Detour #221: Classic cars, Caffeine and Clarkson in the Cotswolds, UK
Photo Shutterstock
Take a road trip through classic and contemporary car culture in the heart of England.
In the redbrick buildings and huge steel hangars where air aces once steeled themselves and their Spitfires to protect the skies above Britain there’s now a thriving community centred on cars of the past, present, and future. At Bicester Heritage, the former Royal Air Force base, you’ll find specialists in every aspect of the auto industry, from vintage Bentley restoration to the latest electric vehicles and sustainable fuels.
It’s a rallying point for enthusiasts who gather for regular Sunday Scramble meet ups and a place of learning for those embarking on a career or picking up skills to work on their own cars. Collectors keep their cars in the disused hangars and companies making everything from craft beer to magazines are based on the site.
Photo Mathieu Bonnevie
Business at Bicester is booming and it makes for an optimistic start for a day trip through Britain’s contemporary car culture and the picturesque Cotswolds.
Head west around Bicester and take the B4030 through the open fields of middle England and within half an hour you’ll find yourself at Enstone, which has a speedy claim to fame as the home of Alpine F1. The high tech hub has been building Grand Prix cars since the 1990s when the Benetton team set up shop, and has since served Lotus and Renault. Unfortunately you can’t just drop and take a look around, although the team does have an annual open day.
Photo Matt Seymour
Not far down the road is Diddly Squat, aka Clarkson’s Farm and, following the motor-mouth’s Amazon Prime show the farm shop has become a victim of its own success and gets very busy at weekends and holidays. Clarkson’s battles with the local council to approve parking and other plans are well-documented, alongside his slightly ham-fisted attempts to become a farmer. Stop in for some local produce and a brush with fame.
Take the A361 south to Burford and then the B4425 to Bibury through the wide open fields where Clarkson and his fellow farmers reap what they sow. Turn north and pass Ablington to reach The Classic Motor Hub. Based at another disused RAF base (Bibury) the five-acre site, offers classic car and bike sales, storage, workshops, a shop and kitchen. Open Mondays to Saturdays the Hub also hosts a host of regular Coffee and Classics and other events.
Carry on through the pretty market town of Stow-on-the-Wold and then turn north on to the rather straight A429 (it is a Roman road after all) which will lead you to Ettington. Turn left on the A422 Banbury Road and you’ll soon reach Caffeine & Machine.
Photo Polestar
Founders Phil McGovern and Dan Macken have turned a run-down old pub into a thriving motoring hub where fans of anything on wheels gather to admire machinery, enjoy the welcoming atmosphere and decent gastro-pub grub. C&M hosts a wide variety of themed days and evenings but it never feels exclusive. You’ll find local teens with their cheap first wheels, tuner cars and home-built specials parked up alongside hypercars and multi-million-pound classics.
Photo British Motor Museum
After your fill of car chat and cheer retrace your tracks on the Banbury Road and pick up the B445 Fosse Way. It will lead you to the HQ of Iconic Auctioneers, known for selling some of the most stunning classic and contemporary vehicles, and then, if you follow the B4100 you’re just minutes away from the British Motor Museum. Here you’ll find the world’s biggest collection of British cars. More than 400 vehicles from the British Motor Industry Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust are on show, charting the history of the British car industry.
The past looks great, but after this day of car culture and charming Cotswold countryside, the future of motoring in Britain looks even better.
Photo Devin Kleu
ROADBOOK
CLASS: PETROLHEAD HEAVEN
NAME: Classics, Caffeine & CLarkson
ROUTE: bicester heritage to the british motor museum
COUNTRY: UK
Distance: 85 Miles
When the creator and founder of the iconic NC 500 was looking for another epic UK driving route, he looked no further than Yorkshire.