It can be all too easy for those of us fortunate enough to have grown up on these shores to take the United Kingdom for granted, particularly when it comes to its roads and the scenery that surrounds them. While Germany may boast smoother tarmac and the Swiss Alps more spectacular vistas, the undulating, pockmarked B-roads that criss-cross Britain can nevertheless make for a hugely rewarding road trip, provided the route has been carefully planned and the car is up to the task.
Case in point was the ‘Coast to Coast’ tour organised by the Retropower Club for a select group of members in August 2026. The brief was wonderfully simple: follow a deliberately meandering route from England’s north-east coast, across the Pennines and on to the Irish Sea, stopping periodically to admire the scenery, drink coffee and consume the odd meat pie. Really, what more could anyone ask for?
Those taking part in our inaugural blast across the breadth of northern England assembled at the Wrea Head Hall Hotel, just outside Scarborough, on the Friday evening. As the hours passed, an eclectic gathering of cars – and their owners – filled the hotel car park. Drinks were consumed, plans finalised and anticipation for the following day’s drive steadily grew. We were all, in short, in a very good mood indeed.
By the following morning, a wonderfully varied collection of machinery had assembled outside the hotel before heading for Scarborough’s iconic Royal Albert Drive for the first full photoshoot of the tour. This was, after all, a driving event, so the emphasis naturally fell on cars built to be enjoyed from behind the wheel. A Toyota GR Yaris sat alongside a Jaguar E-Type, a Porsche Cayman rubbed shoulders with a Lotus Elise, while a Bentley Continental GT shared parking space with a Ferrari 296 GTB.
By half past eight everyone was present and accounted for, and our charmingly eclectic convoy began winding its way out of Scarborough before climbing into the Yorkshire hinterland towards our first stop at the Tan Hill Inn. Carefully selected as much for their flowing corners as for the scenery they traversed, the roads carried us west through the North York Moors and into the glorious landscapes surrounding Nidderdale.
By lunchtime the convoy had burbled its way to Tan Hill where, despite only a few hours having passed since a decidedly hearty full English breakfast, our members enthusiastically tucked into enormous roast dinners served inside equally substantial Yorkshire puddings, complete with all the trimmings.
With lunch largely digested, the tour pressed onwards towards the glorious roads of the Lake District. Here the route became tighter, more technical and, if anything, even more beautiful, as the convoy tackled the famous Kirkstone Pass before descending towards Ambleside. The weather remained clear, if a little blustery, while the scenery proved every bit as spectacular as we’d hoped, making for a thoroughly captivating afternoon behind the wheel.
Onwards our varied convoy pressed, venturing ever deeper into the Lake District in search of roads just far enough from the beaten track to escape the worst of the traffic. In this we were largely successful, and the resulting spirited run towards the Irish Sea was, without doubt, one of the highlights of the entire weekend.
With the end of the day’s drive now in sight, thoughts inevitably turned towards sustenance and our overnight halt at Moorsby Hall, a magnificent country house overlooking Whitehaven.
First, however, the occasion demanded one final stop at the beach. St Bees, with its sweeping red sands and tumbling grass-covered dunes, provided the perfect conclusion to an unforgettable day’s driving, while also serving as an appropriately dramatic backdrop for an impromptu photoshoot of the assembled cars.
As the sun began to set, attention shifted from driving to pints, pies and the sort of deeply specialist automotive conversation that only gatherings like this – attended by the very best kind of dyed-in-the-wool petrolheads – can generate. Our world of carburettors, differential ramp angles and homologation specials was, as always, comprehensively put to rights.
The following morning, and with the journey home still to come, it seemed only fitting to call in at Coniston and the Ruskin Museum. A must-visit destination for anyone with even a passing interest in the Campbell family, Bluebird or the pursuit of land and water speed records, the museum proved immensely popular with everyone in attendance. Better still, it offered the opportunity to stand just feet away from the restored Bluebird K7, the hydroplane in which Donald Campbell tragically lost his life on Coniston Water in 1967. It made for an experience every bit as humbling as it was inspiring.
And that, as they say, was that. We’d come, we’d seen and we’d conquered the north – or, at the very least, eaten our fill of pies, bitter and Eccles cakes.
We’d once again like to thank everyone who joined us for the trip. Your enthusiasm, good humour and shared love of driving helped make it one of the most memorable Retropower Club excursions to date. Suffice it to say, we’re already planning the next one.
Watch this space.
Photos by Bruce Holder – Full res images available here.
