From Blackdowns to Bodmin: Five Classic British Road Trips Worth Taking

Windows down, engine humming, and nowhere particularly urgent to be. That's the Cotswolds at eight on a Sunday morning, and it's exactly what a Mini, Triumph Spitfire, MGB GT or Austin-Healey was built for.

Start in Burford and meander north through Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Broadway. Stop for breakfast, browse a few independent shops, then keep driving until something catches your eye. Fish Hill is worth the trip on its own, and if you like bikes, there will be plenty here on any given weekend.

The North Yorkshire Moors don't do subtle. Sweeping views, open landscape, and a sense of space that's increasingly hard to find. A Rover P5, Triumph TR6 or Austin-Healey 3000 will happily take the scenic route, and here, the scenic route is the only route worth taking.

Start in Helmsley or Pickering, cross the moors towards Whitby, spend a few hours around the harbour and seafront, then head home a different way to make the most of the scenery. Time it right and you may catch one of Whitby's many events, from the famous Goth Weekend and Steampunk Weekend to the annual Traction Engine Rally.

This one's for the drivers who take the wrong turn on purpose. Devon rolls into Cornwall, the scenery gets dramatic fast, and a Triumph Stag, MGB Roadster or Rover P6 will find every excuse to stop along the way. Nobody's ever in a hurry here, and that's rather the point.

Leave the Blackdown Hills behind, work south-west through Devon, cross into Cornwall and head for Bodmin Moor. Build in plenty of time for unplanned stops. You'll need it. Did we mention cream teas?

Ask any classic car owner to name their favourite road and the Cat & Fiddle comes up more than most. It's the hairpins that do it: tight, committed bends that climb out of Macclesfield and don't let up until the pub itself appears on the horizon like a reward for good driving. Get it right in an MGB or a Healey and it's the best five miles you'll drive all year.

Approach from the Peak District and pair it with Bakewell, Buxton or Castleton. The smaller roads connecting the villages are often just as rewarding as the headline route, which can get seriously busy in peak season.

The Wye Valley does variety better than almost anywhere. Tight, wooded sections give way without warning to sweeping river views, and every village along the way seems to offer another excuse to stop for coffee. Not that you'll need much encouragement. It suits a Mini Cooper, Rover P6 or MGB GT equally well.

Start around Ross-on-Wye, head towards Symonds Yat, continue through the Forest of Dean and loop back via Monmouth for a full day behind the wheel.