Three new scenic routes in southern England

[Anonymouse]

Although this forum group says "here you can share your favourite routes for others to use" there seems to be very little of that. So may I offer these three routes.

We are developing these for the Morgan Sports Car Club (UK). They take you through some fabulous countryside, past some interesting monuments, and along some very good driving roads. And plenty of narrow single-track roads too.

I'm not a RouteXpert but if one of those wants to take these, test/improve them, and add to the library, you would be most welcome.
Commercial use of these routes is not permitted.

At time of writing the first of these has been tested by three people independently and is final; the other two are in various final stages of development and testing so may receive some updates. If you see any errors (or missed opportunities) let me know.

I hope these routes give you some great ideas for UK motoring.

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1. Cotswolds backroads (nr Woodstock - nr Winchcombe)
   https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/13900429?mode=share

We will experience the full variety of North Cotswold roads, from fast B-roads with sweeping views to narrow (and maybe a bit bumpy) single-lane tracks through farmland. We will see pretty honey-coloured villages, rolling hills, dry-stone walls, beautiful churches funded by the wealthy medieval wool merchants … and plenty of sheep. The route includes two of the finest driving roads in the Cotswolds: the so-called TT Route near Charlbury, and Fish Hill near Broadway.

2. Oxfordshire & Cotswolds Backroads II (nr Wantage - nr Broadway)
   https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/13994274?mode=share

This route links two of southern England’s finest landscapes: the sweeping chalk downland of the North Wessex Downs and the honey-coloured limestone villages of the Cotswolds. It begins with the wonderfully open B4507, running beneath the Berkshire Downs with wide views across the Vale of White Horse, before crossing peaceful farmland and the upper Thames Valley to the historic market towns of Faringdon and Bampton.

Continuing northwards, the scenery becomes unmistakably Cotswold. Quiet lanes wind through the Evenlode Valley, past ancient villages, dry-stone walls and rolling sheep pasture, before climbing onto the high wolds around Kingham and Moreton-in-Marsh. The final section through Blockley, Broad Campden, Willersey and over the dramatic ascent of Fish Hill offers some of the region’s most enjoyable driving roads.

3. Wiltshire (Horton - nr Andover)
   https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/13994272?mode=share

This route crosses some of the finest countryside in southern England, linking Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Hampshire. You’ll travel from the wooded western edge of the Cotswolds, across the rolling chalk downs of Wiltshire, through the prehistoric landscape of Avebury and the Marlborough Downs, before finishing in the tranquil Bourne Valley of north Hampshire.

The scenery changes constantly: steep limestone valleys around Stroud, broad views over the Vale of Pewsey, the dramatic chalk escarpment below the Westbury White Horse, sweeping downland roads across the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, and finally the crystal-clear chalk streams and pretty villages of the Bourne Valley. It’s a route that showcases many of southern England’s most distinctive landscapes, with medieval market towns, ancient villages and open countryside connected by some wonderfully enjoyable driving roads.

(Note: there is an even better version of this route, down through Castle Combe and beyond; but at the time of testing Castle Combe was impenetrable due to high-volume, dangerous pedestrian tourist traffic, and long-term roadworks are blighting the A350 around Chippenham.)

[Nick Carthew]

@Anonymouse They look like nice routes. I know the Cotswolds very well, I’ve been there on 3 separate trips already this year. I will look at them more closely next week with a view to putting them into the RouteXpert library for you.

[Anonymouse]

Thanks Nick. I'm leading 18 cars through the first route on Tuesday; the others are in August so let me know if you see anything off.

[Nick Carthew]

@Anonymouse Of course.
And I don’t think I’ve ever been to Castle Combe without the road being full of pedestrian suicidal lemmings!

[Anonymouse]

@Nick-Carthew Very true. And then once you exit Castle Combe you have miles of single track road with no passing places and a lot of clueless tourists in rented SUVs which don't seem to have reverse gears .....

We wanted to run the route through Lacock which has a similar foot traffic problem (and on to Bowden Hill). But it was 20 mins in Chippenham roadworks that stopped that.

[Rob Veerman]

The Cotswolds, wonderful area. Upper and Lower Slaughter not to be forgotten. Have been many times in the UK, pedalling and biking. Scones with clotted cream, what a treat! Rode there this spring on my way to the Green Emerald that I last visited in 1978. All of this taking place on the 'wrong' side of the road, but all is well. Am looking forward to these gpx files with description. It will then probably lead to 'Cotswolds (not Brideshead) Revisited'.

[richtea999]

I know the area of the first two well, and they look very good to me. Just rode 1/3rd of route 1 this afternoon! And I like the info waypoints.

Only one minor comment: some of the waypoints are just in front of a vital turn (route 1 waypoints 7 & 45, for example). I worry that the waypoint announcement might clash with the turn instruction (if people are using audio). Both have waypoints after the junction, so 7 & 45 (and any similar pre-junction ones) might be redundant.