Drives near me: Top five scenic drives near Birmingham for your UK summer holidays
HOLIDAYS in the UK are set to experience a boom this summer as Britons turn to staycations amid uncertainty over foreign travel. Britain has so much glorious countryside to explore - and it's easily admired by car. These are some of the best drives near Birmingham.
Peak District announce they are 'good to go' following lockdown
Driving in the UK is popular among many Britons as a way to venture out into the countryside. Birmingham is an ideal city base as it’s right in the centre of the country. This means there are a plethora of routes to explore within easy reach.
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UK car hire company Avis - which has waived all cancellation fees for bookings before September 1 - has exclusively picked just a few of their all-time favourite driving routes near Birmingham for Express.co.uk.
All five can be started from the city by hire car and looped back round within 200 miles.
Peak District, Derbyshire
With so many places to explore, the Peak District is a dream come true for leisure drivers.
One of the area’s most famous roads, Snake Pass, was listed as one of the best driving roads by Auto Trader magazine in 2009.
The Pass, as it is also known, has beautiful, green hills on each side and its winding roads also run beside the beautiful river Ashop.
Driving distance from Birmingham: Two hours 10 minutes / 48 miles
READ MORE: Five best scenic drives near Newcastle
The Midlands Tick, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire
Coming in at just over 50 miles, the Midlands Tick has featured high on driving experience wish lists for many years. Accessible and picturesque, it’s the perfect excuse to blow those cobwebs away.
To get there from the city, you’ll need to get on the M6 Toll or the M42 to get across to the starting point in Bingham. Once there, take the road to Langar, Eastwell, and Melton Mowbray.
Then continue down to Tilton on the Hill and Sutton Bassett before finishing in Uppingham. And yes, you’ll find quaint villages and winding roads along the way.
The Tick itself should take around one and a half hours to complete with an hour either side to travel to and from Birmingham.
Driving distance from Birmingham: One hour 30 minutes / 50 miles
Shropshire to Worcester
For hills and history galore, there’s no better route in the area than the Shropshire and Worcestershire circuit.
This is the ideal antidote for city fatigue, with its wide-open spaces and pretty pitstops. To max out the experience, add a stopover, and extend the trip in a country house somewhere along the way.
The route stretches from the A5 then the M54 to Weston Park, which is around 40 minutes from Birmingham. Then follow the A443 to Witley Court and Gardens, before doubling back on yourself.
If you want to get straight back from Witley House, it’s just a 55-minute drive down the M5. From Weston Park to Witley, it’ll take just over an hour. But make sure you plan for extra time with your car hire and plenty of stops along the way. Those views are not to be missed.
Driving distance from Birmingham: Two to three hours / 43.5 miles
Cannock Chase, Staffordshire
There’s a reason why many Birmingham city slickers head out to Cannock. The area is famous for its supreme natural beauty. So much so, it’s protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
There’s no better place for nature lovers to strike out on an adventure. It’ll take you just half an hour to get from Birmingham to Cannock itself. From there, the A5195 will wind its way through to the Chase.
Along the way, you’ll find water sports, historic towns, forests and spectacular views of the Midlands countryside at its best. Best of all, you can make this trip as long or as short as you like.
Driving distance from Birmingham: 30 minutes / 26 miles
Wenlock Edge, Shropshire
Tracking further along to the Welsh border, you’ll find the Wenlock Edge Circuit. True to its name, this really is a loop-de-loop, running from Shrewsbury to the Shropshire Way.
En route, you’ll pass towns like Church Stretton, Much Wenlock, and Wenlock Edge. Allow around two hours for the circuit itself, following the A458 to Much Wenlock then back up north from the Shropshire Way, along the A49.
If you’re starting from Birmingham, it’ll take you around one hour to get to the starting point in Shrewsbury.
Driving distance from Birmingham: Two hours / 50.6 miles