We are planning a trip to England and Scotland this June and I am looking for some help with the “Driving North through England” part of my trip. FYI, we are seniors experienced with driving on the left. We have set our accommodations on this part of our trip and are looking for suggestions for routes that are scenic and may have interesting stops. We like historic sites, (not as much into museums), and small towns for meal breaks and interesting short walks. I don’t mind some driving on expressways, if it makes sense, but would prefer something that is “prettier” where convenient.

We will be leaving London and picking up our car at LHR about 9:00am on Sat June 3, 2017. We will be driving to our accommodation for two nights in Bourton on Water. I am interested in a route with some stops before we get there, and then an suggestion for a route around the Cotswolds for all of the next day.

On Monday, June 5th we will be driving towards our next accommodation which is just outside of York, and would appreciate recommendations for a driving route. We will be staying there for two nights as well, and will spend the full day on the 6th in York.

On the 7th we are driving to Keswick for two nights. Again, is there a preferred route to get there? The following day we are allocating to driving around the Lake District before we drive on into Scotland on the 9th. Ideas for a delightful day in the area would be appreciated.

I know that this itinerary sees us criss-crossing England, but that is the idea.

>>We will be leaving London and picking up our car at LHR about 9:00am on Sat June 3, 2017. We will be driving to our accommodation for two nights in Bourton on Water. <<

If you want to avoid the direct route via Oxford, you could explore along the Thames - Henley, Marlowe, Dorchester, then towards Whitney and on to Bourton on the Water

>>On Monday, June 5th we will be driving towards our next accommodation which is just outside of York,<<

That is a pretty long drive so I would just get it out of the way and not meander much if at all. It will take between 4 and 5 hours depending on traffic on the M1

Thanks Janis...I thought you might say that about the York part! I'm now exploring your suggestions for day 1.

Bourton on the Water to York along the M1 isn't the most attractive drive and will be busy with traffic as it goes past several major cities. We always tried to avoid the M1 if possible!

My suggestion would be to cut across to the A1 at Stamford (via Leamington Spa) and have a short break there. It is a lovely stone market town with several medieval church towers and spires dominating the town.

After Stamford you could use the A1 and A64 to York. It isn’t as busy as the M1 and is marginally better scenically. This bring you in to the west side of York. The slower more scenic journey would be A15 to Lincoln and across the Humber Bridge. Then take the A63 and A1034 to Market Weighton (another short break) picking up the A1079 to York. This brings you to the York ring road to east of the city.

Where outside York are you staying - this could affect the decison on route.

I should have posted >>It will take between 4 and 5 hours depending on traffic on the M1 or A1<<

I have taken both routes several times and both can be a mess - or not.

Getting to Stamford from anywhere in the Cotswolds is a dismal, congested, endlessly interrupted, cross-country crawl - much of it round commercial estates on the edge of all too forgettable 20th century urban developments passing themselves off as cities.

For those who want to see the "real England", perfect: it takes you through the environment most English people live in. Perfect too for those wondering why the English have a reputation for gloominess.

True: if you divert via Lincolnshire you get to see Lincolnshire. But it's time you're not using to see the Cotswolds or North Yorkshire.

Personally, I'd say much the same thing about the route from Henley to Witney.

England, wherever you drive, is congested. If you accept England's a country, it's got the highest population density of any significant country in Europe - and after centuries of underinvestment in roads, nothing like enough highway to accommodate even our low level of cars per head (lower than Poland or Slovakia, for example, however hard lobbyists try to make us feel guilty about them).

Since you can't avoid congestion, try to get from A to B as quickly as possible with as little exposure to ugliness as possible. The motorway system gets you through or round congestion far faster than the alternative, is generally is a great deal less congested, and has some surprisingly rewarding stretches of scenery.

From Heathrow, I'd take the M4 west to the A404 (M), follow the A404 north to the M40, follow it to the Oxford turnoff, put up with the congestion round the Oxford ring road, turn north onto the A44 to Woodstock, then meander randomly west through the Cotswolds. The stretch of expressway from the M4 turnoff to just before Oxford demonstrates why avoiding faat roads is simply foolish.

From BOTW to York, I'd drive equally randomly NE through the Cotswolds (sort of through Adlestrop, the Rollriights and Upper Brailes) to the M40 J12, up to the A46 at J16, M69, M1, M18 and A1(M) gto J44 for the A64 to York.

Then resume random driving through North Yorks.

I'm also driving from the Cotswolds to Stamford at the end of May..I thought it would be easy, now I'm not so sure!

I can vouch for Stamford being a very attractive town...I went to school there years ago!

I drive all over the area from the Cotswalds to York. I think Flanner has it about right. The one thing I wouldn't do is the journey that includes the Humber bridge. The roads are often useless and/or very slow and in the summer just block up. A1 most of the way would do for me.

I live in Humberside and don't recognise bilboburglar's description of the roads around the Humber bridge...

The drive from Bourton to Stamford isn't as bad as made out and DEFINITELY preferable to driving on the M1!

Clearly ESW and I don't agree, I regularly work in Hull and I have to take trips to and from York, they are difficult to say the least especially in the summer.

Up to the OP

Thank you to all who are helping me. I am now crawling around on my BIG map of England, examining all your ideas! I will try to plot out an idea of a route, but, as always, build in some alternatives based on the conditions that we find.

If anyone has an idea of a routes around the Cotswolds for the full day that we have there, I would be happy to see it. I know I can't see everything. Janis, I have been re-reading your TR with the infamous ladies, looking at what you arranged. Unfortunately, I only have one full day and a bit of time just getting there the day before.