Drivelines
England · Near Bristol/8 min read

The 10 most scenic drives around Bristol.

The West Country and the Welsh Borders offer a rich concentration of landscapes within a short drive of Bristol. From the sheer limestone faces of the Mendips to the dappled light of the Forest of Dean, these are the roads where the scenery demands as much attention as the tarmac.

By Drivelines·Published 06 May 2026
REGION OVERVIEW

Limestone cuts and river valleys

Head south and you are immediately into the Mendip Hills, where deep gorges and open plateaus dictate the routing of the roads. Push north or west, and the character changes entirely: the Cotswold escarpment offers sweeping, elevated sightlines, while the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean plunge you into dense, ancient woodland and tight river corridors. This list prioritises the view from the windscreen, taking in everything from famous tourist passes to quiet border lanes.

Routes mapped
10
Total distance
162km
Avg curve idx
5.6/10
Map of all 10 routes in near-bristol
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Bath Road (A368)
10
A368 · Mendip Fringe · Easy
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Bath Road (A368)

Skirting the northern edge of the Mendip Hills, the A368 is a primary route that still manages to deliver a scenic punch. The road is wide and mostly smooth, punctuated by long, open curves that follow the natural topography of the foothills. It is a straightforward, pleasant drive with excellent sightlines across the reservoir and the valley floor.

Commuter traffic builds up quickly near the Bristol end; run it mid-morning for a clear run at the faster bends.

Distance
26.8km
Drive time
0h 38m
Curve idx
4.2/10
Climb
303m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Uley Road (B4066)
09
B4066 · Dursley · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Uley Road (B4066)

Ascending the Cotswold escarpment near Dursley, the B4066 provides a stark contrast between steep woodland climbing and elevated plateau running. The corners are well-surfaced and predictable, letting the car carry momentum smoothly up the hill. The reward is a sudden, expansive view over the Severn Vale as the tree line breaks.

Cyclists use the climb heavily on weekend mornings, making the lower wooded section a test of patience.

Distance
13km
Drive time
0h 17m
Curve idx
4.4/10
Climb
228m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Chepstow Road (B4235)
08
B4235 · Usk · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Chepstow Road (B4235)

The B4235 is the direct road from Chepstow to Usk: 12 miles over the ridge past Shirenewton at about 500 ft, then down through Gaerllwyd and Llangwm into the Usk valley. It is more bend than the numbers suggest at the Chepstow end before it opens into longer, sighted curves towards Usk. The council logged ten collisions between Chepstow and Mynydd Bach in 2020 to 2023 and is stretching the 40 limit to cover what it calls the severe bends. A road for tidy, unhurried lines rather than pace.

Gaerllwyd crossroads is a multi-arm junction with poor sightlines and a Neolithic capstone in the field beside it. Gwent Police have run speed and noise checks along here since 2015 after resident complaints, and the double white lines are enforced.

Distance
18.9km
Drive time
0h 19m
Curve idx
4.5/10
Climb
342m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Rockfield Road (B4233)
07
B4233 · Monmouthshire · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Rockfield Road (B4233)

The B4233 is the old Monmouth road out of Abergavenny, running east through Llanvapley and Llantilio Crossenny and down to the Monnow at Rockfield, where it meets the B4347 two miles short of Monmouth. Curvature is low and the gradients gentle: pastoral farmland, long arching corners, a surface that varies. It is an unhurried drive rather than a test. Residents describe it as narrow in places with poor visibility and quick traffic, so the width is less generous than the map suggests; hold your line and expect walkers where the Offa's Dyke Path crosses.

Llantilio Crossenny is the turn for White Castle: first right after the village sign, with room for about four cars at the top. The Offa's Dyke Path comes through the village, so there will be people on the verge. Rockfield Studios sits just south of the road at the Monmouth end.

Distance
15.7km
Drive time
0h 21m
Curve idx
4.6/10
Climb
218m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Old Ross Road (B4521)
06
B4521 · Abergavenny · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Old Ross Road (B4521)

The B4521 is the pre-1935 A40, demoted when the trunk road moved south, and it still drives like an old main road: 16 miles from the northern edge of Abergavenny past the Skirrid, through Llanvetherine and Cross Ash, down to the Monnow at Skenfrith and on across the border to St Owen's Cross. Sweeping, undulating bends with mostly good sightlines, a humpback bridge, and a surface that runs from freshly laid (the Skenfrith stretch was resurfaced in July 2026) to patched.

Two junctions want respect: a crossroads on a blind crest mid-bend in the Monmouthshire section, and the A4137 crossroads at St Owen's Cross, where the council reviewed and kept the existing limit. Skenfrith Castle's car park holds about six cars, and Cross Ash no longer has a petrol station.

Distance
26.3km
Drive time
0h 31m
Curve idx
4.9/10
Climb
424m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Cinderford Road
05
Cinderford Road · Soudley · Expert
Mixed widthVaried surface

Cinderford Road

Deep within the Forest of Dean, this exceptionally tight three-mile stretch near Soudley feels more like a rally stage than a public highway. The curve density is unrelenting, demanding constant steering input and a high degree of spatial awareness. It is a beautiful but technically demanding route where the trees crowd right up to the broken tarmac.

Visibility through the corners is almost zero in summer; keep your speed well down and anticipate walkers in the carriageway.

Distance
4.7km
Drive time
0h 07m
Curve idx
10.0/10
Climb
131m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Avening Road (B4014)
04
B4014 · Nailsworth · Spirited
Dual-trackVaried surface

Avening Road (B4014)

Six miles of former A-road between Tetbury and Nailsworth: stone-walled wold past Tetbury Upton, a drop into Avening's steep-sided village, then a wooded descent down the Avening Valley stream to the A46. The corner density is real but the shapes are conventional, so the reward is linking the valley bends smoothly and carrying a settled car through the compressions. Gloucestershire has been busy on it lately: night resurfacing north of Tetbury and ash-dieback felling south of Avening.

Gatcombe Park sits between Avening and Minchinhampton, and its Festival of British Eventing pulls over 40,000 people on the first weekend of August, not the weekend for a clear run; the Weighbridge Inn at Longfords, a mile short of Nailsworth, is the stop.

Distance
9.6km
Drive time
0h 13m
Curve idx
6.1/10
Climb
172m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Staunton Road (B4228)
03
B4228 · Forest of Dean · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Staunton Road (B4228)

The B4228 runs the limestone shelf between the Wye and the Severn: out of Chepstow across Tidenham Chase, through Hewelsfield and St Briavels nearly 800 feet above the river, then down past Clearwell into Coleford. The curve density is low, so this is a road of long open bends and good visibility through the tree line, with a surface that changes more often than the alignment does. It rewards a settled rhythm and reading the camber rather than effort.

Slow right down through St Briavels: the parish has a documented speeding and accident problem on this road between the East Street crossroads and the school, and a 20 mph scheme is coming. Nearer Coleford, the Forest's free-roaming sheep and boar are the ones to watch.

Distance
21.2km
Drive time
0h 26m
Curve idx
4.1/10
Climb
359m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Main Road (A466)
02
A466 · Wye Valley · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Main Road (A466)

Tracing the border between England and Wales, this section of the A466 follows the winding path of the River Wye. The surface is generally smooth and the corners are wide and flowing, asking for a relaxed rhythm rather than continuous gear changes. It is a drive characterised by dappled light, high canopy cover, and occasional glimpses of the dark river below.

Watch out for damp patches lingering under the dense tree cover long after the rest of the road has dried.

Distance
14.3km
Drive time
0h 18m
Curve idx
4.2/10
Climb
278m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Cliff Road (B3135)
01
B3135 · Cheddar Gorge · Expert
Dual-trackVaried surface

Cliff Road (B3135)

Cliff Road climbs out of Cheddar between limestone walls up to 137 m high, gaining 194 m in 4.6 km through three hairpins with a steepest pitch quoted anywhere from 11% to 16%. Above the gorge the B3135 crosses the Mendip plateau past Priddy at 260 m and the hairpins give way to open, sighted sweepers. The lower half rewards precise placement at walking-pace speeds; the upper half rewards smoothness.

Half a million people visit the gorge a year and the limit through it is 30 to 40, so go before eight. Somerset shut the road for five weeks in autumn 2022 to scale loose rock, and cliff run-off keeps the shaded bends wet.

Distance
11.7km
Drive time
0h 17m
Curve idx
9.4/10
Climb
312m
// KEEP READING
Sibling guide · Driving
Top 10 driving roads in Bristol
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

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