Detour #74: Salisbury Plain, UK
The fast and flowing roads of Salisbury Plain come with an added frisson of danger. Stray off them and you may find yourself in the middle of a war game with all-too-real consequences. Around half of the plain’s 300 square miles is owned by the British military, with frequent live-fire exercises, so you’ll want to stick to the roads.
That said, if you have a something four-wheel drive you can explore countless green lanes that criss-cross the plain – just as long as you don’t see the warning flags flying.
During 2020’s brief lockdown break Detour headed to the plain armed with a pair of racy Renaults for a story for Hagerty UK and came across a belter of a road that cuts right through the middle of the army action.
Tilshead is a tiny village with a single pub, and a classic car dealer specialising in Alfa Romeos. If you don’t get waylaid by that then it’s a straight shot out of the village through the trees and out onto the plain. To your left you might catch sight of Copehill Down Village, a hamlet built purely for the military to practice house-to-house combat and one that is very definitely out of bounds for civilians. Don’t take your eyes off the road for long though as there’s a severe left-right sequence, and if, like us, you’ve been travelling rather rapidly, you’ll need to hammer the brakes to get through.
Next follows a short straight before another chicane-like right-left, with good visibility which is probably faster than you’ll actually dare to take it. You’ll crest a hill and then look down across the fields to Chitterne, keep an eye out for tanks crossing as you go.
It’s a short but spicy drive and the plain is strewn with similar roads to explore. Do mind out for the lads and lasses in uniform, though.
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Dominic Fraser Twitter | Instagram