Looking for scenic road trips from London? We’ve put together 10 countryside driving routes just beyond the M25 ring road that will get you out for the day into some of the most beautiful landscapes in southeast England.
London is without doubt one of the world’s great cities, but after years both living in and visiting the UK’s capital, we’ve come to appreciate just how much there is to discover just beyond the outer city limits. And for us, there are few better ways to do that than by jumping in a car and heading out for a day drive.
Now, we’re the first to admit that driving in London itself can feel more like an endurance test than a nice day out. Once you break free of the M25 though (the vast motorway that encircles Greater London), the English countryside immediately opens up before you. It’s a swift transition that still catches us off guard every time we visit.
Busy streets quickly give way to winding hedge-lined country lanes, rolling green hills scattered with sheep, clutches of ancient woodland, white-cliff coastlines, and villages that seem frozen in time.
For us, though, the thing we love most about our day drives around London is that every route is layered with history. A simple countryside drive can lead to medieval hamlets, historic market towns, Roman ruins, ancient stone circles and hillforts, castles and manor houses and, of course, centuries-old pubs. There are few places in the world where road tripping blends landscape and history quite like England does.
So if you’re looking to escape the bustle of London or its ‘burbs for a day, read on for our round-up of 10 classically English scenic road trips just beyond the M25. From rural meanders to coastal cruises and journeys into the past, these are some of our favourite countryside corners, best explored with the freedom of your own wheels.
Our favourite day drives around London follow winding routes through rolling countryside scenery like this.
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Choose Your Drive
Just beyond London, you’ll find a wonderful variety of landscapes shaped by both nature and centuries of human history. Each of these drives reveals a different side of southeast England. Collectively, they showcase the diversity of this region – woodland, farmland, wetland, downland, chalk cliffs, shingle beaches, sand dunes and more. Compare each of the drives below, then jump into the interactive map to follow our suggested routes.
Driving routes at a glance
From dramatic coastlines and rolling chalk downs to castle ruins and medieval market towns, each of our 10 scenic road trips from London offers something different. Most of them have a drive time of around 2 hours or less, over the course of a day. Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide where to go next.
Scenic drive
Best for
1. Kent Downs
Charming villages, vineyards, White Cliffs of Dover
2. Romney Marsh & East Sussex Coast
Historic Cinque Ports, maritime history, Dungeness ‘desert’
3. High Weald
Former smuggling villages, Wealden countryside, Scotney Castle
4. North Downs
Downland views, Roman ruins, vineyards, Chartwell estate
5. South Downs
Chalk hills, sweeping viewpoints, Seven Sisters chalk cliffs
6. Hampshire Heartland
Historic towns, hilltop panoramas, rolling countryside
7. North Wessex Downs
Scenic ridge-road driving, white chalk horses, Avebury stone circles
8. The Chilterns
Medieval villages, classic English countryside, Hellfire Caves
9. Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire
Roman Britain, historic market towns, Georgian architecture
Jump into our interactive map below for a fully plotted-out suggested route for each of the 10 drives.
Click on the image to explore an interactive map of our 10 scenic drives near London.
Plan your road trip
Rent a car
If you don’t have your own wheels, we recommend DiscoverCars for car rentals. Book early to take advantage of the best rates and widest choice of vehicles.
There are lots of opportunities to join a tour or activity before, after or as part of your scenic drive itinerary. Check out the huge range of options available on GetYourGuide.
Make a night of it, or stay for a weekend! Find the best stays for each of these drives with Booking.com, from B&Bs and country pub stays to stylish boutique hotels.
These drives are not about spending hours behind the wheel. Sure, you could zip through most of the routes in around 2 hours or less, but it’s so much better to make a day of it, and we’ve included plenty of opportunities within each drive to stop, take in the scenery, go for a wander, take tea in a quaint village, explore historic sites, or enjoy a pub lunch.
Factor in the drive from London
The driving times in this guide cover the featured scenic route only. Depending on where you’re based in London, remember to allow extra time to reach the starting point (especially if you need to travel via major roadways like the M25 during peak), and for the return trip, unless you’re planning to stay overnight at the start or end point.
Consider staying overnight
Every route starts and/or finishes in a town or area that we feel is worth exploring in its own right, making it very tempting (and easy) to turn each day drive into an overnight or weekend break. Once you’ve decided on the drive, find and book a stay in the area.
Expect country roads and lanes
We’ve deliberately designed these routes to steer clear of bigger roads and motorways wherever possible, in favour of smaller B roads and laneways through the countryside.
Laneway driving can take some getting used to, especially if you’re new to it. The trick is to take your time, drive courteously, and keep an eye out for passing places on your left where you can pull in and let oncoming vehicles pass, or faster moving vehicles overtake.
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Best time to go
While all of these drives can be enjoyed year-round, each season brings its own special highlights: Spring carpets ancient woodlands with bluebells and turns rapeseed fields bright yellow. Summer brings long evenings, perfect for slower-paced exploring. Autumn – perhaps our favourite time of year in southeast England – colours the trees in hues of red and orange. Winter serves up quieter roads, beautiful late afternoon light, and fireside pub lunches (just note some historic sites may close over winter).
Of course, this is England and there’s always a chance of rain. We’ve learned it’s better to be ready for it than be put off by it – drizzly days often lead to misty, evocative scenery, and there’s even more reason to search out a cosy pub en route!
Spring is a great time for countryside drives near London that take in woodland areas where bluebells are in bloom.
10 Scenic Road Trips from London
1. Kent Downs: Faversham to the White Cliffs of Dover
Wrap up this drive through the Kent Downs with a walk above the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.
John grew up with Kent on his doorstep and we never miss an opportunity when we visit London to take off into the ‘Garden of England’ for a drive. So it’s fitting that the first of our scenic road trips is a zig zagging journey through the heart of the Kent Downs National Landscape.
Beginning in historic Faversham, this route winds through a landscape of rolling chalk hills and narrow hedge-lined lanes. In spring, bluebells carpet woodland areas like the Kings Wood, which you can visit en route.
Along the way, you’ll have a chance to wander historic villages like Lenham, Charing (look out for the remains of the ancient Archbishop’s Palace) and postcard-pretty Chilham. If time allows, maybe tour a local vineyard – we’re big fans of Kentish wine and southeast England road trips like this are a great opportunity to search out boutique wineries in one of the world’s fastest growing wine regions!
Near Wye, a short walk onto the chalk grasslands of the Wye National Nature Reserve reveals sweeping views across the Downs and into the Devil’s Kneading Trough, a deep valley scoured by meltwater at the end of the last ice age. The route then continues through beautiful Elham, one of the region’s most picturesque villages and an excellent lunch stop, before winding through more hedge-lined lanes and rolling countryside toward the coast.
While you may need to leave the hulking clifftop fortress of Dover Castle for another day, we do recommend finishing up with a walk along the path above the iconic White Cliffs of Dover. Here, the chalk landscape you’ve been cruising through all day rises to meet the sea in dramatic fashion, and it’s particularly lovely in the late afternoon light.
Driving route: Faversham > Lenham > Charing > Chilham > Wye (walk to Devil’s Kneading Trough viewpoint) > Elham > White Cliffs of Dover Total drive time/distance: ~2 hours / ~90km (55-60 miles) Best for: Charming villages, chalk downland scenery, vineyards, chalk cliff coastal views Highlights: Charing Archbishop’s Palace remains, charming Chilham and Elham, Wye National Nature Reserve views, White Cliffs of Dover Our recommended pub stop: The King’s Arms, Elham
2. Romney Marsh & East Sussex Coast: Folkestone to Hastings
Visit the stark shingle foreland of Dungeness on this coastal drive from Kent to East Sussex.
This drive explores one of the most unusual landscapes in southeast England. Leaving Folkestone, the route follows the coast through the historic Cinque Ports of Hythe and New Romney. It traces a shoreline shaped by storms, smuggling, and coastal defences built to protect the English coast against threats of wild seas and Napoleonic invasion.
Along the way, you’ll pass a frontline of early 19th-century, circular forts called Martello towers, the hand-hewn Royal Military Canal, and extensive sea walls. Nearby, the wide open landscape of Romney Marsh reveals a maze of drainage channels and reclaimed farmland.
On a seaward corner of this flat landscape is the desolate shingle headland of Dungeness, an exposed and barren place once touted as Britain’s only desert (it rains too much to be a real one). Today, it’s scattered with paint-faded fishing boats and shacks, a lighthouse and a navigation tower.
From here, continue on towards the golden dunes of Camber Sands, an anomaly among the pebble and shingle beaches of this coastline. Head inland for a wander and maybe lunch in medieval Rye before heading to Winchelsea and then following the coast above dramatic cliffs into Hastings.
Combining maritime and military history, remarkable landscapes, and some of England’s oldest and most interesting coastal communities, this is definitely one of the most distinctive routes on our list of 10 scenic drives near London.
Driving route: Folkestone > Hythe > Dymchurch > New Romney > Dungeness > Rye > Winchelsea > Hastings Total drive time/distance: ~2 hours / ~80km (50 miles) Best for: Coastal scenery, big-sky landscapes, historic Cinque Ports, maritime history Don’t miss: Royal Military Canal and Martello Towers, Dungeness ‘desert’, Romney Marsh, medieval Rye Our recommended pub stop: The Pilot Inn at Dungeness and the Mermaid Inn at Rye are both great for lunch. For a more beer-focused stop, head to The Red Lion in Romney Marsh for proper British ales or the Rye Waterworks Micropub.
What are Cinque Ports?
A few of the historic towns you’ll visit on the drive above were once part of a medieval confederation called the Cinque Ports. These were port towns that provided ships and sailors to the Crown, helping to protect the English coastline and sea trade routes, in return for tax exemptions and a certain level of autonomy.
Cinque means five in old Norman French (the language of the ruling elite in post-1066 England) and refers to the original five ports in the collective – Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, New Romney and Hastings. Later, the group expanded to include Rye and Winchelsea.
Nature ultimately upturned the fortunes of the Cinque Ports, unleashing a series of devastating storms over the medieval period that completely reshaped the coastline in these parts – silting up harbours, rerouting rivers, and turning ports like Rye into inland towns.
3. High Weald: Royal Tunbridge Wells Loop via Cranbrook
The beautiful grounds of Scotney Castle make for a lovely stop on a drive through the High Weald of Kent.
For us, some of the most atmospheric countryside driving near London lies within the wooded hills, deep valleys, sandstone crags and ridgetop villages of the High Weald.
Starting in Royal Tunbridge Wells, this route explores the heart of the Weald (a word with roots in the Old English term for ‘forest’), winding through a landscape of rolling woodland, hop country and scattered farms, and some of Kent’s most beautiful historic villages.
Our picks for stops on this drive include the romantic ruins of Bayham Old Abbey and the gardens of moated Scotney Castle (the colours here are particularly beautiful in Autumn and during the late afternoon light). The drive continues through historic smuggling country around Hawkhurst and the lovely market town of Cranbrook, ‘Capital of the Weald’.
From there, country roads lead to hilltop Goudhurst, with sweeping views across the surrounding countryside. The return via Horsmonden and Brenchley delivers more of the quiet back-road driving that makes a scenic road trip here so worth it.
If you’re wanting to linger a little longer, there are also optional detours to vineyards, the moated Bodiam Castle (one of our faves in the UK), the vast water reservoir of Bewl Water, and Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest (if you’re part of the Parkrun family, we highly recommend this one).
Driving route: Royal Tunbridge Wells > Old Bayham Abbey > Scotney Castle > Hawkhurst > Cranbrook > Goudhurst Total drive time/distance: ~1.5 hours / ~60km (35-40 miles) Best for: Historic smuggling villages, country-lane driving, castle estate and Wealden countryside Don’t miss: Old Bayham Abbey, Scotney Castle, Cranbrook and Goudhurst Our recommended pub stop: The Great House in Hawkhurst, once a smuggler’s haunt.
4. North Downs: Oxted Loop via Chartwell
Charming Eynsford is one of the historic stops on this scenic drive through the North Downs.
This drive explores a corner of southeast England we know best, an area we’ve lived in and continue to visit regularly. Despite being a stone’s throw from the M25 – the UK’s busiest motorway – it feels a world away.
The route begins in historic Oxted before climbing to the chalk ridge viewpoints around Titsey Hill and following sections of the ancient Pilgrims’ Way, a prehistoric trackway later used by medieval pilgrims travelling between Winchester and Canterbury. Some of our favourite countryside drives near London can be found here, where quiet lanes weave through woodland, open farmland, and rises of the North Downs.
The drive then ventures deeper into Kent, passing beneath the M25 and on to Lullingstone Roman Villa, one of the most significant Ancient Roman sites in Britain.
Afterwards you could pause for a bite to eat in the charming village of Eynsford, which dates back to the 9th century and has a lovely riverside pub. Otherwise, head through the beautiful Darent Valley to The Mount Vineyard, tucked in behind the backstreets of Shoreham. It’s a lovely spot to sample some very good Kentish wine (another of our go-to spots for wine tasting in this area is Squerryes Winery).
Continuing through forested stretches and along ridge-top roads with sweeping views across the Weald, the drive reaches Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s much-loved family home. The grounds here are beautiful and it’s a magic place to enjoy a wander.
The return journey through Limpsfield Common showcases more of the area’s ancient woodland before winding up at The Haycutter. This 19th-century country-house-turned-pub is one of our top picks in these parts, and a perfect spot to round off a day exploring the countryside around Surrey and Kent.
Driving route: Oxted > Titsey Viewpoint > Lullingstone Roman Villa > Eynsford > The Mount Vineyard > Chartwell House & Gardens > Limpsfield Common > Oxted Total drive time/distance: ~1 hour 45 / ~75km (45-50 miles) Best for: Downland views, Ancient Roman history, wine tasting, country-lane driving, historic estates and ancient woodlands Don’t miss: Titsey Hill & Ide Hill views, cruising parts of the ancient Pilgrims’ Way, Lullingstone Roman Villa, The Mount Vineyard, Chartwell Our recommended pub stop: The Plough Inn at Eynsford for lunch, or The Haycutter near Oxted for dinner.
Pub with a view
Having spent quite a bit of time driving and walking in the area around Oxted, we’re particularly partial to the scenery and the country pubs here.
Another of our favourites sits high on the ridge near Titsey viewpoint: the 16th-century Botley Hill Farmhouse. It serves up stunning views across the rolling Surrey Hills National Landscape, and is worth a slight diversion on this drive through the North Downs if you have time. Check opening hours and book ahead if you plan to visit.
5. South Downs: Arundel to the Seven Sisters
Soak up the expansive South Downs scenery from the Devil’s Dyke.
The fifth entry on our list of scenic road trips from London links some of the finest scenery in the South Downs National Park with a string of historic towns and villages.
Starting in Arundel (absolutely worth a longer linger or even a short guided tour if you can extend your visit), the route leaves behind the skyline-dominating castle and cathedral and climbs into a landscape of rolling chalk hills, patchwork farmland, and winding country roads.
Along the way, historic Steyning provides a charming stop before the road rises to a series of breathtaking viewpoints, including Devil’s Dyke and Ditchling Beacon, where you’ll find panoramas stretching right across the South Downs toward the coast.
From there, our drive continues east through the heart of the national park, pausing for views across to the mysterious Long Man of Wilmington before reaching Alfriston. We love this charming little Sussex village; it’s the perfect spot for a pub lunch before continuing through the Cuckmere Valley to the coast.
The finale of this road trip is the spectacular Seven Sisters, a coastal sweep of grass-topped chalk cliffs that plunge to pebble beaches lapped by the Channel. It can get pretty busy on the rise out of Birling Gap on a nice summer’s day but we’ve also had the place all to ourselves on a chilly September afternoon. Either way, it’s a magical spot to wind up the day as the sun drops and the afternoon light softens – in our experience, this is one of the most beautiful coastal landscapes in England.
Driving route: Arundel > Steyning Bowl > Devil’s Dyke > Ditchling Beacon > Long Man of Wilmington > Alfriston > Seven Sisters Total drive time/distance: ~2 hours / ~110km (65-70 miles) Best for: South Downs viewpoints, historic villages, dramatic coastal scenery Don’t miss: Arundel, Devil’s Dyke, Ditchling Beacon, Alfriston, Seven Sisters walk Our recommended pub stops: The George Inn and Six Bells in Alfriston or, if you’re doing this drive in reverse, the George & Dragon in Houghton.
The Seven Sisters Coast
We’re constantly drawn back to the rolling hills and chalk cliff coastline of the Seven Sisters, and over the years we’ve road tripped to this area along many different routes.
Another scenic drive from London to this destination follows a route south around Gatwick through the Sussex countryside to the coast, linking villages, castles and dramatic sea views along the way. You can find the itinerary in our East Sussex road trip guide.
It’s also possible during the warmer months to experience the majesty of this coastline from on the water. The very highly rated Seven Sisters Boat Tour departs Newhaven (around 20 minutes’ drive from Alfriston or 25 minutes from Brighton) for a 1.5 hour cruise. You’ll hear about the colourful history of this area while keeping an eye out for seals, porpoises and birds. We haven’t had a chance to do this yet but as the Seven Sisters is a magnet for us, it’s very high on the list!
6. Hampshire Heartland: Winchester to Bishop’s Waltham
This looping day drive will take you from the streets of Winchester to the highest point in the South Downs.
Winchester, the capital of ancient Wessex and first capital of England, is a wonderful place to visit at any time of year. It’s a place we’ve returned to time and again, whether for a sunny afternoon with a pint beside the River Itchen or a cup of mulled wine beneath the cathedral spire at the Christmas Market. It’s makes an excellent start and finish point for our sixth scenic drive from London, and we highly recommend staying before or after for a tour of one of England’s oldest cities.
This looping journey showcases a quieter side of the South Downs National Park and the surrounding Hampshire countryside. Departing Winchester, you quickly leave the bustle behind for narrow country lanes and rolling green hills. Along the way, stop to take in the views at Cheesefoot Head, and perhaps the elegant Georgian architecture and gardens of Hinton Ampner.
The drive continues through the villages of Selborne, Hawkley and Stroud before climbing to Butser Hill, the highest point in the South Downs. On a clear day, the views stretch across the rolling chalk rises of southern England, making this one of the best viewpoints in this vast national park. Take a break with a coffee at the Butser Roundhouse Café if it’s open, and keep an eye out for the hill’s famous herd of Highland cows.
From Butser, the route serves up sweeping scenery followed by tree-lined lanes to Corhampton in the Meon Valley. Pause here for a visit to the thousand-year-old Corhampton Church, home to some of the oldest wall paintings in the country. Then continue on to Bishop’s Waltham, where the ruins of a medieval bishop’s palace sit beside a fine market town centre.
This is a lovely, easy scenic road trip that serves up countryside vistas, historic villages, and some of the South Downs’ best panoramas, all just a stone’s throw from Winchester.
Driving route: Winchester > Cheesefoot Head > Hinton Ampner > Butser Hill via Selborne and Stroud > Corhampton > Bishop’s Waltham Total drive time/distance: ~2 hours / ~100km (60-65 miles) Best for: South Downs viewpoints, historic towns, and relaxed countryside touring Don’t miss: Cheesefoot Head and Butser Hill views (bonus: highland cows if they’re onsite), Corhampton Church, Bishop’s Waltham Palace Our recommended pub stop: The Shoe Inn, a lovely riverside pub in Exton near Corhampton.
7. North Wessex Downs: Newbury to Devizes
Built over six centuries ago, Donnington Castle is one of the younger historic sites on this drive through ancient North Wessex.
As one of our first day trips from London by car together, this drive gave me my first real taste of English road tripping and I was instantly hooked. It’s an area we’ve returned to many times since because it ticks so many of our scenic drive boxes.
The route we’ve plotted crosses the heart of the North Wessex Downs, linking prehistoric sites, chalk escarpments, and some of Wiltshire’s most beautiful villages.
Starting in Newbury, the drive quickly leaves the town behind, passing the twin-towered ruins of Donnington Castle before climbing through the open downland around Seven Barrows toward the impressive, chalk-scraped Uffington White Horse. From there, the route descends via the B4000 to the renowned antiques hub of Hungerford, where a pub lunch beckons, before continuing west through some of the quietest and most scenic corners of the Downs.
Rather than following the main roads, we recommend driving onto the ridges around White’s Hill, past the Hackpen White Horse (another geoglyph) en route to the ancient henge and three stone circles of Avebury. Nearby, you’ll find the West Kennet Long Barrow and mysterious Silbury Hill. Along with Stonehenge, this is all part of the vast Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, a landscape infused with thousands of years of human history.
Our drive finishes in the market town of Devizes, which is packed with historic buildings, an excellent museum of local prehistoric treasures, great pubs, and a brewery dating back to 1875.
In our opinion, this is one of the best London road trips you can do in a day, but it’s also one of the longest drives on our list, so we recommend an early start (or an overnight stay even). That way, you’ll have plenty of time to explore the landscapes around Uffington and Avebury rather than just cruising through them.
Driving route: Newbury > Donnington Castle > Uffington White Horse > Hungerford > Avebury, West Kennett & Silbury Hill > Devizes Total drive time/distance: ~2.5 hours / ~120km (75 miles) Best for: Scenic ridge-road driving, white horse geoglyphs, ancient stone circles Don’t miss: Donnington Castle, Uffington White Horse, Avebury stone circles, Silbury Hill Our recommended pub stops: Historic John O’Gaunt Inn, Hungerford
8. The Chilterns: Henley-on-Thames to Coombe Hill
On this day drive, you’ll explore some of the most charming villages in the Chilterns, like Little Missenden here.
Beginning in the elegant riverside town of Henley-on-Thames, the eighth entry on our list of scenic road trips near London explores one of England’s loveliest National Landscapes: a region of wooded valleys, quiet country lanes, and medieval villages.
The stretch through Hambleden and Turville to West Wycombe is particularly special, winding through tree tunnels, hedgerows and tree-studded fields. Stop for a coffee at the Village Store in Hambleden, where a National Trust covenant protects the village’s centuries-old heritage and architecture.
Continue on to wee Turville, overlooked by the Cobstone Windmill. You may recognise the village church and its cottage from TV series, the ‘Vicar of Dibley’.
From Turville, the route winds to the perfectly preserved National Trust village of West Wycombe, home to a flamboyant country house and an impressive high street of Tudor and Georgian architecture. The intriguing, allegedly haunted Hellfire Caves are also here, excavated in the 18th century at the whim of an eccentric aristocrat. If you have time, you can join a tour to learn about their infamous backstory.
Next, it’s on to the wonderfully preserved village of Little Missenden, with its famous medieval church and exceptional 12th-century wall paintings, traditional pubs and old-world charm. Just north is Great Missenden, long-time home to author Roald Dahl.
Our drive finishes on a northern ridge at Coombe Hill, the highest point in the Chilterns, where a short walk delivers vast views across the flat Aylesbury Vale.
Driving route: Henley-on-Thames > Hambleden > Turville > West Wycombe > Little Missenden & Great Missenden > Coombe Hill Total drive time/distance: ~1.25 hours / ~50km (30-35 miles) Best for: Medieval villages, classic English countryside driving, panoramic viewpoints Don’t miss: Hambleden village, ‘Vicar of Dibley’ village of Turville, West Wycombe’s Hellfire Caves, St John the Baptist Church in Little Missenden, Coombe Hill views Our recommended pub stops: The Red Lion in Little Missenden or The Cross Keys in Great Missenden.
9. Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire: St Albans to Dunstable Downs
Journey by car through the undulating landscape of Hertfordshire to the high ridge of Dunstable Downs in Bedfordshire.
While we highly recommend spending a day or two delving into the ancient sites and historical layers of St Albans, this scenic drive really begins once you leave the city behind. The route serves up some lovely countryside cruising across the counties of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, weaving through landscapes shaped by thousands of years of human settlement.
Pause first in Wheathampstead to explore the massive Iron Age defensive earthworks known as the Devil’s Dyke. Then cruise the hedge-lined lanes of Kimpton and Whitwell to the historic market town of Hitchin, an excellent stop for a wander and a coffee.
The scenery becomes increasingly dramatic as the route reaches the chalk escarpments around Deacon Hill, where a short walk leads to panoramic views across the surrounding countryside. Those with a sharp eye or – like us – a penchant for the prehistoric, will also find echoes of Iron Age communities in the ancient earthworks here.
Next, drive on to elegant Ampthill, with its Georgian streets and Capability Brown-designed parkland (once the site of a castle where Catherine of Aragon was exiled – look out for the monument to her). Stop for a hearty pub lunch here. If time is on your side, continue on to nearby Woburn for a look at the stately Georgian village within the Duke of Bedford’s vast estate.
Our final stop on this London road trip is Dunstable Downs, the highest point in Bedfordshire, where views stretch across the Vale of Aylesbury and gliders soar above the chalk ridge. From here, it’s a short drive back to St Albans along the ancient Roman route of Watling Street, today the A5183.
Driving route: St Albans > Wheathampstead > Hitchin > Deacon Hill > Ampthill > Woburn > Dunstable Downs Total drive time/distance: ~2.5 hours / ~100km (60-65 miles) Best for: Roman Britain, historic market towns, Georgian architecture, scenic back roads Don’t miss: The Devil’s Dyke, Hitchin High Street, Georgian Ampthill and Woburn, Deacon Hill and Dunstable Downs panoramas. Our recommended pub stops: The White Hart in Ampthill, a former 18th century coaching inn. If you’re staying in St Albans, you can’t go past a drink at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, said to be one of the oldest pubs in England. While the jury’s out on that, it’s definitely a quirky, fun spot for a pint.
10. Constable Country: Great Dunmow to Flatford Mill
Springtime on a road trip through Essex serves up vibrant yellow and green fields.
The last entry on our list of 10 scenic drives near London combines the charm of medieval Essex villages with the pastoral beauty of the Stour Valley.
Leaving the historic market town of Great Dunmow, our route winds through patchwork fields and hedge-lined lanes around Broxted to medieval Thaxted, home to timber-framed houses, an impressive guildhall and a restored windmill.
The rolling farmland and meadows throughout the area make this drive a real treat (we especially love cruising through here in mid to late spring, when fields of deep green contrast with bright yellow rapeseed blooms).
Further on, pause in the village green at pretty Finchingfield with its old humpback bridge and village green, then head to beautiful Castle Hedingham on the Essex-Suffolk border and enjoy a short wander to see its enormous 12th-century Norman keep and stunning church.
Crossing into Dedham Vale National Landscape – better known as Constable Country – we suggest a diversion to Nayland for a riverside pub lunch before continuing on to the hamlet of Flatford Mill on the River Stour. As a National Trust-managed site, little has changed since landscape artist John Constable found inspiration here in the early 1800s.
Depending on how you’re travelling, you could finish the day with a riverside stroll or a rowboat trip. Or make your way to Dedham, the ‘capital’ of Constable Country, for a wander along the medieval and Georgian high street, and dinner at one of Dedham’s lovely pubs.
Driving route: Great Dunmow > Broxted > Thaxted > Finchingfield > Castle Hedingham > Nayland > Flatford Mill Total drive time/distance: ~1 hour 45 / ~85km (50-55 miles) Best for: Patchwork countryside, medieval villages and riverside hamlets Don’t miss: Thaxted Guildhall and windmill, Finchingfield Green, Hedingham Castle & St Nicholas Church, Flatford Mill Our recommended pub stops: The Anchor Inn by the river in Nayland for lunch, or save your appetite for a pub dinner at The Marlborough in Dedham.
Useful Travel Resources
Car Rentals: Our go-to for hire cars when we travel is DiscoverCars as they have a huge choice of vehicles and the best prices. Book your London road trip car rental here.
Stays: We use Booking.com for all our stays when we’re travelling around the UK – find and book a stay here.
Airport Transfers: Avoid the hassle of navigating from the airport to your stay with a pre-booked airport transfer. Check prices on Welcome Pickups.
eSIMs: We use Airalo eSIM to stay connected while travelling. Find a UK eSIM here.
