London – Random Drives in the Country

Thrusting through the English countryside is an extensive network of motorways. They’re world class roads that connect the major urban centres of the country. Although they are frequently clogged with traffic, they’re the most efficient way to drive around. Take a small detour from the motorways, however, and you arrive unannounced into a totally different world – the world of the small English village and the small winding road. This is the sylvan world of England much celebrated by the poets.


Driving home from Bracknell everyday was a bit monotonous. There’s a perfectly good motorway, the M4, that goes basically from outside my office in Bracknell to outside my house in London. Direct, straight and rather boring. Inspired by buying a new GPS, I decided one day to random drive off into the countryside and see what there was to see.

I was very pleasantly surprised. Bracknell itself is a bit frumpy, but the villages surrounding it are amazingly beautiful. They crammed with centuries old town houses, the occasional manor houses and a lot of forests. Trees everywhere as far as you can see.

Parked outside the houses were usually very expensive cars. Well, usually a couple of expensive cars. The countryside is no longer a place for country folk. The Thames valley west of London is the reserve of the posh city commuter. They spent an hour or two every day on the train into London in order to work at the daily grind that allows them to live in the country. They then work so hard to afford their country house, that they never spend much time in it.

This was a paradox I never understood. I’m generally a lazy fellow, so the thought of a two hour commute each direction every day just seemed ridiculous. After driving through these villages, however, I started to get a feel why people do it. The houses are ridiculously pretty. The villages are immaculately kept, well preserved and seem to have been grown from the soil, not built to dominate it like modern towns. Add in a family, a dog, two cats and a large garden and I can see the attraction.

Apart from the beautiful houses and villages, the other fun part of the journey was the randomness of it all. With GPS firmly stuck to the wind screen, I was able to drive down whatever little road took my fancy. Even though the GPS was beeping out imperatives to turn left, turn right or even turn around, it was fun to just drive down whatever lane looked interesting. Due to the affluence of the area, every road, no matter how small, was paved and well maintained, so there was no fear of accidentally going off road. It was great fun!

At the end of my little jaunt, I started taking notice of the GPS. After a brief trip down the car park of Legoland, I was back on the motorway zooming home. Sure, I was a little late home that day, but it was a great way to break the monotony of the commute. It also gave me a small peek into the world of the rural commuter. I don’t think it’s the life for me, but come back in twenty years time. Things may change...