A NEW list has been released by Welcome Break that names Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, as one of the top ten best UK roadside stop offs this Autumn.

This October half term week, an estimated 20 million people are set to embark on a road trip according to Welcome Break, the motorway service station operator.

After they polled the nation to reveal the most popular destinations, results showed that scenic landscapes and beautiful settings came out top for stop-off points.

However, road trips are not without their challenges, with the top causes of arguments in the car being:

  • Traffic (20 per cent)
  • Wrong directions (17 per cent)
  • Toilet breaks (14 per cent)
  • Boredom (12 per cent)
  • Bad music choices and backseat driving (10 per cent)

Additional challenges on journeys include fatigue (28 percent), boredom (26 per cent), and "hanger" (hunger-induced irritability) affecting 17 per cent.

With two thirds of people (66 per cent) planning a long road trip this week, these “hidden gems” might ease tensions for the 13 per cent who will bicker and/or need a scenic distraction.

Top on the roadside stop off agenda this week include:

  1. National Trust sites (21 per cent)
  2. Stonehenge (17 per cent)
  3. Loch Ness (17 per cent)
  4. The Eden Project (15 per cent)
  5. Isle of Skye (15 per cent)
  6. Cheddar Gorge (13 per cent)
  7. Warwick Castle (12 per cent)
  8. Ben Nevis (10 per cent)
  9. The White Cliffs of Dover (10 per cent)
  10. Angel of the North (9 per cent)

Cheddar Gorge is not only one of Britain’s “most spectacular natural landmarks”, but also a site of scientific interest and part of the newly formed Mendip Hills National Landscape.

Welcome Break teamed up with comedian, actor, writer, and mum Jessica Fostekew, to help make journeys better this half term, who said: “I’m not surprised nearly half the people surveyed by Welcome Break plan their pitstops before they even set off – you can’t risk a journey not knowing when your next coffee break is coming. I too, am a planner and for good reason.

Jessica goes on to encourage those going on road trip adventures this week to try some of the top ten UK road stops to breakup their journeys, she added: “I think that the journey can be just as fun as the destination with the right approach.”

Gary Steele, operations director at Welcome Break, said: "As the roads get busier with families taking one last trip before the festive season, Welcome Break is here to help."