So if you’re into your cars, some of these locations or one of the many car shows that take place near them might be on your list of things to do this year – but what if you want to have the drive of your life on the way?

This list will give you more than enough amazing motoring things to do in a week, let alone one day, and some great roads to drive in between. However, if you’re looking for some inspiration for some motoring based fun then this will also give you plenty of ideas!

These drive ideas start in the Midlands and head to the south coast, giving you plenty of options for trying out new roads you may not have had an excuse to drive so far. If you’ve done any motoring events at these locations, you’ll know how crazy the traffic can get but thinking outside the box could get you there, if not faster, at least on a prettier route!

Silverstone

While you might think of Silverstone purely as the home of F1 in the UK, it’s now got an amazing museum showcasing some of the track’s amazing history. If you’re into automotive history this is somewhere you need to visit. That’s without mentioning the great selection of other car events that you could take your pick of here.

For great roads start at Buckingham and drive the winding A413 north to the circuit via Akeley. The circuit is surrounded by great villages and towns with loads of charm so, while Silverstone has a reputation for slightly dull surroundings, there is plenty to choose from.

Photo by Sam Pearce-Warrilow on Unsplash

British Motor Museum

From Silverstone head west on the A43 and come off on the B4525 towards Banbury for a great cross country route. However, when you reach Banbury, rather than getting on the motorway, join the B4100 that runs alongside it. This is a really engaging road that will take you directly to the British Motor Museum in Gaydon. If you’ve never been before, this has an extensive collection – in fact, the largest in the world – of British vehicles. If you like this then the Coventry Transport Museum just up the road will also be a great day out for you.

Bicester Heritage

From Gaydon to Bicester is an easy route to take on the M40 but it’s also a great excuse to dive into the Cotswolds. Stop in at one of the motoring cafes, such as Caffeine & Machine or Gilks’ Garage Cafe for a motoring inspired pit stop. From Ettington you can jump on the A429, which has a long straight, and then head further routh to the Rissingtons and Burford for some great sweeping bends and inspiring drives.

Photo by Liv Cashman on Unsplash

Williams Advanced Engineering

You can continue this Cotswolds jaunt to Lechlade-on-Thames and on to Farringdon if you’d rather keep on spectacular country roads. If you continue on Farringdon Road towards Wantage you’ll reach Williams, where the team build the car among other things and there’s another amazing collection of cars. This isn’t open anytime so you do need to book in advance but it’s something every Formula One fan should try to do at some point.

Brooklands

While Surrey might not have the best reputation when it comes to beautiful scenery, you will find plenty of rural roads that it’s hard to believe are so close to the capital. These wonderful woodland routes often spare you from time spent sitting in traffic on the M25 too. Just south of Weybridge is Brooklands, now a museum but previously a race track and you can still see part of the banking. If you’re interested in historic motoring – and aeroplanes – this is an excellent place to visit. However, if you’re more into modern motors then Mercedes-Benz World is on the same site with plenty of experiences to take part in.

Photo by Emrah Kara on Unsplash

Goodwood

Continuing south to Leatherhead, you enter Surrey Hill. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty made up of spectacular views. Here you can drive to Box Hill, and the famous Zig Zag Road, which really does what it says on the tin.

Continue south to Pulburough, and then take the A283 onto the A272 for a fantastic drive through the south downs. From here you can head south on the A286 to Goodwood. The area is a great location to soak up some motoring atmosphere, be that by stepping back in time at the Revival or finding out about the latest releases at the Festival of Speed.

Photo by George Bale on Unsplash

Stay safe – always follow government guidance.

Interested in more UK Road Trips? Then check out the below –

Road Trip Club – West Country Drive 

Road Trip Club – The best roads in the Peak District in a day 

Road Trip Club
We have teamed up with the awesome team over at The Road Trip Club to bring you some of the best road trips here in this very country. The Road Trip Club love the open road, finding new places and travelling by car, to find out more about the club head on over to - https://www.roadtripclub.co.uk/
Article published September 24th, 2021