Drivelines
England · North West/8 min read

The 10 most scenic drives in the North West.

From the forbidding gradients of the high Lake District passes to the sweeping, empty moorlands of the Forest of Bowland, the North West delivers unmatched topographical drama. These are the routes where the view out of the windscreen justifies every mile.

By Drivelines·Published 06 May 2026
REGION OVERVIEW

Landscape and Lines

The North West is defined by its verticality. The crags of Cumbria and the rolling expanses of the Pennines dictate the path of every road, forcing tarmac to cling to valley sides, climb brutal gradients, or trace the long, ancient ridges of the borderlands. While the surface quality can vary wildly—from impeccably smooth A-roads to gravel-strewn, single-track lanes—the visual rewards remain constant. This is a region that demands you keep your eyes up, reading both the geology and the next blind crest.

Routes mapped
10
Total distance
202km
Avg curve idx
8.2/10
Map of all 10 routes in england-north-west
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Lake Road (A591)
10
A591 · Central Lakes · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Lake Road (A591)

The primary spine of the Lake District, this flowing trunk road sweeps past some of the region's most famous waters. Wide and well-surfaced, it is designed to carry volume, but outside of peak hours it reveals a lovely, languid geometry. It provides an effortless way to soak in the monumental geography.

Early summer mornings offer the best chance of a clear run before the caravans emerge.

Distance
20.1km
Drive time
0h 27m
Curve idx
5.8/10
Climb
361m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Rossett Bridge (B5343)
09
B5343 · Great Langdale · Expert
Mixed widthVaried surface

Rossett Bridge (B5343)

Pushing deep into the dramatic U-shaped valley of Great Langdale, the road becomes progressively more narrow and demanding as the peaks close in. The tarmac is peppered with tight, technical corners that leave no room for error. It is a dead-end route, but the sheer scale of the surrounding rock faces makes the journey essential.

Parking at the valley head fills by mid-morning, so run the road early if you intend to stop.

Distance
8km
Drive time
0h 15m
Curve idx
10.0/10
Climb
169m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to North Lonsdale Road (B5285)
08
B5285 · Hawkshead · Expert
Mixed widthVaried surface

North Lonsdale Road (B5285)

Connecting Windermere to Coniston, this intensely twisty section threads through traditional Lakeland stone walls and ancient woods. The surface is varied and the sightlines are heavily restricted by the undulating terrain. It is a route that demands absolute respect for its blind corners and narrow pinches.

The ferry queue at the Windermere end can back up heavily on summer weekends.

Distance
12.6km
Drive time
0h 24m
Curve idx
10.0/10
Climb
325m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Bark House Bridge (A5084)
07
A5084 · Crake Valley · Expert
Dual-trackVaried surface

Bark House Bridge (A5084)

The A5084 is the west-shore road for Coniston Water: six miles from Lowick Bridge up the Crake valley, through Blawith and along the water, then up beside Torver Beck to the A593. It is an A-road by 1920s promotion rather than by build, which is why it carries a 9.4 curve score and a surface that changes every few hundred yards. The shore woods keep the sightlines short, so it rewards a settled line and light brakes rather than any attempt at flow.

Brown Howe, the National Park pay-and-display on the shore, is where the lake traffic pulls in and out; the Cumbria Way also crosses the road at the Delicars car park just south of Torver, so expect walkers on the tarmac there.

Distance
9.8km
Drive time
0h 13m
Curve idx
9.4/10
Climb
162m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Glenwhelt Bank (B6318)
06
B6318 · Hadrian's Wall · Spirited
Mixed widthVaried surface

Glenwhelt Bank (B6318)

Following the ancient Roman frontier, this route offers dramatic skies and a rolling, hypnotic rhythm. The road rides the crests of the landscape, delivering sudden plunging dips followed by long, sighted ascents. It is an engaging, historic traverse that rewards smooth momentum.

The blind summits demand respect, as slow-moving agricultural traffic is common just out of sight.

Distance
16.3km
Drive time
0h 22m
Curve idx
7.2/10
Climb
253m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Buxton New Road (A537)
05
A537 · Peak District · Spirited
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Buxton New Road (A537)

The A537 climbs out of Macclesfield to the Cat and Fiddle Inn at 1,689 ft over 7.5 miles of straights broken by sharp, often blind bends across open moor. The inn was Britain's second-highest pub until it shut in 2015 and is now the Forest Distillery's shop. The stretch carries a 50 limit and rear-facing average-speed cameras that have been in place since 2010, after the road was rated the most dangerous in the UK. What remains is a road that rewards reading the camber and placing the car early; the corners lose nothing at the posted 50.

The camera sites pair up unpredictably along the whole climb, so hold 50 from Macclesfield to the A54 junction. Cheshire East shuts the road in snow. Both the A537 and A54 closed in January 2025, so check before a winter run.

Distance
13.7km
Drive time
0h 16m
Curve idx
7.9/10
Climb
492m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Trough Road (C477)
04
C477 · Forest of Bowland · Spirited
Mixed widthVaried surface

Trough Road (C477)

The Trough is the pass between the Marshaw Wyre and Langden Brook, cresting at 968 ft beside the Grey Stone that once marked the Lancashire and Yorkshire line, and it remains the most direct road between Lancaster and Dunsop Bridge for all that it is steep and narrow. From the Dunsop side the climb runs about three miles with a 16 per cent ramp before the moor opens out; the width changes without warning, so it rewards reading the road ahead and holding a line rather than chasing the sweepers. Cattle grids mark the open sections, and livestock, standing water and mist all turn up on the descents.

Cycling clubs treat the climb out of Dunsop Bridge as a training hill, so assume a rider beyond every blind bend on the ramp; the summit is the part that ices and drifts in a hard winter.

Distance
32.4km
Drive time
0h 48m
Curve idx
6.0/10
Climb
669m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Honister Pass (B5289)
03
B5289 · Borrowdale · Expert
Mixed widthSmooth surface

Honister Pass (B5289)

The B5289 runs 20 miles from Keswick to High Lorton, but the pass itself is the 1.4-mile pitch above Seatoller: an average of 10%, the last third at 22%, topping out at 1,167 ft beside the slate mine. Width is the discipline as much as gradient. There are stretches where two cars cannot comfortably pass and the passing places are unmarked, so it rewards early sightline reading and a willingness to hold back; the Buttermere side is longer and gentler, only steepening to around 20% near the top.

Hold a low gear on the way down rather than the brakes, and expect winter closures for ice: the council shut it at the police's request as recently as January 2026, and a 10 mph limit with a 20-tonne weight restriction was imposed between the mine and Seatoller after a culvert failed in 2024.

Distance
32.2km
Drive time
0h 58m
Curve idx
10.0/10
Climb
826m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Hardknott Pass
02
Hardknott Pass · Eskdale · Expert
Single-trackRough surface

Hardknott Pass

The most notorious pass in England trades flowing tarmac for sheer, unyielding geography. Climbing out of Eskdale on broken, single-track surfaces, it demands absolute focus, line-choice, and constant gradient management. The views from the summit are spectacular, provided you have the spare capacity to look.

Wheelspin is almost guaranteed on the tightest switchbacks in the wet; carry steady momentum.

Distance
4.8km
Drive time
0h 10m
Curve idx
10.0/10
Climb
329m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Kirkstone Pass (A592)
01
A592 · Lake District · Spirited
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Kirkstone Pass (A592)

At 1,489 ft the A592 over Kirkstone is the highest Lake District pass open to traffic, and unusually for the Lakes it is a proper two-way A-road with centre lines and no hairpins. From the Windermere side it is a long, shallow climb, 10 km at an average of 3.6% and peaking at 12 to 13% near the top, which is why it rewards momentum and smooth steering rather than gear-hunting; the Patterdale side is shorter and steeper, up to 18% past Brothers Water. The Brotherswater-to-Hird Wood section was rebuilt under the Safer Roads Fund in 2023 to 2024 with new drainage and crash barriers, so the surface is as good as it has been.

The road was shut for eight months after the November 2025 landslip at High Kingate and only fully reopened in July 2026. The summit inn had been closed for some years by then, though its pay-by-app car park kept operating, so plan a stop in Ambleside or Glenridding rather than at the top.

Distance
52.4km
Drive time
1h 17m
Curve idx
6.0/10
Climb
1115m
// KEEP READING
Sibling guide · Driving
Top 10 driving roads in the North West
Parent region · England
Top 10 scenic drives in England
Nearby · The east of England
Top 10 scenic drives in the east of England
Nearby · London and the Home Counties
Top 10 scenic drives in London and the Home Counties
Nearby · The Midlands
Top 10 scenic drives in the Midlands
Index · Every region
All Top 10 Field Guides

Plan your own line.

Drop a start and end anywhere on the map, tune your route and Drivelines builds you a drive.

Plan a driveBrowse all guides