English Tourist Routes

Tourist Routes in England are a grab-bag of different ideas and notions with no overall vision or concept.

Route	From	To	Length
A1120	Stowmarket	Yoxford	26.0 miles	View
A5087	Barrow-in-Furness	Ulverston	14.0 miles	View

Coastal Routes

• The Northumberland Coastal Route follows the Northumberland Coast.
• The A5087 is signed as a Coastal Route for tourists. [1]
• The B3157 is signed as Jurassic Coast Road between Bridport and Weymouth. It runs parallel to Chesil Beach.
• A sign saying 'Coastal Tourist Route to Hastings' exists at A20/A260 junction north of Folkestone, oddly suggesting that the A259 might be pleasurable! No other signs exist as Hastings is signed on regular signs.

Other Routes

• The A30 west of Penzance is signed with brown flag signs towards Lands End.
• The A39 from Barnstaple to the A30 used to be signed with brown signs on RCSs saying 'Atlantic Highway'. These have either been replaced with green signs, or removed, when the RCS has been been upgraded.
• The A377 is signed as the 'Tourist Route to Exeter' from the A361 junction, and as 'Tourist Route to Barnstaple' from the A396 junction.
• The A1120 between Stowmarket and Yoxford is signed as a tourist route.
• The B4455 section of the Fosse Way is signed with brown signs saying 'Fosse Way'.
• The Cotswold Scarp Scenic Route is signed as 'Scenic Route' along the B4066 from Cam to Stroud, B4070 from Stroud to Birdlip, and the former B4070 from Birdlip to Cheltenham.
• The Hadrians Wall Tourist Trail runs roughly along the Roman Wall in two sections - east of Brampton, and along the Solway Coast from Carlisle to Maryport.
• The Porlock Toll Road is signed at either end as 'Scenic Woodland Toll Road' with brown signs.
• The Uttlesford Tourist Route provides alternatives to the M11 along former main roads: between Bishops Stortford and Stump Cross on the B1383 and between Great Dumlow and Stump Cross via the B184.

One-way routes

Kent

Kent has four circular routes [2]:

• The East Kent Country Tour (Challock, Chartham, Wingham, Sellinge), marked with a Tree
• The Heart of Kent Country Tour (Tonbridge, Wrotham Heath, Staplehurst, Paddock Wood), marked with the Invicta Horse
• The High Weald Country Tour (Tonbridge, Tenterden, Hawkhurst, Tunbridge Wells), marked with Oast Houses
• The Romney Marsh and Rye Country Tour (Tenterden, Rye, Brenzett, Hythe), marked with Bullrushes

Bedfordshire

A lengthy, one-way, scenic route is signed around Central Bedfordshire.

Humberside

Three one-way scenic drives in the Yorkshire Wolds exist beginning at Beverley, Bridlington and Pocklington. A route existed south of the Humber: from Broughton, the B1207 Ermine Street heading north is signed with a similar sign.

Cornwall

A short 'Scenic Route' is signed around the headland where Falmouth Castle sits.

Leisure Drives

These were especially common around the West Midlands, though most haven't had signage maintained.

• The X-Bluebell Driving Route (formerly Forest of Dean scenic route) is a there is a circuit signed 'Scenic Route' that heads from the A48 at Blakeney, going via Cinderford, Speech House and Parkend, before returning to the A48 near the beginning. It uses part of the B4226 and B4234. The route is also signed from the A4151 in Cinderford. [3]
• The Dudley Tour is marked by a red rose on a brown sign. It covers most of the borough and confusingly heads out of the borough to pass the Dudley Council owned Himley Hall and Park. These signs appear to be maintained to this day.
• The Teme Valley Leisure Drive starts near Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire, covering the Clee Hills and Bewdley, as well as the Teme Valley. The signs were erected c. 1980, but mostly remain in place unlike similar vintage routes. [4] [5]
• A sign for the Staffordshire Parklands Leisure Drive still exists for this route at Milford Common in Staffordshire, presumably passing the German Military Cemetery and the Pye Green Tower at one point.
• A couple of signs for the Vale of Trent Leisure Drive still remain of this route around Lichfield, Rugeley, Needwood Forest and Stafford
• A couple of signs still remain of routes in Warwickshire and the Banbury area. (Stoneleigh Tour Edgehill Tour, Warwickshire Cotswold LD, Historic Warwickshire LD)

Cotswolds

https://www.cotswolds.com/dbimgs/Cotswolds.TheRomanticRoad_Itinerary2018.pdf https://www.cotswolds.info/romantic-roads/broadway-to-broadway.shtml

Dot to Dot routes

These link sites along a theme.

• The Herefordshire Cider Route is an unsigned loop around Herefordshire visiting various cider and perry manufacturers [6]
• The Black and White Trail is a loop around north-west Herefordshire visiting various villages with timbered and half-timbered houses. [7]
• The Elgar Route is a one way loop between Worcester and Malvern (and back) visiting some sites related to the composer. [8]

Pendle

There are three 'Scenic Road Trails' around Pendle:

• The Pendle Witches Scenic Road Trail - in the area between Barrowford and Gisburn
• Brontes and Browsing Scenic Road Trail - around the Colne area
• Boats and Beams - covering the West Craven area.