Drivelines
England · Near London/8 min read

The 10 most scenic drives around London.

You don't need to head to the Highlands to find rewarding topography. Ringed by the North Downs, the Surrey Hills, and the Chilterns, London sits closer to spectacular scenery than we often admit. These are the capital's finest escapes.

By Drivelines·Published 06 May 2026
REGION OVERVIEW

The Home Counties' Hidden Elevations

Scenic driving near London isn't about mountain passes or coastal cliff faces; it is about ancient woodland, chalk ridges, and winding farm lanes that plunge into sudden valleys. The views here are framed by hedgerows and overhanging canopies, demanding a slower pace to appreciate the layered countryside that sits just beyond the M25. Surface quality varies wildly, so bring a car with sensible suspension and an eye for the changing landscape.

Routes mapped
10
Total distance
91km
Avg curve idx
6.6/10
Map of all 10 routes in near-london
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Moor Lane (B2028)
10
Moor Lane · Lingfield · Easy
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Moor Lane (B2028)

The B2028 is a 20-mile secondary road from Haywards Heath to Den Cross south of Edenbridge, and this is its final, eastward leg: from the A22 at Newchapel through Lingfield, under the Oxted line, past the edge of Dormansland and along Moor Lane into Kent. It is dual-track and smooth, with a moderate corner count and about 130 m of gentle climbing across Wealden farmland: a road for tidy inputs rather than concentration, and a sensible cool-down after the Downs.

The only railway crossing is the underbridge in Lingfield by the B2029 junction; east of Dormansland the road changes name to Marsh Green Road and slips into Kent with just a boundary sign to mark it.

Distance
9.9km
Drive time
0h 14m
Curve idx
5.4/10
Climb
132m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Baldock Road (A507)
09
Baldock Road · Buntingford · Spirited
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Baldock Road (A507)

A primary A-road that still delivers genuine driving pleasure, sweeping across the open fields near Buntingford. The smooth, wide surface encourages a flowing driving style, while the long curves offer excellent visibility. It is a masterclass in reading the vanishing point and maintaining a steady, relaxed pace.

The open nature of the landscape means the road is highly exposed to crosswinds on blustery days.

Distance
8.5km
Drive time
0h 10m
Curve idx
5.8/10
Climb
140m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Horsham Road (B2126)
08
Horsham Road · Surrey Hills · Spirited
Dual-trackVaried surface

Horsham Road (B2126)

The B2126 runs from the A25 at Abinger Hammer to the A24 west of Capel, and the six miles that matter are the middle: up through Sutton Abinger onto the Greensand Ridge, through Holmbury St Mary, then down off the ridge through Forest Green to Ockley on Stane Street. Holmbury St Mary is a village built in a sandstone ravine inside the Hurtwood, Surrey's largest area of common land. The corner density is high for the region and the surface varied, so it rewards reading the camber as the road drops from sandy heath to the lower ground below Leith Hill.

Holmbury St Mary has had a youth hostel since 1935 and sits in the middle of the Hurtwood's path network, so the village stretch is where walkers are on the road at weekends; the hammer clock at Abinger Hammer marks the northern end, and its motto, 'By me you know how fast to go', is not bad advice for the rest.

Distance
10.3km
Drive time
0h 13m
Curve idx
6.5/10
Climb
207m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to White Hill (B1037)
07
White Hill · North Hertfordshire · Spirited
Mixed widthVaried surface

White Hill (B1037)

Cutting across the Hertfordshire hills, this secondary road strings together a series of sharp, engaging bends. The elevation changes quickly, offering brief, scenic lookouts before plunging back between the hedges. You have to work the wheel constantly, managing the weight transfer on a surface that changes from smooth to distinctly textured.

The crests can hide slow-moving agricultural vehicles, especially during the harvest season.

Distance
7.6km
Drive time
0h 12m
Curve idx
6.8/10
Climb
123m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Cold Arbor Road (B2042)
06
Cold Arbor Road · Sevenoaks · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Cold Arbor Road (B2042)

The B2042 leaves the A25 at Bessels Green as Cold Arbor Road and climbs the Greensand Ridge to Ide Hill, where the church at 216 m is the highest in Kent, before dropping past Bough Beech Reservoir to Four Elms. It is single carriageway, no pavement, largely unlit. The curvature is modest and the bends are open, so it works as a rhythm road: smooth inputs, early positioning, nothing sudden. The climb and the descent either side of the ridge are the point.

The A25 end queues at busy times and the parish council calls Cold Arbor Road busy and hazardous, with Back Lane joining on a blind bend. Emmetts Garden at Ide Hill is the National Trust stop on the ridge.

Distance
10.2km
Drive time
0h 12m
Curve idx
4.6/10
Climb
193m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Turners Hill Road (B2110)
05
Turners Hill Road · West Sussex · Spirited
Dual-trackVaried surface

Turners Hill Road (B2110)

Four and a half miles of the B2110 east from Turners Hill, which sits on a High Weald ridge at 580 ft where the road crosses the B2028, down past Saint Hill to the south-western edge of East Grinstead. It is short, but the geometry is dense: medium-speed sweepers under the tree canopy alternate with tighter changes of direction, and the surface varies enough that reading the camber matters more than pace.

The Turners Hill crossroads was carrying over 17,500 vehicles a day when the district last counted, much of it rush-hour traffic dodging East Grinstead; the new estate on the East Grinstead end has added a junction too, so this is a mid-morning or Sunday road.

Distance
7.3km
Drive time
0h 11m
Curve idx
5.6/10
Climb
82m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to High Street (B1004)
04
High Street · Much Hadham · Spirited
Dual-trackSmooth surface

High Street (B1004)

Following the river contours towards Much Hadham, this route balances wide, flowing sections with tighter rural bends. The generous width and excellent surface make it deeply satisfying to string together at the legal limit, offering open sightlines across the valley. It is an engaging, spirited drive that highlights the gentle beauty of the local geography.

The approach to Much Hadham narrows suddenly, often catching out drivers who carry too much momentum.

Distance
16.3km
Drive time
0h 23m
Curve idx
5.7/10
Climb
258m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Whitwell Road (B651)
03
Whitwell Road · Hertfordshire · Easy
Mixed widthSmooth surface

Whitwell Road (B651)

Eight miles of the B651 from Wheathampstead north to Kimpton on the ridge between the Lea and Mimram valleys, down into the Mimram at Whitwell and on past St Paul's Walden and Preston to the southern edge of Hitchin. It is chalk-country driving: shallow gradients, open sightlines across the fields between villages, and smooth surfacing that lets you link the curves with steady inputs rather than braking. The villages split it into three or four flowing sections, with Kimpton's mile-long High Street the longest interruption.

Whitwell is the pinch: the road drops to the Mimram through a blind bend where footpaths cross, and the Horn Hill approach from Kimpton has walkers on the carriageway for a stretch with no pavement.

Distance
12.7km
Drive time
0h 19m
Curve idx
5.2/10
Climb
256m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Green Street
02
Green Street · East Hertfordshire · Expert
Single-trackVaried surface

Green Street

Weaving through ancient farmland on the Hertfordshire-Essex border, Green Street is a constantly twisting rural lane. Its charm lies in the heavy canopy and the sudden, expansive views across rolling agricultural land. The tarmac is a patchwork of repairs and varying grip levels, keeping you busy as the road strings together an endless series of blind, hedgerow-lined corners.

Visibility is highly restricted in high summer when the roadside vegetation closes in around the tighter bends.

Distance
4.6km
Drive time
0h 08m
Curve idx
10.0/10
Climb
50m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Gangers Hill (C72)
01
Gangers Hill · North Downs · Expert
Single-trackRough surface

Gangers Hill (C72)

Plunging down the escarpment of the North Downs, Gangers Hill is an intensely steep, narrow ribbon of tarmac draped over chalk. The scenery is spectacular, offering vast, sudden views southward across the Weald, but the road surface is extremely rough and broken in places. It demands absolute concentration and line choice, rewarding those who treat it with respect rather than pace.

The single-track width leaves virtually no room for error, so be prepared to reverse into the limited passing places if you meet ascending traffic.

Distance
3.7km
Drive time
0h 09m
Curve idx
10.0/10
Climb
165m
// KEEP READING
Sibling guide · Driving
Top 10 driving roads in London
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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