Some of the Best Christmas Drives in England

Winter in England usually consists of bitter cold winds, rain filled days and reduced daylight. Not so conducive to wanting to have a nice hike around the English countryside. Instead, jump in a warm, toasty car and choose from some of these top festive winter road trip ideas.

1) The Peak District

The Peak District offers motorists spectacular views stretching for miles and some very fun roads to drive on. Snake Pass is probably one of the most famous driving routes, winding through the Pennines, connecting Sheffield to Manchester. You’ll have snowy scenery all around, with is 1679 feet above sea level, and the meandering, sloping road is a pleasure to drive on. It was even voted as one of the best driving roads by Autotrader magazine in 2009.

Seeing as it also connects you to Manchester, you can stop off at the end of your drive to experience the various Christmas markets, which are open from the 12th November, Winter Wonderland and the Cathedral Gardens ice rink.

2) Yorkshire

The Yorkshire Dales are beautiful to drive through at this time of year, with their snow capped mountains, meandering roads and arabic stone walls that line the roads. You can start in the market town of Skipton and visit its famous 900 year old castle and charming local market. Then drive up North towards Grassington, taking in the miles of wilderness and farmland. Then on your way to Pately bridge, you can experience the climbs and views of the Nidderdale landscape. Next you can venture through to Ripon, where you can see the Brimham Rocks; an interesting and unique group of rock formations. Ripon Cathedral is one of the main attractions here and is considered an architectural masterpiece. Next up is the southern town of Knaresborough, which is famous for the Mother Shiptons Cave attraction. So if you want to jump out of the car and do some exploring, this picturesque mile long walk along the River Nidd is one to do. Finally, you can drive towards Harrogate, and you’ll be back in a much more urban setting, surrounded by historical buildings and beautiful botanical gardens.

3) Lincoln

Lincoln is a spectacular medieval city with plenty of history. The Lincoln Cathedral is regarded as one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world and during Christmas time, a magical christmas market is held with crafts and scrumptious local cuisine. There’s festive light displays and trails throughout the city centre, but one highlight is the Christmas lights drive through at Haymarket Park. The 0.7 mile long light show boasts thousands of lights, and runs until the 1st January.

4) Cambridge

Another winter road trip enshrouded in tranquil countryside, Cambridgeshire will have you travelling along winding country roads through charming villages. Your first stop should be Grantchester village which is located on the River Cam for a peaceful waterside walk. Then move on to Ely Cathedral, just north of the city centre, an outstanding landmark exuding British heritage, that hosts a variety of Christmas themed events including markets and carol services. You can then go and see the frost covered Cambridge University Botanic Gardens, and attend the Christmas Wreath Making event which is perfect if you have children.
 

If you just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of it all, then try one of these Christmas themed road trips.