Shrewsbury

Salopian Drivers On Tour in Kent and Shropshire

July 7th 2026

The Salopian Drivers Club is an active society of Old Salopians and parents who are car and motorbike enthusiasts.

In June Miles Preston organised a tour of Kent, this time focused on three further outstanding historic properties: Ightham Mote, Leeds Castle and Knole House.

It was a two-day, two-night tour starting at lunchtime on 1st June and ending at lunchtime on 3rd June. Eleven members in seven cars took part, starting with a visit to Ightham Mote during the afternoon of 1st June.

Ightham Mote was extended over hundreds of years. From there we drove to our accommodation for the two nights at a fourteenth-century pub, The Chequers in Smarden.

On the first full day of the tour, we visited Leeds Castle before driving to a pub in the middle of Romney Marsh. After lunch at The Ferry, near Appledore, we returned to Smarden, calling in at Chapel Down Winery, Tenterden and Biddenden. Some of the group also found time to visit Sissinghurst Castle on their way back to Smarden.

Following another excellent dinner at the pub, on the final day, we drove to the spectacular Knole House at Sevenoaks, where we went around the house. Those who wanted to had lunch together in the cafe before setting off for home, while others, with longer journeys home, left after the tour of the house.

Miles Preston - SDC Chairman

Meanwhile the Shropshire branch of the SDC had an excellent drive out to North Wales.

13 cars and 27 people joined us for the annual ‘Shropshire’ gathering, which took us to North Wales. We gathered at ‘Fourways’ for coffee and bacon rolls courtesy of Alex Aldous, with the rain clouds looming…. A few open-top cars braved the bad weather we had to start with, including the Scott-Moncriefs’ magnificent 1930s Bentley race car! The route took us through beautiful countryside with winding lanes up and down hills until we eventually ended up at the Chainbridge Hotel, located on the banks of the River Dee. There we enjoyed a warm welcome of coffee and fantastic Scones!

After our first break, the rain stopped, and we left for the second half of the journey up to Portmeirion, passing Bala and travelling along beautiful, sweeping roads, taking us past Llyn Celyn and Lyn Tryweryn, coming down through the valley as we drove onto our final destination of Portmeirion. There we parked at the Castle and walked down to the hotel through the amazing village, where a superb three-course lunch awaited us, with beautiful views of the estuary and out to sea. We then enjoyed a quick walk around the village, and some of us also had time for a drive around the village down to the hotel for photos.