Britain by the A and B Roads
Driving England's Traditional Highways and Byways in Style
Jun 25, 2007
The Art of Visiting the 'Real' England
For the visitor who wants to vacation in England in a relaxed way, there is no better way to do it than by pretending to be in the heyday of motoring, the 1930s. Take a car, travel this varied country by the roads used by pre-war motorists and stay in the same inns, pubs and small hotels as they did. Time will slow down, blood pressure will be reduced, and a very different England will be discovered.
Doing this is simple. Imagine that the motorway system hasn’t been developed. Go into a second-hand bookshop and buy one or more 1930s guidebooks to England and its counties. (If you can’t get 1930s guides, those published in the early 1950s will do as the road system still hadn’t developed much by then.) Use the guidebooks to travel the country by the old ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads rather than using the bypasses which now skirt most English towns and many villages.
Preparing for the Journey
While travelling, prepare to travel slowly, possibly as few as 100 miles a day, stopping wherever the fancy takes to enjoy a short stroll by a stream, to eat in a village pub, to buy a sandwich or cake from a small bakery, or to visit an out-of-the-way antique shop. The atmosphere can be enhanced by taking along some appropriate books to read – books that will enhance the feeling of refined motoring. 'Wind in the Willows' by Graham Greene is one, and much of Agatha Christie’s and all of P.G. Wodehouse's output falls into this category. Better still, when you’re picking up your guidebook, pick up a couple of obscure, 1930s novels as well to read on the way.
The Journey Not the Destination
Try the zen approach to traveling! Don’t plan to be anywhere by a particular time. When teatime approaches, look for a pub, inn or small hotel (preferably one that’s listed in the guide), and book in there and then. Eat in the pub or at a restaurant within walking distance. Try out some local beers, walk back to your hotel (or upstairs if the pub is providing your accommodation), have a good night’s sleep and wake up to a home-cooked breakfast.
Where to start? Most people fly into London, so try going down to the West Country by the old A4 or A3 route, before using the A38 to come back up from Devon through to the Midlands. From there, cut onto the A6 and follow it right through to the Lake District. It is then possible to either carry on into the Scottish Borders and beyond, perhaps on the trail of that country's single malt whiskies, or to cut across England and over the Pennines towards Newcastle and to travel south by the A68. Alternatively, fly into Manchester, Liverpool or Newcastle and reverse the journey. Remember. It’s the journey that matters, the starting and finishing points don’t.
The Prize: Relaxation
A few days spent like this will make the visitor to England realise just how varied the country is and just how unrepresentative the modern cities are. The roads are more relaxing than motorways. The history of England unfolds before the eyes. Market towns and village greens with their inns that date back to coaching times become accessible once again. This is one way of seeing England that won’t disappoint.
