Detour #328: Art & Engineering – London to Bristol by Bentley, UK
Photo Nik Berg
With a Bentley Continental GTC at Detour’s disposal – a vehicle which unquestionably embraces both art and engineering – we explore the works of Brunel and Banksy, taking the longer way between London and Bristol.
London and Bristol are linked by the Great Western Railway, an incredible feat of engineering led by Isambard Kingdom Brunel back in the 1830s. The tracks, stations, viaducts and bridges along the route still stand as testament to his genius.
In more recent times the two cities have also shared the talents of street artist and activist Banksy. The anonymous Bristolian’s stencils began to appear in the 1990s as a fierce social commentary on Britain and the wider world. According to banksymap.com over 90 Banksys still exist on the streets of Britain, with over half of those located in London and seven in his (her?) hometown.
Paddington Station is not only where a certain bear got his name, but where the London end of Brunel’s railway terminated. Completed in 1854 the station’s striking glazed roof is supported by three huge wrought iron spans that covered its original four platforms. Today it remains the second busiest railway hub in the UK and the starting point for this route.
Photo Ernie Journeys / Unsplash
From the station’s busy entrance we follow Praed Street to the Harrow Road and then join the Westway. Once one of the fastest roads inside the capital and the ideal place for a Bentley to stretch its legs, this elevated roadway is now somewhat tired and as a result the speed limit is reduced to 30mph. That means there’s plenty of time to take in the sobering view of the Grenfell Tower ahead, slowly being dismantled after the tragic 2017 fire.
Coming off at Westbourne Park Villas, we take Westbourne Park Road to Portobello Road to find Banksy’s Graffiti Artist, reportedly painted in 2008 while the nearby market was bustling away. It shows a Renaissance-like painter with his palette, daubing Bansky’s trademark tag in red paint. For many years it was covered over but now features as part of a swanky redevelopment.
Photo banksymap.com
Through Kensington and Holland Park the Bentley seems very much at home amongst the muti-million-pound homes. So far the car’s hybrid system has remained in pure electric mode, whisking us silently and emissions-free through some of London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods before we join the Great West Road and take the slip road onto the elevated M4 motorway to escape the city.
The weather is grim so the convertible top stays in place and at 70mph the car is every bit as quiet as a coupe, and if the distant background rumble of tyres on tarmac does become tiresome then the Bentley’s epic Naim Audio system soon drowns it out.
On the outskirts of London, we pass several feats of engineering that would impress Brunel as we surge westwards – the huge reservoirs at Datchet and the five terminals and two runways at Heathrow Airport. At junction ten we follow the signs to Reading, heading into the centre and the station that Brunel built as the first major stop from London. The Grade II listed Great Western Hotel that Brunel designed for travellers is believed to be the oldest surviving railway hotel in the world. It’s now a Malmaison, so more luxurious than ever.
Photo Malmaison
Next stop is another Brunel station at Bath Spa, and to get there we could simply rejoin the M4, but by taking the A4 Bath Road via the charming Marlborough and Chippenham we get to pass through the North Wessex Downs and enjoy a less travelled route. It’s not a road filled with hairpins or exciting elevation changes, but it is a relaxing drive that’s made even more effortless in the Bentley, by now its V8 engine providing most of the motive power with the battery depleted. This Azure specification is especially luxurious and it simply wafts along, oblivious to any imperfections in the road surface.
With a break in the winter weather we lower the top, crank up the heated seats and the amazing ‘air scarf’ system and remain toasty inside. Even without installing the wind deflector there’s almost no buffeting and the noise levels remain supremely suppressed. There’s no need to raise our voices to be heard or turn the stereo up to enjoy our playlist.
Photo Nik Berg
At West Kennett the mysterious Silbury Hill dramatically appears. Part of the Avebury World Heritage Site which includes Neolithic tombs, the Hill is believed to be as old as the pyramids of Egypt. Archaeologists estimate it was completed in 2400 BC but they have no idea why. As the name suggests, the Bath Road then takes us all the way to the ancient Roman spa town and its 1840 Brunel-built station, 106 miles from Paddington on the Great Western Railway.
Photo Nik Berg
A final short run on the A4 brings us to Bristol, where Banksy and Brunel meet again. First, we head to Spike Island where Girl with the Pierced Eardrum is painted on the wall of a dockside building. Banksy’s homage to Vermeer replaces the girl’s pearl earing with a burglar alarm. It’s a short walk from here to see Brunel’s SS Great Britain, which was the first iron-hulled, propeller driven passenger liner. When it was built in 1843 it was the world’s largest ship and is now a museum
Photo SS Great Britain
Along the way to our final engineering marvel, we head into the city centre to find Banksy’s Well Hung Lover gazing down on us from high up on a wall on Park Street. It’s not exactly a glamorous location.
Photo Nik Berg
The Clifton Suspension Bridge, however, is a spectacular sight – especially from Sion Hill which has the best views of this “Ornament of Bristol and the Wonder of the Age,” according to Sir Abraham Elton in 1831. Now operated as a charity it costs a single pound to cross the Grade II listed structure which Brunel began when he was just 24 years old. It would take a further 33 years for the 412-metre span across the River Avon to be completed.
We breeze across, gazing up at the towers and cables that support the bridge and mark the end of this journey where art and engineering intersect, and after a long day behind the wheel in unparalleled comfort and style, conclude that Bentley has achieved the same remarkable combination.
ROADBOOK
CLASS: ARt & Engineering
NAME: BRunel, BankSY and Bentley
ROUTE: London to Bristol
COUNTRY: UK
Distance: 209 Miles
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