The scenic road Jeremy Clarkson calls 'England's only spectacular' drive.. and is just two hours from Manchester

A road just a couple of hours from Manchester has been picked out as one of the seven most scenic winter drives in the UK - by former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson.

Buttertubs Pass in the Yorkshire Dales takes you through spectacularly bleak moorlands and past 20m deep limestone potholes where dairy farmers would place their produce while taking a rest in hot weather.

It's also impressed TV star Clarkson, who described the Buttertubs Pass as England's "only spectacular road".

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And while the pass – real name Cliff Gate Road – is among the very best drives in cold weather, it's not recommended if it's snowing or raining sideways, Yorkshire Live reports.

It's steep, narrow, winding and unforgiving if there's ice, surface water or strong winds.

Additional hazards are sheep and other animals are known to cross the tarmac without warning.

The pass is isolated too which may mean a long limp in extreme weather to find help. Indeed, the Buttertubs Pass has claimed more than a few lives.

Also on the list is the Long Causeway from Mereclough, near Burnley, to Hebden Bridge.

This Pennine ridge drive takes in the Bridestones, a collection of bizarrely shaped natural monoliths, and a street called Slack Bottom.

May's legendary shop in the middle of nowhere is a very short detour from the main route.

Again, think about the weather before you set out as the route is nearly as isolated and unforgiving as Buttertubs Pass.

Other routes in the top seven are:

A686 Haydon Bridge, Northumberland to Penrith, Cumbria

A149 Hunstanton to Cromer, Norfolk

The Snow Roads Scenic Route, Cairngorms, Scotland

Aberystwyth to Rhayader,