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slow roads south

Inder Raj Ahluwalia, through the back country roads and motorways of southwest England

The first cardinal rule about driving around abroad with company is to avoid being the driver. Consider the advantages. You can sit back and relax, sound important and knowledgeable and give directions, take an occasional nap, and most significantly, have a drink or two.

Alison was the driver, I the navigator. So far so good. I got into the little Nissan rented from Budget Rent a Car, seat belt secured, bags in the hold, road map of Britain safely in place and an appetite already tugging at me.

We left London with the morning sunlight still a pale gold. Being British, Alison felt at home behind the wheel, though she did find the traffic "a little heavier than I can remember." On Saturday mornings Britain's motorways resemble runways. Everyone wants to 'take off.�We joined in the act, and within minutes were gliding along the M3 towards the sprawling town of Farnborough, where we hit the motorway again, headed westwards. The first stop on our jaunt across southwest England was a town greatly endeared to the English.

And why not? Portsmouth Harbour shows true pedigree, with 11 museums and Southsea featuring four miles of promenade offering sweeping views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. While the D-Day Museum with its magnificent Overlord embroidery records the largest invasion force ever assembled on earth, the Royal Marines Museum is a celebration of over 300 years of the elite naval fighting corps, and the City Museum shows the city's fascinating history, from Saxon fishing village to thriving commercial centre. Southsea Castle of Henry VIII fame shows the infamous dungeons and amazing time tunnel, while the Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson stock guns, gunpowder and plenty of bangs. And there is also Charles Dickens' birthplace.

Portsmouth Harbour's new attraction is Gunwharf Quays �a lively shopping and leisure complex featuring some 85 designer shops, over 20 restaurants and bars as well as a 14 screen multiplex cinema, outdoor ice skating rink and bowling centre, all set in an unrivalled waterfront location. And anchored at Flagship Portsmouth �a world-class centre for marine heritage �are the world's greatest historic ships that have folklore status in Britain. Henry VIII's Mary Rose, raised from a watery grave in 1982, is everything an old ship should be. The ship sank in 1545 with up to 700 men on board. 437 years later, the world held its breath when she was finally recovered from the seabed.

Take a guided tour of HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship and the world's most famous warship, still in commission today. You can see the spot where Nelson died, then go below deck and see vividly recreated life at sea for the 820 men and boys who lived, worked, fought and died during battle. Then visit the Trafalgar Experience �a unique insight into what the Battle of Trafalgar was like. Lovingly restored and maintained, the HMS Victory continues to bask in eternal pride.

And then there is the pride of Queen Victoria's fleet, HMS Warrior 1860. Bigger and faster than any other ship afloat, this was the world's first iron-hulled armoured battleship. Powered by steam as well as sail, she drove fear into the enemy, so much so that she never went into battle.

Continuing our jaunt, we crept into what's aptly called the 'Heart of the Cotswolds'. Stow-on-the-Wold is pretty as a picture, and among Britain's prettiest villages. This ancient Cotswold Wool Town is situated beside the Roman Fosseway and set on a rounded hill. Iron age people were the first to settle on the hill, and Stone and Bronze Age burial mounds are common in the area. The houses were built with the mellow Cotswold stone from local quarries.

In the centre of town, in the shadow of the church, I sat and ate my 'hasty tasty budget lunch,�(a pie and banana). Facing me was The King's Arms, the pub in town, a good example of a coaching inn where the main entrance was through the arch leading to the stables. Behind me was Talbot, renowned for traditional ales. Racing Green, a trendy boutique, and The Cotswold Cobbler were other notable names. On Digbeth Street stands the Royalist Hotel, said to be England's oldest inn, since 947AD. The buildings are just stone. No paint and all light brown. And the effect is highly soothing.

Our next stop was the 'bard's backyard'. Stratford-upon-Avon remains as charming as ever. Shakespeare's presence seen everywhere around town, at quaint places and in quaint ways. Statues of some of his famous tragic heroes decorate local parks. Anne Hathoway's Cottage, a symbol of romance and love, the Falstaff Restaurant, the Shakespeare Hotel (for honeymooners), the Encore Inn, the Birthplace Coach Terminal, Mary Arden's House, New Place, the Shakespeare Centre and Hollscroft �Suzzane Shakespeare and her husband Dr John Hall's house �all bear direct association with the poet. And then of course, there is the theatre.

At Anne Hathoway's Cottage and Farm, you can actually go into the sitting room where Shakespeare used to court Anne and see the courting settee and various other items of domicile like beds, chairs, and utensils. Such literary stuff called for an ice cream, I declared, much to Alison's delight, and then we were ready to continue on our travels.

We discovered the pleasures of Winchester, the way they should be �on foot. The magnificent cathedral apart, there are museums and galleries, medieval buildings and tranquil green spaces ideal for strolling and soaking up the local atmosphere. The town's historic High Street was the Romans' east to west route through the city. Today it's pedestrianised and perfect for shopping, as are the nearby side streets and The Square, site of William the Conqueror's treasury, which feature specialty shops and boutiques.

We threaded the heritage trail across the historic heart of Winchester, with its world-famous cathedral and the lovely Cathedral Close, Winchester College and the house where Jane Austen died. And followed in the footsteps of the poet John Keats through the Water Meadows to St Cross and see the remains of the palace of the powerful medieval bishops. The cathedral has been a place of worship for over 900 years and contains the longest nave in Europe, the tombs of the early English Kings, Jane Austen's grave and other treasures including the world-famous Winchester book.

From Winchester to Salisbury was like cathedral-hopping. Steeped in history, Salisbury features one of the finest gothic Norman cathedrals in Britain, with the highest spire (123m), the best preserved Magna Carta (1215), a unique 13th Century frieze of stories (Chapter House), the largest Cloisters and Close in Britain, and Europe's oldest working clock (1386).

Winner of many awards, Salisbury Museum holds collections of national significance. Mompesson House, 'The House in the Close,�is a perfect example of Queen Anne architecture dating from 1701. Situated in Cathedral Close and dating from 1254, The Wardrobes now houses the Salisbury Museum of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. Alison had an iced tea, I got myself a cold coffee. It was two happy motorists who drove slowly out of town in fading light.

Surrounded by the beautiful countryside of the Cotswolds and the West Country, Bath continues to bask in the splendour of its past, providing a captivating setting for some of Britain's finest cultural programmes.

For centuries, the town provided inspiration for several of the greatest writers, poets, artists and musicians of their times. Today it's a thriving centre of creativity and home to an internationally renowned range of theatres, galleries and arts centres, hosting quality festivals. Theatre lovers are spoilt for choice.

The Museum of Costume and Royal Victoria Art Gallery shows a pretty face of the nation through the ages. Set in one of Bath's most elegant Georgian buildings, The Holburne Museum features 18th Century fine and decorative art juxtaposed with works by leading British 20th Century crafts people.

Arguably the greatest tourist show in town is the Roman Baths Museum which brings to life the magnificent Roman Temple of Sulis Minerva and the bathing complex built almost 2,000 years ago around the town's natural hot springs. For 7.50 pounds one can take a guided tour of the complex, and with the aid of an audio set and running commentary, see and analyse the different sections with their collection of ancient artifacts and heirlooms and the hot water pools.

No visit to southwest England can be complete without seeing Stonehenge, so off we went to see this marvel of English heritage. Stonehenge is the most outstanding monument in the British Isles and a World Heritage Site. One walks among the ancient people who mapped the course of the sun and the moon to build this monument. Look for the burial grounds in the landscape where they buried their leaders. Once there was activity here. Today, it stands there all by itself, desolate and mysterious, showing visitors the remains of a prehistoric monument that was in use thousands of years ago.
With the help of an audio tour, we unravelled its history and surroundings. Some 8,000 years ago the area was mixed pine and hazel woodland before becoming downland. The larger stones one sees in the circle are Sarsen stones from the Marlborough Downs, and the smaller ones known as the Bluestones are from the mystical Preseli Mountains in Wales.

As we drove away, the giant rocks stood starkly exposed in the fading light. The further away we went, the thinner they appeared, finally shimmering like needles on a patch of green. It was eerie �and very beautiful.