For a while now, a friend and I have had this notion of touring Britain by car to investigate various places of historical, georaphical and cultural significance. We were thinking of spending a week or so during summer and just staying in B&B's and/or camping. I have picked up a few guides such as the AA's 'Best Drives' and a couple of books recommending places to visit and stay. I think it appeals because I enjoy driving would quite like to explore the motherland a bit having spent most of my life north of the border. It would also provide some useful expierience in my still-young driving career.
My question is, is this a flawed notion? Would the reality be the stress and drudgery of driving on England's roads? Perhaps the appeal of this kind of trip belongs in a bygone age?
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France is 100 times better in all categories Hector...
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France has lots more room (same population but 3 times the area) but there are plenty of places you can go to in Britain and get away from the crowds. Go to places that are les popular with tourists: for example try Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Monmouthshire. In the North avoid the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales and go to the valley well-named Eden; then go north to Northumberland and into Berwickshire. Then go across the Border country and see Dumfries and Galloway - but there are lots of places all over Scotland where there are no crowds.
Go for it and enjoy it: wherever you go in the world nobody does villages, churches and pubs like Great Britain.
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You say you are North of The Border - does this mean you wouldn't want to go further North and do your drive in Scotland? It is great area by all accounts; the roads are relatively empty but sometimes narrow, the scenery is great if it isn't raining and there are the midges, at times. If I didn't live South of London I'd be up there a lot. I took a train to Mallaig a few years ago and hired a car and spent 3 days on Skye. Plockton is a lovely village on the main land near the end of the Skye Bridge. Enjoy wherever you go!
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France is 100 times better in all categories Hector,
Do you really think so? I love France but the British Isles contains some of the most varied landscape in Europe with a history stretching back thousand of years and it all literally on our doorstep. It always surprises me how little travelled in their own country many are. My advice would be choose a single region like the the Welsh or Scottish borders or East Anglia and get to avoid the main tourist centres and A roads. Camping is a great idea if you are on a budget with the odd night at a B &B or inn.
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We have considered going north and I have driven in the highlands before but, to be honest, I've become quite accustomed to seeing lots of trees and hills. Although the highlands & islands still hold lots of appeal, I feel that you southerners will inevitabley appreciate the tranquility more.
I had in mind the cotswolds for a bit of that olde worlde charm and ironbridge gorge in Shropshire certainly appeals for a bit of industrial history. I've been to York before but I would like to see some of Manchester and Liverpool. I've got plenty of reading material but if any Backroomers have suggestions on places to visit I would be grateful.
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Ive always wanted to see Bristol/Bath and every year I find new places to visit in the West Country. It really does depend what exactly you want to see. Northants even has some interesting places, but when you live there, you never really appreciate quite whats on your doorstep.
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A great idea, hector.
Ironbridge and other parts of Shropshire are great, Ludlow for example.
Have a look at the Yorkshire Dales, and there are extraordinary things like the Anthony Gormley statues in the Mersey estuary.
Hope it works out.
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I think the Gormley statues, on the beach at Crosby, have moved on but there are still red squirrels in a sanctuary near there.
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 30/05/2009 at 22:35
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ive travelled over a fair bit of this fair isle and still have only scratched it , but unfortunately i dont fancy tents and dont want to spend money in hotels ,so the wife and i always stay in pubs or bed and breakfasts,unfortunately we can spend half a day trying to find somewhere to stay for the night as most places we pass we dont like the look of.
We now only book a cottage and use this as a base so we dont end up tired out each day.
If i want to go to a particular area for the weekend i go on the coach these days,its all inclusive meals, travel, trips and its always far less than i would pay going it alone plus we can always find the local weatherspoons
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but there are still red squirrels in a sanctuary near there.
Last time we were there, no red squirrels to be seen. All must have been in bed. Near Penrith we had them eating out of our hand though.
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For a while now a friend and I have had this notion of touring Britain by car to investigate various places of historical georaphical and cultural significance.
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Is this James and Oz phishing for a new series ?
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If you have the time & money to do it, definitely go ahead.
If you take a big enough cars, you might spend nights inside the car [to save B&B cost in economic downturn]
Don't forget shoot pictures and videos and then upload on Youtube :)
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I think the Gormley statues are a permanent feature, AS.
At least that's what the visit Liverpool site says.
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Thanks for your replies, folks. My biggest concern is whether too much time will be consumed travelling on congested routes and finding places to stay. I hope that sufficient time will be available to actually see and do things. I'm glad some of you see the appeal though, I had thought that it may be a slightly outdated concept.
I suppose one can all but scratch the surface in a week's touring, so I shall try to whittle it down to a sensible itinery. I take the point that it's sensible to avoid major tourist hotspots, I'd like to see the country in its natural light and to explore its hidden gems.
One further question, is driving in the south-east really as bad as it's hyped up to be? I've always fancied a trip to brooklands but I'd want to combine this with some other sight-seeing activities in the area to make it worth while.
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>>One further question, is driving in the south-east really as bad as it's hyped up to be?<<
Umm yeah it is. When I moved up from Sussex to Northants in 2002 it was akin to moving from London to the Outback in traffic terms.
My dad was there two months ago and he said even during the day it was one long traffic queue.
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I always think for this type of trip that the best times are out of main season....maybe late September or early October, trees at their best, most holdaymakers gone...should be easier Bed and Breakfasting.
Agree with Stu about the SE, avoid like the plague, just too overpopulated which is a great pity as there are lovely and historic places to visit.
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The awfulness of the SE is being exaggerated. Nowhere is as traffic-free as it used to be. True, you are kept well below the limit on many roads a lot of the time, but that's a result of people mimsing rather than sheer traffic volume. I bet it's even worse around Birmingham or Manchester.
Avoid obvious rush hours and the south-east is quite all right. Try to drive at a decent speed though, because we've got more mimsers than we need already.
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Avoid major conurbations during rush hour and the 'honey pot' destinations during summer holidays and you can still have a jam free journey almost anywhere. Get off the main routes and you'll find some hidden gems.
There are plenty of books or online resources to find pleasant places to stay - The Good Pub Guide has never let us down. I'd recommend staying two nights in an area though, otherwise the priority becomes getting to the next destination and not enjoying where you are.
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If you missed it on TV recently, Richard Wilson did exactly this in a six part series, and he drove "classic" cars to do it.
It was called Britain's Best Drives, and he found routes of interest all over the country, some spectacular (apparently - he's terribly laconic).
Anyway, there's a book, so there might be some inspiration in there.
And Robbie Coltrane did a Britain's B roads program that was pretty similar.
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