The Best Scenic Drives Through Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is one of those counties that rewards getting off the motorway. Leave the A34 and the ring roads behind and you will find yourself on rolling single-track lanes, cutting through valleys of golden stone and past fields that have barely changed in centuries. Faringdon sits at the meeting point of three of the finest driving routes in southern England, which is one reason we think it makes the perfect base.

The Cotswolds Loop: Faringdon to Burford via Lechlade

Head northwest from Faringdon through Buscot, stopping at Buscot Park if the National Trust gardens are open, and continue along the A417 into Lechlade. From there, take the back road through Eastleach Martin and Eastleach Turville, two villages connected by an ancient clapper bridge over the River Leach. The road continues to Burford, one of the best-preserved wool towns in the Cotswolds, where the high street drops steeply toward a medieval bridge. Allow two hours for the driving alone, more if you stop. You will stop.

On the return, swing south through Carterton and Alvescot to complete the loop. The total circuit is around 45 miles and passes through some of the quietest countryside in the Cotswolds without touching a single A-road after Lechlade.

The White Horse Route: Faringdon to Wantage via the Ridgeway

Drive south from Faringdon toward Uffington and you will cross the Vale of White Horse, named after the 3,000-year-old chalk figure carved into the hillside above. Park at the White Horse Hill car park and walk the short distance to the figure itself, then continue along the ridge to Wayland's Smithy, a Neolithic long barrow hidden in a stand of beech trees. It is one of the most atmospheric ancient sites in England.

From Uffington, continue east along the foot of the Downs to Wantage, the birthplace of King Alfred. The road runs parallel to the Ridgeway, Britain's oldest road, and on a clear day you can see across the Vale to the Cotswolds edge. Return to Faringdon via the B4507 and A420 in about 25 minutes.

The Thames Valley Run: Faringdon to Oxford via Bampton

This route takes in the upper Thames, crossing the river at Radcot Bridge, the oldest bridge on the Thames, before following quiet lanes through Bampton. Downton Abbey fans will recognise it as the village used for exterior filming. Continue through Standlake and Eynsham toward Oxford, where you can pick up the ring road or head into the city for an afternoon.

For a longer version, turn south after Bampton toward Kelmscott, where William Morris made his country home. Kelmscott Manor is open to visitors and sits right on the Thames Path. The full route from Faringdon to Oxford via Kelmscott is around 40 miles and takes about 90 minutes without stops.

Practical Notes

All three routes work well in any season, though autumn along the Cotswolds loop is particularly rewarding when the beech woods turn. Fuel up in Faringdon before setting off, as petrol stations are scarce on the quieter stretches.

If you would rather not drive back in the dark, we have 14 rooms at The Old Crown Coaching Inn. Arrive on a Friday evening, take one route on Saturday and another on Sunday, and you will have seen more of Oxfordshire in a weekend than most people manage in a year. Dinner in The Ballroom after a day on the road is not a bad way to end it, either.