My Dream Drive: Silverstone
Turns out the road to the home of British motorsport is as fun to drive as the destination
Where: A413 to Silverstone
Car used: Porsche 997 Carrera 2 S
The route:
"It's a fairly short section of roads, based around the A413 between Aylesbury and Buckingham and a good cut-through to Silverstone if you want to avoid the main roads."
Why it's a dream drive:
"It's the way to Silverstone! Seriously, any trip to the home of British motorsport is usually for something fun but it's always nice to know I'll enjoy the journey there as much as whatever's going on at the track. Especially if it's an early start like a PistonHeads Sunday Service, meaning I get the road to myself.
Driving to Silverstone as fun as driving round it
Highlights and lowlights:
"There's a fantastic right-left section after leaving Aylesbury with great sightlines that's really fun and, on the way back, a cheeky humpback bridge shortly after leaving Buckingham that'll have your passengers holding down their lunch.
"It is a busy road and frustrating at peak times so choose your moment. The temptation to go quickly does get the better of some and there are plenty of ominous gaps in the hedges that tell tales about those who've got carried away. I've seen more than the average number of crashes down here, including a 911 Turbo on its roof that looked like the aftermath of a plane crash. And there are several farms meaning you have to be ready for tractors and other slow moving traffic emerging from side entrances. The roads are a lot tighter after Buckingham too and the section past Stowe School to Silverstone has a terrible surface in places but it does take you straight to the main entrance."
Sights, stop-offs and diversions:
"It's such a short drive and I'm usually keen to get to Silverstone so there's rarely any reason to pause. But saying that Winslow is a beautiful little town and there's a nice little place (Rosie's Bar and Restaurant) that's moved from a quiet little corner to the High Street if you've had your fill of trackside burgers."
To follow the route click here.
Windows down, AC on full, heart pounding.
Superb for the soul
I recently took the new STI up there and it was just magnificent.
My route is even better, I live 20 mins away across country and cut across country through Stoke Bruene, Shutlanger and Whittlebury - some great, empty roads and only hit traffic towards the end.
Next trip though will be in the new car in a few weeks time to the Classic
I grew up round there so know most of the roads like the back of my hand, Cow pastures between the A5 and Whittlebury Turn left at cattle end off the A5, is a nice if short little piece of road and was the proving ground for top end in 6th form when most peoples steeds struggled to hit 3 figures
Also the road from pattishall/fosters booth through to Northampton sort of parallel to the A43 is also a nice rat run with some challenging corners and a few opportunities to give in the full beans.
I must admit to over cooking it a few times and couple of cars ended up wrong side up in a field over the years (my mums 1 week old Polo 16v being probably the worst) but there really are some nice roads around Silverstone.
What is now the main entrance to the circuit used to be a favorite before they commercialised it and multi laned it, from the A43 through to Stowe and then Brackley, a little piece of me died inside when that went. Once got chased down by a marked T5 when i was on the way home from work as a fork lift driver in my ratty old Mk2 GTI, got off with slapped wrists, and the comment "you are clearly a decent driver and you must know the road, but slow down a bit please sir" Maximum man points achieved in my mind!
Would occasionally get up early and lay some rubber down on this route to work in MK from Towcester, or if the traffic was bad on the A5 south would treat myself to a little bit of a wake up diversion to skip past the commuters who didn't know better!
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