Southampton to Blackpool - interesting routes?

[trashbat]

I've got this ordinarily boring trip coming up several times soon, on my own and with no particular hurry on. Normally this is A34, M40, M42, M6 then M55, which is fine but a really dull way to spend five hours.

How would you make it more interesting? (road choices only please!) I could go a lot further west and even into Wales, but beyond that and to any kind of detail, I'm clueless.

Ta!

[trashbat]

The answer to this was, obviously, 'Aberystwyth'. What's 174 miles and six hours between friends?