Zig Zag Hill - England's Most Twisty and Curved Road - Shaftesbury Dorset
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2024
- #driving #roads #cars #infrastructure #dorset
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I was recently made aware of Englands most twisty road, something that naturally I was keen to see. In this video I travel to Dorset to look at a wonderful piece of road engineering that twists and turns its way up a hill side.
My Grandparents lived local to Shaftesbury and would take us up and down Zig Zag hill as a treat! Still enjoy the occasional visit even now. Great vid!
Surely it is called Zig Zag hill whilst going up it, and Zag Zig hill going down ? Or is it vice versa ?
What is the B road with the longest straight I wonder? The B2068 , Stone street, in Kent has a pretty long one. I guess arguements about kinks might then get in the way ....
@@zakelweyou can zig either way, up or down.
In Yorkshire there is a road so steep that at the bottom there is a sign barring all trailers, caravans and artics.
Took my grandson to Beamish from Scarborough and on the way back he fell off the rear seat on which he was asleep.
Sutton Bank on the A170?
If you think that is steep, try the Rosedale Chimney on the North York Moors.
I live not far from Sutton Bank. I’m not a boy-racer, but it is fun to fly up at a reasonable pace. Usually, I drive towards it from Sutton-Under-Whitestone Cliff on an empty road, excitement building that I might get a clear run up it. Only to meet a lumbering truck doing 15mph just as I get to the bottom. Or someone trying to take the 25% incline switch-back in a high gear and grinding to a complete stop. 😢
There's a road to the West of Sheffield called the Strines road frequented by petrolheads which has about 4 really steep and sharp cornered dips. And a really old pub at the end called... The Strines Inn.
@@Tobester1043it could also be birk brow on the A171
Great road on 2 wheels with lunch stop after at Compton Abbas airfield.
I wish I'd known about this when I was in the UK with my motorcycle. Still, 😂 have the Corkscrew Road, Montcute, in South Australia.
Scotland's Bealach na Bà says, "Hold my Irn Bru."
This comment says "Translate to English" after it. Upon pressing, absolutely nothing changes... 😮
@@gaijintendo "Pass of the cattle"
That's a bit of a tough comparison. Maybe the Duke's Pass is fairer.
Been there, in fog, blooming scary.
Serpentine Road isn’t as fun to drive but is far twistier than all of these.
Can't wait for the Devil's Staircase on the Tregaron to Abergwesyn road in Wales, or a trip over the Hardknot ad Wrynose passes in Cumbria.
Hardknot is terrifying but brilliant especially if you meet a local driving a transit coming the other way at high speed.
Another vote for Hardknot Pass, but wait till the weather's a bit better. Bala to Lake Vyrnwy (Wales obviously!) is also quite spectacular
Buxton to Macclesfield is one of the most challenging roads to drive and quite a few tight turns on that as well, worth a visit
The Cat and Fiddle at the top is a great place to stop too, just watch out with the weather as it spends a lot of time closed!
17yr old me in [my mother's] MG Metro learned all about under-steer on that hill back in the 80's - surface looks a lot better these days 😅. A loop past Compton Abbas and back down Spread Eagle Hill would really test the (not very good) brakes... good times!
Great fun in a rigid lorry!😄
And downright silly in a bendy one.
A39 between Barnstaple and Hillsford Bridge is a fun one too
Why would HGVs be needing to use a B road? Any deliveries to premises can be done by LGV's. B roads should never be used as a through route. Clue in the road numbering B not A.
@@tonys1636 how do you suggest 26 ton of bulk grain gets to and from farms, or 14 ton of compost gets to a village garden centre? You will also find B road classification will still contain a primary route, between 2 towns etc. an unclassified route is what you’ll find isn’t a through route, and 60% of UK roads fall in this category, meaning they’ll still be used by HGVs all the time. Please don’t tell us where we should and shouldn’t be going, we didn’t order this stuff we’re delivering.
@@tonys1636 It is a strange piece of road. Not far from the bottom of the hill is a "C" class road which Dorset Council prefers HGVs to use when travelling south from Shaftesbury to Blandford. They do this because the A350 running parallel around half a mile west causes many issues if two HGVs try to pass in one village, so they recommend HGVs use the A350 northbound and the C class road southbound. This is fine until the south bound route has issues leading the traffic to be routed via Zig-Zag! Zig-Zag is also a busy route for a wide number of villages in the area for farm and construction deliveries.
There's the one at Box Hill in Surrey called the Zig Zag Road thats now infamous with cyclists since the 2012 Olympics. Has road humps on which kind of takes some of the fun out of ripping up it :-)
I saw this video when it came out. Today I went on road trip to Dorset, looked up at the upcoming road on the sat nav and thought what the hell !! As I hit the first hairpin........I remembered the video - lol
There’s another similar road. Just outside Nailsworth called the Ladder or the Nailsworth W. It’s blooming fab to drive, especially going up.
I immediately thought of the 'Nailsworth W' before I played this video! 🙂
@@TOMLINBISH I did as well, they both look very similar. I love driving them
Came here to say this!
Driven up the Nailsworth W, drove up quite a few twisty ones In Australia, mainly in the Dandenong Ranges, though Authurs seat road at Dromana most readily comes to mind, 8 Hairpin bends and 900 feet of elevation over about 2km distance, quite sure their are a few in Wales but can't think of any particular ones right now
I've been up and down Zig-Zag Hill more times than I care to remember.
Me too, living in Bournemouth Christchurch, Poole from fifty years back, a lot of travelling North for work.
Not one happy experience
@@thisismyuniquestory Could be worse, you coulkd drive through Iwerne Minster or Melbury Abbas. I've gotten stuck when two lorries try to pass each other so many timees before they put the flashing caution lights up
@@PianoKwanMan You aren't considered a Dorset 'local' unless you've been stuck on that road, even with the signals. The Compton/Melbury road has better views and feels quicker, even if you get stuck in the valley at the lights.
You should try Zig Zag Road on Box Hill, Surrey.
Secrets of the B3081. The old Royal Obsever Post at the the junction of the B3081 and Donhead Hollow plus Compton Abbas Airfield.
Now owned by Mr Madonn... oh wait they divorced, Mr Guy Ritchie the guru of gangster films as Madonna and the locals hated each other with an ardent flame but he stayed behind.
Great video. Have you been up Sutton Bank in Yorkshire or how about Hard Knott Pass in the Lake District?
was gonna suggest those two, along with Wrynose pass, in the same area as hard Knott. there's also that steep little clamber up onto the tops heading towards the Tann Hill pub...from the a66 side
Came to suggest the same…. Get yourself up north Jon, plenty of bendy highways and byways here!
Is a regular route for too....many years ago I also lived near to Box Hill with its Zig Zag road too.
Enjoyed that, thanks.
If you're looking at doing a 'weird B/unclassified but metalled roads' series, then take a gander at the Burway in Shropshire, across the Long Mynd. It has steep inclines, sheer drops of one side (no barriers, natch) and for fun is single carriageway so if you meet someone coming the other way one of you has to reverse with certain death off to one side.
Oh, it also has amazing views if it's not foggy or raining. Being where it is it's often foggy and/or raining.
Drove up that once - held my breath the whole way 😅 but thankfully didn't meet anyone. Driving back down was not an option! Started at the in sleet and hail, ended at the top in glorious sunshine and incredible views. Quite a road....
I'm glad the English have got imagination. The road up Box Hill in Surrey is also called Zig Zag Hill... (Edit: It's Zig Zag Road, apologies. Used to live nearby as well. Doh)
Came to the comments to say there's a road up Box Hill called the "Zig Zag". Note, there's no "Hill" in the name, it's "The Zig Zag". And the turns are steeper as is the drop off the side of the road.
@@axelBr1 Bother yes you're right, Google shows it as Zig Zag Road. :)
Purchased a 911 a coupe of years back from Gillingham which is just past Shaftesbury and had to take the Zig Zag Hill home back to Verwood, anyway gunned it up the hill in record time, great fun.
I drove up this hill the other day on my way back from a trip to Dorset. Was pretty scary but once you get to the top the stretch of road you get is absolutely stunning
Also check out 'The W' in Nailsworth. Similar to Zig Zag, with a high speed down lane called "The ladder".
I was about to get all huffy and upbraid you sir for not mentioning the second best thing about Zig Zag Hill.
This being of course the prize of the breath taking views from the top of the ridge.
Just about saved it with the outro.
He mentioned all the fancy grass and stuff. What more do you want😂
@@robinwells8879
Ah ya poor unenlightened fella.
Easy mistake to make!
Until you've struggled up this ancient assault course in the shadows of its trees, possibly in grotty weather and then been met by the (literally) sunlit uplands of the sky high ridge and the view to the very four corners of the earth, you've missed out.
Jon you need to have a drive up to Hartside, which used to be the site of Hartside cafe before it burned down. Its off the A69 in cumbria and you pass through Alston on the way, features lots of straights and zigzags like this, before getting to Penrith. Another one worth a visit is also the Hard Knott pass in the Lake District which I'm sure is the steepest road in England, (1/30 30% gradient). Lots of history and worth a visit. Albeit a bit of a treck for you I'm sure!
Oh brilliant!!!! I drove this road during an advanced driving course I was doing in a Honda Civic Type R EP3. I was so focused on the driving I could not remember where it was. You’ve just helped me out. Cheers from the guy that said hello to you when you were filming your M27 episode of Secrets of the motorway by the graffiti subway!
You’re my hero I want to walk past Jon when he’s doing an intro or describing something to camera it would be freaking hilarious awesome 😊
Nice!
Retirement brought an almighty relief I may never have to drive that road again.
I throw my Clio RS around this on a regular basis. Top fun!
Ah the joys of Zig Zag. The amount of times I drove up and down that stretch feeling like a rally driver. Living in the area it was always one of the joys of going to Win Green for Summer meet ups, kite flying and picnics.
There is another Zig Zag Down in Michelham Dorking off the A24.
There's a great hairpin bend on the A259 near Winchelsea in East Sussex.
With a hump back bridge on the run-up. 😁
Oh yes. Been up that a few times! Just don't get stuck behind a caravanner or a dump truck.
A259 at winchelsea been there I was a passenger on a coach tour
I thought this was going to be The Zig Zag at Box Hill in Surrey. I drove Zig Zag Hill in my campervan last year while leaving a music festival at nearby Larmer Tree Gardens. It's pretty twisty!
if your ever going to have a scottish holiday and do the Nort Coast 500 Would love to see a video on the history of the A9 wich is quite extensive!
There are Victorian pleasure gardens, Larmer Tree, not far from the top. When there were festivals at Larmer Tree charabancs used to run from Shaftesbury. Because of the hill and the lack of power, passengers had to disembark and walk up. Meanwhile the empty charabanc would ascend, and the driver light a fire and make tea for the weary walkers at the top
I am very drawn to the idea of all that fancy grass and stuff. I shall put it on the bike bucket list. Cheers 👍
Driven up and down that zig-zag. Hairy going up and meeting something coming down.
Been up and down zigzag hill quite a few times in the 1970's when at Shaftesbury Grammer school on a Susuki TS100 motorbike
The A4136 between Monmouth and Staunton is pretty good too, especially downhill. Since I last used it, they've probably put a 30mph limit on it.
Finally a road in your vids that I've driven that isn't a motorway!
Enjoyed this thanks. Some of the roads in Ireland used donkey tracks so mad to drive!
I have great love for this road - but on a motorbike I’ve never quite got this bit right - maybe in the second 30 years of riding I’ll get it together 😂
yep been down there ! first time i was like FML!
Uh oh, Eurobeat start to play in my mind even when I just seeing these zip zag road
DON’T STOP
THE MUSIC TONIGHT
dadadada da da daaa 🎶
The Mickelham Bends , not the A24 bit, the side road behind Ryka's up to box Hill in Surrey are a bit tight and it's 734ft above sea level. Alas, all fun has been removed with speed humps
This man could make a 5 minute video about an old oak tree with no significance whatsoever and I’d watch it twice just for the puns 10/10 John
Winchelsea - Tanyard Lane into Ferry Hill (A259) has a cracking hair pin turn into an incline, not to mention the rest of the surrounding roads being nice for a drive
Grew up in Hastings, know that bend well, but not a patch on Zigzag Hill. (Spike Milligan is buried in Winchelsea churchyard)
When I used to be a flying instructor, I flew into Compton Abbas airfield on top of this hill regularly . Was my favourite small airfield. I would fly over Zig Zag but never drove there. Madonna and her then husband ‘Guy’ owned a house just north of the runway and didn’t like us aviators. Lovely country side around there.
Driven it many times. I call it the rally stage.
Great fun with no traffic around….not so fun when following large lorry up it.
It really shows up the confident drivers or the ones that know the route and those that aren’t or don’t. I’ve seen poverty spec Ford Ka’s leave way more expensive & powerful cars way behind due to that.
Also look up Porlock hill. 1 in 4 grade I believe. Only been up that once or twice. Seemed steep but cars have improved so much you probably wouldn’t notice it as much now.
Other little gems.
Blandford Dorset, the “old” Dorchester hill - the original A354. Now bypassed. The old road is now used to access housing estates.
Have a look at Fish Hill, Broadway, John.
Near the Broadway Nuclear Monitoring Post, with a lovely straight from the roundabout at the bottom up to the Fish Hill Picnic Area at the top. Fairly sure there's no dogging there...
I live not far away from this hill and always enjoy driving down and up it. Occasionally, see a car in the trees after one of the corners!
Didn’t know it existed until I followed the satnav home one winter night, and driving it in a classic BMW, even without a welded diff, certainly keeps you alert… 😂
No way you came down this way 😮, such an awesome road, so is the top road
Love the new subject matter and this has to be the best closing theme music yet.
Brings back great memories as a kid in dad's Austin Allegro, bellowing "zig" as we took the first bend and then "zag", as we tightened our seatbelts going round the next bend. Happy days!
Terrifying in an Allegro!
One of my favourite half mile stretches of asphalt!
Goyt Valley from Buxton to Whaley Bridge is a lovely twisty drive too and very scenic
Great video Jon. I love driving on roads like that - the twistier the better.
Others to try if you’re up north…Hartside Pass (A686) east of Penrith towards Alston and Buttertubs Pass just north of Hawes in North Yorkshire 👍🏼😉
I love that road, its not too far from me in Bournemouth, its a really great drive.
I discovered this fun little road driving an HGV, I've been back many times in my Sierra ☺☺ its a lot better since resurfacing
Oh Jon, you should do Sutton Bank on the A170! You'll have fun trying to gun it up the hill, but going down is scary!
I've frequented this road since I was a kid on family trips and never thought much of it! didn't realize it was actually remarkable beyond just being a local tricky hill. It's a beautiful drive throughout the B3081 :)
My parents used to have a 2CV at one point… it was definitely fun going up/down zig zag in that as a kid - rural rollercoaster 😂
Seen in a few films that exact shot from above. I always wondered where it was so thank's for this 🙂
I knew this in 1972 as we holidayed in gillingham with friends and our dad used to drive us in a commer campervan with a trailer on the back to the new forest.
One of my favourite bit of road. As I live local to it I have driven it many times. I would love the road to be closed a few times and be used for a Hillclimb event. Whether driving up or down it would make an awsome event. I believe many years ago it was used for the British stage of the Tour de France.
The views of the landscape when you come out the top of the hill are pretty amazing on a sunny day
Another stylish production, thanks
I highly recommend the hardknott pass, that will be a winner for you, including a roman fort enroute
Love to drive this great bit of road with Rose Royce blaring out of the speakers. 'Zig Zag' from the Car wash soundtrack would hit the spot
we usually take the id3 to visit my parents in Dorset, but next weekend you've inspired me to take the up! GTI :-)
Auto shenanigans in Dorset, if we knew you was coming we would have jingled some cow bells on the bends for you.😂😂😂😐😂😂😂
You can never have enough cow bell...
Reading the title, I was expecting a vid about Box Hill
That looks like a fantastic drive, will have to visit that one. Great video thanks Bob
Nice one mate, thanks for watching!
First came across Zig Zag Hill in the mid 80s. I was out on an exploration trip of the area on my first and only motorbike. Pre car days, this was a find. Not many know of this place as its off the beaten track. beaten
It’s good fun! Driven it on a club drive and saw a lot of other very nice cars doing the same
Back in the late 80s I lived in Bridgwater parents lived in new forest so most weekends I did the B3081 and zig zag from shaftesbury to verwood
The whole road was a driver's delight in those days not too many people knew of it so no traffic and no speed limits
In those days I could regularly do the 80 miles in 90 minutes only getting pulled over once ironically on the a303 dual carriageway
Today it's over 2hrs to do the same journey
Absolutely love this road, accidentally found it one day when I went for a drive and ended uk 2 hours away from home 🤣 and this road topped it off
I used to drive that bit of road in my LWB transit as a detour on my way from Bristol to swanage. Was well worth adding the mile or two to my journey 😁
It's on my commute to a client and it's a brilliant drive
You should try the W in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire.
Finishing with that nice citynerd vibe
Short and to the point ……..well ……….. in a zigzag sort of way! 🫣
Amazed at how few chevrons they've put on the turns.
In Crowdecote near Buxton there’s a baby version of this. It’s great fun when the road is quiet!
Drove this last month in my Alfa, was excellent! I always use this drive to travel to B'mouth, even if it's longer than others.
Long ago, on my way to visit relatives in Wales for Christmas, for some reason I decided to take the scenic, somewhat bendy, A4136 Forest of Dean route into Monmouth in a 1986 Vauxhall Cavalier saloon that was already a bit long in the tooth at the time - late at night and in freezing conditions, naturally. The road was icy and on the latter, downhill section into Monmouth I managed to lose all traction at low speed, serenely spin a perfect 180 degrees and proceed backwards until I managed to stop (or crash if you prefer) on a sharp bend by using a combination of and prayer and the verge.
This road triggered memories of that mishap for some reason.
This reminded me of driving through (the former) Jugoslavia where the mountain roads are made even more exciting for the driver if you are in a right hand drive car with a view over the edge and down the mountainside (and if you meet a lorry coming in the opposite direction you are expected to reverse back to the passing place- even if it means you are reversing uphill and round a hairpin bend)
I really enjoyed the footage at the end with the actual drive of this road. 👍
Love the Calypso music Jon, felt like getting my maracas out and giving then a good old shake 🥸
This is the western end of the Old Shaftesbury Drove which runs across the tops of all the higher hills to it's eastern end near Harnham just north of Salisbury, formerly the main coaching road (Before the A30 was built) it is still very popular as a recreational route for hikers, cyclists, horse riders and off road motorcyclists.
I like how at 1:54 the luton van has to swing right out into the other lane but, fortunately, gets back where he belongs before the car coming in the other direction reaches him!
Another great video. I know this area very well. I've used this road for almost 40 years when I worked as a delivery driver and often used to park up in the layby to take my tachograph breaks on the right just past the top of Zig Zag hill heading towards Tollard Royal. Some stunning views along that road down back towards Sixpenny Handley. Now that I'm retired I often think about taking another trip down that way in the car just for old times sake. Shaftesbury is a lovely little town with the beautiful view from the top of Gold hill from the old Hovis advert. Like all of your videos I really enjoyed this one.
Pubs are a good way to find old roads. Usually there would be a pub at each end of the route. Also there were often two roads available. One road might need dry weather to be used but would have an easier gradient or be a shorter route. Another might be harder to use but less susceptible to bad weather.
Agreed "The Zig Zag" would be a better name
Used to cycle down it in the 60s, then in the 70s would bring 40’ artic loads of straw and threshed rye grass down en route back to Somerset. A little bit hairy, and the road certainly wasn’t as wide or well paved back then.
I was dissappointed not to hear Matt Monro "On Days Like These" during the driving section at the end.. come to think of it, the Saab's no Lamborghini Miura either 🙂
My thoughts exactly. Luckily enough for Jon though, there was no tunnel at the end surrounded by the Mafia
Nice. Love a good wiggly road
Porlock hill on the A38 just outside Minehead in Somerset used to be well known for overheating cars in the olden days! The steep incline and winding road with hairpin bends thrown in for good measure made it a very interesting afternoon drive in the summer!
On the subject of road names; my home town has a road named Gil-gal, and no, I haven't a clue about the origins of the strange name.
You'd enjoy the A821 (Duke's Pass) heading north from Aberfoyle.
Fun video. I think you'd enjoy driving the B5055 at Crowedote, in the Peak District. A short but lovely bit of serpentine road.
Awesome video, don't know if it's in that boom that you are using for the new Great British road Journies series but the A379 Kingsbridge to Dartmouth road would make a cool video as well as it's very B road for an A road. Also thinking the road featured today would be a good hillclimb or rally stage.
The B5053 from Ipstones in Staffs down to Froghall is good fun as is the A521 up the other side of the Churnet Valley to Kingsley Holt.
Love that route as a route to the coast at Mudeford!