BA - The Club - Epic British summertime drives

Buttertubs Pass, North Yorkshire, England

Says who? Guy Smith, motorsport competitor and Le Mans champion (December 2013)
We have so many great roads in Yorkshire, but Buttertubs Pass, which runs from Hawes to Thwaite, is as challenging as they come. The closest thing to an Alpine pass in the UK, it’s exhilarating at any speed, with sheer drops on one side as the road winds through deep limestone potholes called the Buttertubs.
Car of choice: a Jaguar E-Type, of course

A131 from Sudbury to Castle Hedingham, England

Says who? David Gandy, model and car enthusiast (August 2014)
This is on the Essex-Suffolk border. As my parents live in the area, I know every millimetre and surface change on this stretch. When you have a relationship like that with a road, it really helps you appreciate a car that has been developed and set up properly. I drove it recently in a Nissan GT-R, which is a car with an enormous reputation but one I’d never really understood before. After driving it along here, on a very wet day, I got it. It’s a hell of a machine.
Car of choice: Nissan GT-R

Bealach na Bà, Scotland

Says who? Charley Boorman, motorcycling adventurer (March 2014)
This historic mountain pass on the west coast of Scotland boasts the greatest ascent of any road climb in the UK, rising from sea level at Applecross to 626m. It’s a single-track mountain road with sharp turns that switch back and forth up the hillsides, ending in the wildly beautiful Applecross peninsula, where you’ll find the Applecross Inn – perfect for lunch.
Car of choice: Range Rover LR-SDV8 4.4 Diesel

Brecon Beacons to Portmeirion, Wales

Says who? Jodie Kidd, model and motorsport enthusiast (July 2015)
Portmeirion is one of the most bizarre but pretty places I’ve ever visited. The architecture looks Italian, but the area feels very English and proper. I travelled from Sussex up into Wales and then over the Brecons, before staying overnight in a little B&B. The next day I went up Mount Snowdon before arriving at the village. You really have to visit to get a feel for the place.
Car of choice: Ferrari 250 California Spider

B5289, Keswick to Buttermere, England

Says who? Richard Hammond, journalist and former Top Gear presenter (January 2018)
This is not a long drive but it is beautiful. You pass by the side of the lake and there’s an incredibly rocky corner under the trees. It becomes wilder as you go along the route to Rosthwaite, Borrowdale and Seatoller, lovely little Tolkienesque hamlets. At the end you have the green jewel of Buttermere, my favourite place in the world, bar none.
Car of choice: 1934 Supercharged Lagonda Tourer

Glasgow Airport to Oban, Scotland

Says who? Susie Wolff, former racing driver (March 2015)
Driving through the Highlands on the west coast of Scotland is symbolic for me – it’s where I grew up. Oban is a small town, and there’s a special moment when you turn the corner and see the water. The drive is very picturesque. Even during winter when it’s lashing with rain, there’s snow on the mountaintops and everything is wonderfully green.
Car of choice: Mercedes-Benz C63

A5, Gwynedd, Wales

Says who? Tiff Needell, former British racing driver and TV presenter (May 2014)
There are many wonderful roads in Wales, but it’s hard to beat the northwest finale of the A5 through Betws-y-Coed and on towards Anglesey, through Gwydyr Forest and skirting north of Snowdon. You’ll have to get up early to avoid the traffic, but the glorious scenery makes it well worth the effort.
Car of choice: Aston Martin V12 Vantage. The early morning run with the V12 orchestra wailing across the hills – the best of British

Brands Hatch, Kent, England

Says who? Vicki Butler-Henderson, TV presenter and third-generation racing pro (April 2014)
This UK racing circuit was home to the British F1 Grand Prix from the 1960s to the 1980s. My first car race was here in 1989 in a single-seater (having raced 100cc karts for the previous five years), and the exhilaration of the compression at the bottom of the steep first corner, Paddock Hill Bend, is unrivalled on a British circuit.
Car of Choice: Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer

A286 from Midhurst to Goodwood, Sussex, England

Says who? Lord March, Goodwood Festival of Speed founder (September 2014)
I drive this road every day. You come down the A3, which is quite boring, but then you’re on a lovely country road that hasn’t changed for 50 years. In the 1950s and 1960s, the racers used to drive on this road while fans would wait in the lay-bys and chase them down. My record run to London was on this road in a Carrera GT Porsche in the mid-1980s; it’s a great car and handles fabulously.
Car of choice: Carrera GT Porsche

Isle of Mull, Scotland

Says who? Sir Jackie Stewart, former Formula One racing driver (April 2016)
Take the ferry to the Isle of Mull and drive around – it’s flat but beautiful. One of my favourite spots is Iona Abbey, just off Mull on the Isle of Iona. On my birthday a group of us went there, including opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. She broke into song inside the abbey, and we were all in tears.
Car of choice: Range Rover

Epic British summertime drives

Buttertubs Pass, North Yorkshire, England

A131 from Sudbury to Castle Hedingham, England

Bealach na Bà, Scotland

Brecon Beacons to Portmeirion, Wales

B5289, Keswick to Buttermere, England

Glasgow Airport to Oban, Scotland

A5, Gwynedd, Wales

Brands Hatch, Kent, England

A286 from Midhurst to Goodwood, Sussex, England

Isle of Mull, Scotland

Buttertubs Pass, North Yorkshire, England

A131 from Sudbury to Castle Hedingham, England

Bealach na Bà, Scotland

Brecon Beacons to Portmeirion, Wales

B5289, Keswick to Buttermere, England

Glasgow Airport to Oban, Scotland

A5, Gwynedd, Wales

Brands Hatch, Kent, England

A286 from Midhurst to Goodwood, Sussex, England

Isle of Mull, Scotland

More from previous issues

The big trip: bucket-list travel for 2021

Five of the best British hotels with cottages

UK staycations: where to go and what to pack

Five expert tricks for a better night’s sleep