Britain's favourite roads

[Kicking-back]

A survey's out about the favourite roads in Britian for a relaxing drive.

Here's the top ten:

B3306 St Just to St Ives, Cornwall
A592 to Ullswater, Lake District
A817 Loch Lomond to Garelochhead, Argyll
A35 Lyndhurst to Christchurch, New Forest
A537 "Cat and Fiddle" road Macclesfield-Buxton, Derbyshire
A169 Pickering-Whitby in North Yorks
A87 Invergarry to Isle of Skye
A4086 (Llanberis Pass) Caernarfon-Capel Curig, Snowdonia
A39 Exmoor coast road
A149 Old Hunstanton-Sheringham, Norfolk

[Ian Sowman]

I know many of those roads. Some really excellent roads, there.

[garcon]

Not sure I'd call the Cat & Fiddle "relaxing" - not on a summer Sunday afternoon at least. It is bloody good fun though!

[Ian Sowman]

Especially in the dark. And when it is raining

[Craig]

hmm... I remember the first time I drove that road... in a fully laden Mercedes Sprinter hire van... much fun indeed

[Logrence]

Anything in Snowdonia is worth the effort...

[bella]

i found a superb a road through northumberland and the scottish borders a couple of years back, shame that's not on there. magnificent fun, and spectacular scenery.

[lj79]

Originally Posted by garcon

Not sure I'd call the Cat & Fiddle "relaxing" - not on a summer Sunday afternoon at least. It is bloody good fun though!

Thgought it was massively restricted now in terms of cameras and presence of dibble

[ss_collins]

Anything in Snowdonia is worth the effort...

Agreed - especially on proper tyres

[Anuauto]

Last time I drove "Cat&Fiddle" road was on the RAC Rally, on forest tyres, loads of spectator traffic and ordinary traffic, broad daylight. Getting to the Buxton Time Control with only a couple of minutes in hand was a ludicrous schedule that didn't help the public image of the sport.
That list (Sunday Times today?) seems to be just scenic routes. I don't think it translates too well into "drivers' roads".

[garcon]

Originally Posted by lj79

Thought it was massively restricted now in terms of cameras and presence of dibble

It's one of the worst roads in the country for biker casualties... mainly because it's a favourite bikers' route but also cos there are some very tricky little bends (partly why it's a favourite route...). There's no fixed cameras up there yet, and there's not a great deal of sense in the Cheshire half having a 50 limit while the Derbyshire half is still 60, but I really don't mind the presence of dibble up there on Sundays if it keeps the bikers on the right side of sensible (and alive).

What I do object to is bike cops spending a few hours on Sunday morning hiding behind a wall and collecting fines from people speeding down a perfectly safe, open stretch of dual carriageway on the way in to Macc, when they should be up on the Cat & Fiddle saving lives. *******s.

[richard_sykes]

Jeremy Clarkson used to test drive every sporty car at buttercup cross in Yorkshire, or some where that sounds like that.

[Spiteful]

A little OT, but the roads around Spa and the Nürburgring are marvellous. All very fast, long, rising and falling sweepers. No wonder they built race circuits there. Not exactly without danger ofcourse. You can drive around the pre 197? Spa gp circuit and see for yourself how insane it was. The road after the banking near Stavelot up to where it joins the modern circuit is very much out of shape tho.
From there you could drive to Eupen, cross the German border on the worst stretch of 90 kph road in the civilised world and continue to the 'ring, first through some twisty mountain roads (especially entertaining in the wet ), then as you near the 'ring endless high-speed roads curving through the hills and forest. All the way from Spa to the eiffel circuit you'll notice an unusual concentration of automotive exotica. Now you've come this far, you MUST buy a ticket and drive around the Nordschleife, you will love it and you will go there again. Try not to let the miles and miles of frustrating Belgian freeway spoil your day... I almost got killed on the way back from my first trip to the 'ring.

[richard_sykes]

Originally Posted by Spiteful

A little OT, but the roads around Spa and the Nürburgring are marvellous. All very fast, long, rising and falling sweepers. No wonder they built race circuits there. Not exactly without danger ofcourse. You can drive around the pre 197? Spa gp circuit and see for yourself how insane it was. The road after the banking near Stavelot up to where it joins the modern circuit is very much out of shape tho.
From there you could drive to Eupen, cross the German border on the worst stretch of 90 kph road in the civilised world and continue to the 'ring, first through some twisty mountain roads (especially entertaining in the wet ), then as you near the 'ring endless high-speed roads curving through the hills and forest. All the way from Spa to the eiffel circuit you'll notice an unusual concentration of automotive exotica. Now you've come this far, you MUST buy a ticket and drive around the Nordschleife, you will love it and you will go there again. Try not to let the miles and miles of frustrating Belgian freeway spoil your day... I almost got killed on the way back from my first trip to the 'ring.

Everyone I know thats done "the lap" has said the same.

[whitlock]

Originally Posted by bella

i found a superb a road through northumberland and the scottish borders a couple of years back, shame that's not on there. magnificent fun, and spectacular scenery.

Is that the A68?

A lovely road, but unfortunatly riddled with speed cameras

[imull]

both of thosescottish ones are far from relaxing.

The cretins that voted those relaxzing are the problem with the british motoring public. strolling along at 40mph with not a clue about the highway code. Obsctructing everyone else who has a place to be while they dawdle along on holiday staring at that nice view. morons

[Craig]

A6112 from Duns to Coldstream was a pretty good drive, I recall.

[silver bullet]

My favourite road is the A55.
Reason: I'm either going on my holidays, or going racing to Anglesey.