Back Roads Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

266 Pages·2010·21.09 MB·English

by  Pat Aithie

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
BACK ROADS
GREAT
BRITAIN
SCENIC ROUTES CHARMING HOTELS
•
AUTHENTIC REGIONAL CUISINE
2 5
LEISURELY DRIVES

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
BACK ROADS
GREAT
BRITAIN

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
BACK ROADS
GREAT
BRITAIN
Contributors
Pat Aithie, Robert Andrews, Donna Dailey,
Rebecca Ford, Gillian Harrison, John Harrison,
Nick Rider, Rose Shepherd, Roger Williams
CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS BOOK 6
INTRODUCING GREAT BRITAIN 8
PUBLISHER Douglas Amrine
LIST MANAGER Vivien Antwi GETTING TO GREAT BRITAIN 10 Above Sandy Porthmeor Beach with St Nicholas chapel
beyond it on the Island, St Ives, Cornwall
MANAGING ART EDITOR Jane Ewart
PRACTICAL INFORMATION 12
EDITORIAL Michelle Crane, Alastair Drive 5
Laing, Georgina Palffy, Hugh DRIVING IN GREAT BRITAIN 16
Thompson, Vicki Allen A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
ART EDITORS Shahid Mahmood, WHERE TO STAY 22
Salisbury to
Kate Leonard
WHERE TO EAT 24 Glastonbury 64
PRODUCTION CONTROLLER
Linda Dare 4 days
THE DRIVES 26
PICTURE RESEARCH Ellen Root,
Rhiannon Furbear Drive 6
DTP Jason Little, Jamie McNeill Drive 1
THE VILLAGES OF THE
CARTOGRAPHY MANAGER LIZARD POINT AND THE SOUTH
Uma Bhattacharya COTSWOLDS
CORNWALL COAST
SENIOR CARTOGRAPHIC EDITOR
Cirencester to
Casper Morris
St Ives to Tavistock 28
CARTOGRAPHY Broadway 74
4–5 days
Stuart James, Schchida Nand Pradhan, 2–3 days
Zafar-ul-Islam Khan, Hassan
Mohammad Drive 2
Drive 7
JACKET DESIGN HEADLANDS AND COVES
Tessa Bindloss, Meredith Smith THROUGH THE CHILTERNS
ILLUSTRATIONS Bideford to Bodmin
Chalfont St Giles to
Arun Pottirayil, Pallavi Thakur, Moor 38
Dev Datta Henley-on-Thames 82
3–4 days
Colour reproduction by 2 days
Media Development Printing Ltd, UK Drive 3
Printed and bound in China by Drive 8
South China Printing Co Ltd NORTH DEVON COAST AND
First published in Great Britain in 2010 by EXPLORING THE SOUTH DOWNS
Dorling Kindersley Limited, 80 Strand, London EXMOOR
WC2R 0RL, A Penguin Company Beachy Head to
Copyright 2010 © Dorling Taunton to Barnstaple 48 Chichester 88
Kindersley Limited, London
2–3 days 3–4 days
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, Drive 4 Drive 9
or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
HARDY COUNTRY AND THE THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the copyright owner.
JURASSIC COAST Ashdown Forest to
A CIP catalogue record is available from the
British Library. Swanage to Sherborne 56 Battle 98
ISBN 978 1 4053 4829 4 3 days 3–4 days
Jacket The Seven Sisters cliffs near Beachy Head,
seen from Seaford Head, Sussex
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Above The Circus, an elegant 18th-century terrace Above Silbury Hill, Europe’s largest Above King’s College Chapel from The
designed by John Wood, Bath man-made ancient monument, Avebury Backs, Cambridge
Drive 10 Drive 14 Drive 20
THE RIVER CAM AND THROUGH SNOWDONIA WILD NORTHUMBRIA
CONSTABLE COUNTRY NATIONAL PARK Kielder Water to
Cambridge to East Machynlleth to Lindisfarne Island 206
Bergholt 108 Llandudno 146 2 days
3–4 days 4 days
Drive 21
Drive 11 Drive 15 HISTORY AND ROMANCE IN
THE BROADS AND THE NORTH ALONG OFFA’S DYKE THE BORDERS
NORFOLK COAST Ludlow to Holywell 158 Edinburgh to Rosslyn
Norwich to Heacham 118 4 days Chapel 212
3 days Drive 16 2–3 days
Drive 12 AROUND THE PEAK DISTRICT Drive 22
BORDERLANDS TO BEACONS Ashbourne to THE KINGDOM OF FIFE
Matlock Bath 168
Hereford to St Andrews to
2–3 days
Blaenavon 128 Culross 220
3 days Drive 17 1–2 days
YORKSHIRE DALES AND ABBEYS
Drive 13 Drive 23
Harrogate to Bolton
WONDERS OF WEST WALES THE WILD WEST COAST OF
Abbey 176
SCOTLAND
Llandovery to 3 days
Newport 136 Inveraray to Plockton 228
4 days Drive 18 5–6 days
NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS AND Drive 24
COAST THE HEART OF SCOTLAND
York to Sutton Park 184 Perth to Loch Lomond 2 36
Below left Crescent Gardens in bloom, Harrogate, 4 days 3–4 days
North Yorkshire Below centre Road sign near
Aysgarth, Wensleydale, in the rolling green Yorkshire Drive 19 Drive 25
Dales Below right Fishing port of Whitby with St
Mary’s Church on the hill behind, North Yorkshire Coast THE POETRY OF THE LAKES ON THE HIGHLANDS WHISKY
Carlisle to Coniston 194 TRAIL
5 days Inverness to
Aberdeen 244
3–4 days
INDEX 254
Title page: Ardnamurchan Forest on the West Coast
of Scotland Half-title page: Track across fields near
St Abb’s Head in the Scottish Borders

About this Book 7
About This Book
Away from the fast-track motorways and uniform three countries – England, Wales and Scotland –
city centres, these drives along the back roads each with a distinct history and different
take you to some of the less-visited towns and traditions. The landscape ranges from hillside
villages of Britain. Taken at a gentle pace, they pastures to mountain peaks, wild coastlines and
allow the driver time to appreciate what makes open moorland. Glimpses of past cultures can be
Great Britain unique – the landscapes, villages, seen in the prehistoric standing stones and
grand country houses, castles and gardens. This Roman ruins. And the castles and villages
book goes beyond the must-see tourist sights to document the emergence, over many hundreds
lesser-known places that will reveal a more of years, of a single nation. Expect delightful
intimate experience of Britain’s people and surprises round every bend, and the reward will
architecture. This island nation encompasses be the timeless culture of Great Britain.
Getting Started map of the itinerary to help plan the
The front section of the guide will give trip. There is useful advice on the best Using the sheet map
all the practical information needed to time of year to make the drive, road A pull-out road map of the
plan and enjoy a driving holiday in conditions, local markets and festivals. entire country is attached at
Great Britain. It includes an overview The tours contain descriptions of the back. This map contains
of when and how to get there, advice each sight, including opening times all the information necessary
on renting vehicles or bringing one and contact details, where applicable, to drive around the country
into the country. The motoring advice linked by clear driving instructions. and to navigate between
ranges from driving rules to road Side panels offer information on the tours. All motorways,
conditions, to buying petrol and authentic places to stay and eat. major roads, airports – both
breakdown/accident procedures – the Tinted boxes provide background domestic and international
kind of background knowledge that information and anecdotes. – plus all the ferry ports are
will help make a driving trip stress free. Each drive features at least one easily identified. This makes
Tips on money, opening hours and mapped walking tour, designed to the pull-out map an excellent
other practical matters will save you take a maximum of three hours at a addition to the drive itinerary
time and confusion. There is also gentle pace with stops along the maps within the book.
advice on accommodation and dining way. Some walks cover the highlights The pull-out map has a
options, whether visitors are looking of towns or cities, while others comprehensive index to help
for a luxury hotel or a farmhouse bed- explore glorious countryside walks find the places, and is further
and-breakfast, a gourmet meal or pub on safe, clearly marked paths. supplemented by a clear
food, which will help them to sample The tours are flexible and can be distance chart so drivers can
the range of British hospitality. linked to create a longer holiday; gauge the distances between
alternatively, they can be used to the major cities.
The Drives plan day trips within a region.
The main section of the guide is
divided into 25 drives, ranging from
two to five days in duration, leading
from the tip of Cornwall to the north
of Scotland. All tours can be driven in
a standard car or other vehicle. No
special driving skills are required.
The drives cover every region of the
country. Each one begins with an
overview of the highlights and a clear
Top left The Church of St Peter and St Paul,
Northleach Top right Cove at St Abb’s Head,
Berwickshire, Scotland Centre left Fishing boats
at Whitby Centre right Edinburgh – a famous
festival venue Below left Traditional sweetshop,
Rye Below right Field of sunflowers, Cornwall Above Driving through Langstrothdale Chase near Oughtershaw, North Yorkshire