Its breathtaking scenery makes it one of the UK’s most famous driving roads, but there have been warnings that Snake Pass could close to cars indefinitely. What is the future of this long and winding road?

Even if you’ve never driven on Snake Pass, you’ve probably heard of Snake Pass.

It’s regarded as one of the most scenic driving roads in the UK, or even the world, and it frequently features in traffic reports – mainly because it closes so often.

But closures due to landslips are becoming so frequent that Derbyshire County Council has warned it cannot afford to keep repairing the road, and has asked for government help to keep it open.

How old is the road?

Work to build the road began in 1818 and it opened in 1821, so it’s just over 200 years old.

Roger Hargreaves, director of Glossop Heritage Trust, said it was built as a turnpike – or toll road – to connect Sheffield with Manchester.

“In the late 18th Century Sheffield was growing very rapidly, and the iron and steel trade had a lot of customers to the west in Manchester, and it had a big export trade with America through Liverpool,” he said.

Mr Hargreaves said it was a myth the road was built by renowned civil engineer Thomas Telford.

“It says all over the internet that it was built by Telford, but I’ve never seen any evidence that he had anything to do with it at all,” he said.

The road was financially unsuccessful from the start, and it did not make enough money to maintain itself.

“First of all the summit is at nearly 1,700ft, very exposed, and sometimes it was closed by snow for months in the winter,” Mr Hargreaves said.

“It was also built along ground which was not stable, and so it was really not a good idea to build a road along this route.

“I think if Telford had been consulted about it he would probably have realised what the problems were and would have advised against it.”

The road became even less viable when the railways arrived as competition in the 1840s.

“After that it was virtually abandoned for 80 years, until the first cyclists arrived, and then the first cars, and there was eventually a bus service in the 1920s,” said Mr Hargreaves.

Why is it called Snake Pass?

It is often assumed the road is named Snake Pass due to its serpent-like winding route. However, it actually takes its name from a pub.

“It wasn’t called Snake Pass until the end of the 19th Century, when the tourists were the main traffic,” said Mr Hargreaves.

“The Snake Inn was a popular stopping point for tourists in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. The Duke of Devonshire’s snake emblem was over the door, and the name of the pub was transferred to the road.”

The Duke of Devonshire owned most of the land where the road was built and had funded its creation along with the Duke of Norfolk, who owned the land at either end.

The pub was eventually renamed The Snake Pass Inn as the road became more famous.

Does Snake Pass have any claims to fame?

Manchester band Inspiral Carpets filmed the video for This Is How It Feels, their first UK top 40 hit, at the summit of Snake Pass.

Over in Sheffield, The Human League had an album track called The Snake which was apparently inspired by the road.

“The moors stretch out along the way, by glow of night, by light of day, just read the signs,” the lyrics said.

Electronic musician Squarepusher also had a track called Snake Pass, which did not contain any lyrics.

Comic character John Shuttleworth has performed a song called Incident on Snake Pass, about an accident involving his Ford Anglia and an articulated lorry.

Snake Pass was also used as a filming location in the 2007 British drama film And When Did You Last See Your Father?, starring Colin Firth.

And a spot beneath the famous road was used as a location in the BBC’s 2006 adaptation of Jane Eyre, starring Ruth Wilson.