Britain's best – and worst - driving roads named

[altezza]

(press release)
Owners of Britain’s world famous Caterham 7 sportscar have named the UK’s seven best – and worst - driving roads.

With half-a-million traffic jams every year, a seventy percent increase in traffic since 1983 and an £8.3bn backlog of repairs, Britain’s roads are regularly billed as a driving nightmare.

But, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Caterham 7, the Surrey based firm has revealed the real gems hidden away amongst the 230,000 miles of asphalt linking Britain’s villages, towns and cities.

Predictably, the open expanses and sweeping hillside paths that go to make up the 55,000 miles of roads in Scotland and Wales dominate the Seven Best Driving Roads, with the top four spots, according to Caterham owners. In fact, the Welsh countryside was responsible for 30 percent of the Top 30 nominations, with the South Western most tip of England delivering 24 percent.

Thanks to its stunning scenery, challenging twists and turns and almost traffic free motoring, the most votes went to the A87 between Invergarry and the Isle of Skye in North West Scotland. In second spot is the A4086 Pass of Llanberis in Snowdonia National Park in North Wales with another Scottish entrant, the A827 around Loch Tay, taking third.

Seven Best Driving Roads in Britain As Voted By Caterham 7 Owners


[Pos.] [Road]
[Reasons offered….]

1 A87 Invergarry to Isle of Skye, Scotland
"As breathtaking as it is challenging"

2 A4086 "Pass of Llanberis" from Caernarfon to Capel Curig, North Wales
"Popular destination but twisty roads and Snowdonia backdrop make it a must drive"

3 A827 Killin to Ballinluig, Scotland
"Clear roads and just fun, fun, fun"

4 B4407 Ffestiniog to Pentrefoelas, North Wales
"A demanding drive but clear views for miles"

5 A686 Penrith to Hayden Bridge through Gilderdale Forest, Pennines
"English countryside at its finest"

6 B3223 across the Brendon Hills & Exmoor Forest
"Narrow but flowing bends that beg to be driven"

7 B3306 St Just to St Ives, South West
"Can be busy with tourists but worth an early start any day"

"Most children are growing up thinking that motoring is one long traffic jam or a quick trip to the shops, but it doesn’t have to be like that," says Simon Nearn, managing director of Caterham Cars. "Too many people have forgotten how much pleasure you can get from driving down a quiet country road with its variety of corners, views and challenges. With all the headlines about congestion, speed cameras and poor road surfaces, it’s easy to forget that driving can be such a positive experience."

Nearn admits what denotes the best driving road is subjective, but believes Caterham owners are ideally placed to suggest what merits a good and bad driving experience. "The car was designed by Chapman back in 1957, but remains one of the purest driving machines on the modern motoring landscape."

The unsurprising custodian of the Worst Driving Road in Britain is the M25, and most notably the stretch from Junction 5 to Junction 21. The London Orbital narrowly out placed the A303, the main artery for commuters escaping to the South West, which, despite some wonderful scenery, was repeatedly dubbed as ‘the most frustrating stretch’ of road in the country thanks to the convoys of caravans.

Black marks also went to the A34 from Bloxwich to Cannock with its endless stream of speed cameras, and the M1 - all 187 miles of it!

7 Worst Driving Roads in Britain As Voted By Caterham 7 Owners


[Pos.] [Road]
[Reasons offered…]

1 M25 stretch between Junctions 5-21
"The antithesis of driving"

2 A303 from Andover onwards
"Single-carriageway and caravan hell"

3 M1
"All of it!"

4 A34 Bloxwitch to Cannock
"A feast of speed cameras"

5 M6 between Junctions 6-12
"Concrete views and nose to tail jams"

6 A350 Shaftsbury to Blandford
‘Every imaginable obstacle makes it a stop-start bore’

7 A8000 from M9 to Forth Bridge
‘Spine-jarring road surface even in a traffic jam and there’s always one of those!

[TT]

Wow, very nice! To bad I live so far away but it's a good idea!!

[jon_s]

I drive both the M1 and that M25 stretch all the time :cry:

I'm pretty sure I've driven that B3306 St Just to St Ives stretch before.. just I don't know it by the road number :-/.. there's some great roads down in here in Cornwall but each year they ruin more and more of them to accommodate tourist's


hehe.. now I have to go drive that B3306 some night when all the tourists have gone home

[Chingachgook]

Thanks, really thanks!
In a future not so far I want to go to Uk, with my car and my girlfriend, and drive drive drive! I'll sleep in a tent to minimize costs, so I'll be able to drive more...and have more funny.

I've seen in Evo Magazine how beautiful British roads are..I've fell in love with Uk

[1zippo1]

good idea. Wish someone did the same in Belgium. I think most good driver roads in Belgium are located in the french speaking part. Luxemburg also has some very nice roads.

[Imre]

I've seen in Evo Magazine how beautiful British roads are..I've fell in love with Uk

me too,except in Autocar.In autocar there was also this kind of review

[astonmartinandy]

Well i'm glad that I managed to dig up this old post, i'm going to Wales this weekend and I hope the roads are as good as everybody says they are!

nice to see my home town blandford mentioned in the worst roads the road to shaftsbury ain't nice and generally the roads are poorly maintained and potholed so much you spend most your time driving in the middle of the road! Still at least there aren't too many speed cameras in the surrounding area!

[Fleischmann]

You guys are moaning about those kinda things?? Look at what we have to put up with here in Poland:
http://motoryzacja.interia.pl/gal/sm...lskich%20dróg

Originally Posted by Fleischmann You guys are moaning about those kinda things?? Look at what we have to put up with here in Poland: http://motoryzacja.interia.pl/gal/sm...lskich%20dróg

Fair enough that is alot worse i have sympathy for you!!

[rob_e1]

Those welsh roads are great. My folks live up there so i drive that way regularly. Don't try it in the summer time though as there are too many tourists trundling along looking at the view. One of my best drives recently was actually christmas morning - had the whole country to myself it seemed

You have to watch out for:

1) Sheep. Especially early morning.. they are spectacularly stupid and if they've escaped from a field overnight will wander out in the road - even if you hoot or make a lot of noise. No self preservation instict at all! They will make a very nasty mess of the front of your car if you hit one.

2) Police. Richard Brunstrom is chief of police for north wales and he's the most veciforous anti-speeding plod there is right now. His officers are well behind the mood of the rest of the nation and think it is perfectly acceptable to sit behind hedges with radar guns. Helloooo guys! I thought it was all about getting people to slow down, not just about issuing fines

That said, the roads are super. In addition to the above check out the A494 past bala lake and the A458/A470 from llanfair caereinion to dolgellau.