitstop: Eat overlooking Rutland Water at the Finch’s Arms on a peninsula jutting into the centre of the lake (finchsarms.co.uk).
CONQUEROR’S FOOTSTEPS: PEVENSEY TO BATTLE Best for: Driving through history. Distance: 40 miles What to expect: Appealing Sussex villages and coast views plus a big dose of heritage. Route: From the William the Conqueror’s landing beach at Pevensey Bay, follow the coast closely using the B2182 and A259. You’ll pass the ruins of William’s Castle at Hastings and follow the scenic route to Rye. Then use the B2089 and A2100 west to Battle. Top tip: Hastings is home to the UK’s steepest railway. The extraordinary Edwardian East Hill Funicular is a travel bargain at just £1.50 each way. Pitstop: The aptly named William the Conqueror pub overlooking Rye harbour (williamthe conqueror.co.uk).
OLD ENGLAND: WINCHESTER TO PORTSMOUTH Best for: Historic cities and towns, and reminders of our naval past. Distance: 30 miles What to expect: From Winchester’s grand Gothic cathedral to Portsmouth’s old waterfront, an impressive journey across the South Downs to the sea. Route: Leave Winchester on the B3335 and B2177 via Bishop’s Waltham to Wickham and Drayton. Head into Portsmouth and Southsea on the rather spectacular M275. Top tip: Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard is one of Europe’s top naval attractions and includes HMS Victory, the Mary Rose and the Submarine Museum. Pitstop: A classic coaching inn refurbished in tasteful modern style, the Crown Inn in Bishop’s Waltham (crowninnbishops waltham.co.uk) is good for food, drink and overnight stops.
A CAPITAL EXPERIENCE: LONDON VIA NORTH AND SOUTH CIRCULARS Best for: Weekend city explorers. Distance: 55 miles What to expect: London is packed with fantastic sights but traffic is a deterrent. Pick a quiet time and use side streets to dodge jams. Route: A circuit of Wembley, Hampstead Heath, Ferry Lane, Olympic Park, Greenwich, Crystal Palace Park, Wimbledon Common and Kew Gardens. Top tip: Choose Sunday for your drive – many parking restrictions don’t apply and there’s no charge to drive even in the very central Congestion Charge zone. Pitstop: The Greenwich Tavern, an elegant three-storey pub next to Greenwich’s Royal Park serving modern pub favourites (greenwichtavern.co.uk).