Yorkshire - what to drive on and do

[Ganan]

Hey Fellas,

I'm thinking Yorkshire may just be a great place to have a quick spin around in.

I was wondering if anyone can suggest particular roads or areas where we've got some spectacular views, great roads and banter things to do. Going with some mates - in mid sept. Anyone is more than welcome to join us, will be staying in Leeds as a central point.

Any roads or particular sites to see which are a must in Yorkshire would be much appreciated.

Thanks again

[ashcroft999]

Plenty of nice places in Yorkshire I just don't know where to start.....

Holme Moss - Huddersfield
Snake Pass - Sheffield

Good place to start - try stay off the motorways and you can't go far wrong

[ashcroft999]

Plenty of nice places in Yorkshire I just don't know where to start.....

Holme Moss - Huddersfield
Snake Pass - Sheffield

Good place to start - try stay off the motorways and you can't go far wrong

[Zad]

Septembers a good time, the kids are back at school but the weathers still pretty good. Still warm enough for standing around outside a nice pub.

Go to York, then drive North or East. Go where your nose takes you. Seriously, North Yorkshire is that good - drive for more than 10 minutes and you'll meet some spectacular scenery, a stately home, abbey or whatever. Maybe go via Coxwold to the area around the White Horse, then head off east up Sutton Bank to Helmsley. You can then head off North past Rievaulx abbey and do a big circuit of the North York Moors, ending up in Whitby around teatime for some fish and chips. Back (optionally via Goathland) to Pickering and Malton and back to York.

Or go to Ripon and then go vaguely North or West, around the Dales.

[Red Devil]

Off the top...

Yorkshire Dales
B6265 Skipton to Threshfield
B6160/A684 to Aysgarth
Unclassified to Redmire
Take next left (signed Catterick/Richmond)
At cross roads turn left (signed Reeth)
In Grinton go straight on at B6270
In Reeth bear right onto unclassified (signed Langthwaite/Barnard Castle)
In Langthwaite

either
Go straight on to Tan Hill
This takes you past England's highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn*
At next junction turn left (signed Kirkby Stephen)

* It's unique - there is no other pub like it - I haven't been up there for some time
   so don't know if the quirky landlady Tracy has managed to find a buyer for it

or
Turn right (signed Barnard Castle) over Stang Top
At A66 turn left towards Brough
Take next left (signed Sth Stainmore/Barras)
This will join the road from Tan Hill above

At A685 turn left towards Kirkby Stephen
Then B6259/B6270/unclassified ( Buttertubs Pass) to Hawes
Then B6255 to Ribblehead* and Ingleton

* photo op at the railway viaduct + tucker at the Station Inn


North York Moors
Blakey Ridge - Hutton-le-Hole to Castleton
12 miles of superb sweeping bends across the fells.
Coming back, for a complete contrast, turn off to Rosedale Abbey
From there go to Hutton-le-Hole via Chimney Bank
Yorkshire's version of Hardknott Pass - 1 in 3 + hairpin bends

[magpies]

Red Devil said:

Off the top...

Yorkshire Dales
B6265 Skipton to Threshfield
B6160/A684 to Aysgarth
Unclassified to Redmire
Take next left (signed Catterick/Richmond)
At cross roads turn left (signed Reeth)
In Grinton go straight on at B6270
In Reeth bear right onto unclassified (signed Langthwaite/Barnard Castle)
In Langthwaite

either
Go straight on to Tan Hill
This takes you past England's highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn*
At next junction turn left (signed Kirkby Stephen)

* It's unique - there is no other pub like it - I haven't been up there for some time
   so don't know if the quirky landlady Tracy has managed to find a buyer for it

or
Turn right (signed Barnard Castle) over Stang Top
At A66 turn left towards Brough
Take next left (signed Sth Stainmore/Barras)
This will join the road from Tan Hill above

At A685 turn left towards Kirkby Stephen
Then B6259/B6270/unclassified ( Buttertubs Pass) to Hawes
Then B6255 to Ribblehead* and Ingleton

* photo op at the railway viaduct + tucker at the Station Inn


North York Moors
Blakey Ridge - Hutton-le-Hole to Castleton
12 miles of superb sweeping bends across the fells.
Coming back, for a complete contrast, turn off to Rosedale Abbey
From there go to Hutton-le-Hole via Chimney Bank
Yorkshire's version of Hardknott Pass - 1 in 3 + hairpin bends

+1

generally old 'road rallying' roads.

The Lion pub on Blakey is very good.

google Caydale Mill and also look at Cockayne = decent roads.

the dales roads generally follow those used on the Tour de France cycle race and are generally brilliant.

[Ganan]

Thats a lot of information - cheers fellas.

Basically I've split it up into Sat and Sun route - Leeds is our central point. Sunday we will be driving back to London.

Here is a route I've managed to create. What do you guys think: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Moorlands,+Ilkle...

Thanks ashcroft999 - I think on the drive back to London we need to do the snakes pass - can't find Holme Moss on Google maps.

May try do some of the tour de france routes. Any of you would like to join us?

[AdiT]

HolmeMoss is the A6024 from HolmeFirth. Go over there, right at the A628 and firstleft onto the B6105 (Torside Rd) into Glossop, then right in the town centre takes you onto the Snake (A57).

[Red Devil]

Ganan said:

I think on the drive back to London we need to do the snakes pass

The Snake is not that rewarding imo. It's limited to 50 mph and a favourite haunt of scamera vans and police with speed guns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&a...

Even though you'll most likely be going in the opposite direction the caveat still applies.

[Voldemort]

Ganan said:

Thats a lot of information - cheers fellas.

Basically I've split it up into Sat and Sun route - Leeds is our central point. Sunday we will be driving back to London.

Here is a route I've managed to create. What do you guys think: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Moorlands,+Ilkle...

Thanks ashcroft999 - I think on the drive back to London we need to do the snakes pass - can't find Holme Moss on Google maps.

May try do some of the tour de france routes. Any of you would like to join us?

When you get to Settle, turn to Ribblehead and cut off a (relatively) boring corner. The road from Ribblehead to Hawes is - for driving - utterly awesome and I have some very fond memories of driving it back in the mad cow days when the Dales were completely abandoned.

And just after Hawes, turn left and go over the Buttertubs pass. You go so close to it on your route it would be a petrolhead crime to not drive it. Then I'd tack over to Reeth and then pick your route up again at The Falls; or if you're tight on time turn round and drive it back!

[djfaulkner]

magpies said:

+1

generally old 'road rallying' roads.

The Lion pub on Blakey is very good.

google Caydale Mill and also look at Cockayne = decent roads.

the dales roads generally follow those used on the Tour de France cycle race and are generally brilliant.

Just been up to Hawes for a weekend away, some great roads.
But cyclists everywhere.... Not just singles but big groups of them.

[tenpenceshort]

djfaulkner said:

Just been up to Hawes for a weekend away, some great roads.
But cyclists everywhere.... Not just singles but big groups of them.

Same around Otley and this end of the Dales. Lots of riders who think creating their own peloton is now acceptable following the TdF.

[Bob Falfa]

The Buttertubs pass is a must. Unless you're a scaredy-cat, as the sheer drops, I mean scenic views really are something to see. If you'd have gone a week or so ago, you wouldn't have been able to move for pesky cyclists (some sort of French event going on apparently), but most of them have gone home now.

[Gabby123]

Avoid A170. That is a numbskull boring road.

[coppice]

Lots of obvious - and good- routes suggested. Some whose appeal escapes me- Rosedale chimnney is steep and that's it , Buttertubs is far too popular etc. I live in the North of North Yorkshire on the Moors with the Dales roads not very far away. But my preferred route for a blat is South and East - to Helmsley , Malton and then lose myself in sublime roads on the Wolds. Often deserted and well surfaced- unlike many of the Dales roads . Breakfast at the bikers cafe at Fimber and home.

ETA - to do- Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington is terrific; York dragway down the road at Melbourne- good meeting on 20 September.

[Ganan]

Bob I'm going to try and do the Buttertubs Pass - only 5 miles, definitely worth it. Red Devil - I was going to find the Tan Inn as it sounds like an epic place to have lunch.

I've been thinking - being so close to the Lake District it would be a shame to miss it out. I've decided to split the long weekend up into two main days of driving. Day 1: Leeds - Lake District and Day 2: Lake District back home.

Now the problem I am having after doing much of the stuff suggested on this post - like Hawes and Ribblehead - I can't seem to think of a good way to get from Tan Inn to Lake District. Ideally I would like to avoid M6. Any suggestions.

Also had a quick look at Wrynose & Hardknott Pass - it looks far too small to really enjoy, more for the scenery. Any places anyone can recommend.

Thanks - again, if anyone wants to join us just drop me a message!

[tenpenceshort]

Tan Hill to the Lakes is can be interesting/fairly dull depending on which way you go.

You can head down to the A66 Westbound at Stainmore in about 15 mins from Tan Hill, then head towards Penrith and the North Lake District (Keswick/Ullswater etc).

Alternatively you can go down Westwards towards the small village of Kaber, hook up with the A685, going through Kirkby Stephen to Tebay then following the same road onwards to Kendal and towards Windermere and the South Lakes.

Ultimately, the roads in the Lakes are narrow, with poor forward visibility, walkers and cyclists. They're not 'hooning' roads at all.

For a more interesting route, head from Tan Hil down to Kaber and turn towards A685 Brough (north) instead of Kirkby Stephen. Go into Brough and take the B6276 to Middleton In Teesdale. From Middleton, the B6277 to Alston, then the A686 from Alston to Penrith. From Penrith you can head to the Lakes or in any direction you fancy.

Whatever you do, please respect the roads, their users and take care.

[Red Devil]

Ganan said:

Now the problem I am having after doing much of the stuff suggested on this post - like Hawes and Ribblehead - I can't seem to think of a good way to get from Tan Inn to Lake District. Ideally I would like to avoid M6. Any suggestions.

I agree with 10PS. The B6277 is a must. Utterly superb and my favourite road in that area. The A686 Hartside Pass is great as well.

When you reach the end of the A686 at the roundabout, take the A6 south towards Shap.
In Eamont Bridge turn right onto the B5320 to Pooley Bridge.
Beyond there it segues into the A592 to Glenridding.
This runs the length of Ullswater and over the Kirkstone Pass.
Just after the 30 limit signs in Troutbeck turn right towards Ambleside.
Follow the signs then turn right onto the A591.
In Waterside fork left at the traffic lights (signed Keswick/Coniston).
Take the next left onto the A593 towards Coniston.
About a mile beyond Skelwith Bridge turn right to The Langdales & Wrynose.

Ganan said:

Also had a quick look at Wrynose & Hardknott Pass - it looks far too small to really enjoy, more for the scenery.

Any trip to the Lakes should include these. The whole point about mountain passes is the scenery and the challenge. Hardknott in particular is very steep with some fearsome bends. Drive it on Google Streetview and you'll see what I mean. It can be a real handful when there is black ice.

Another pass is the one that people either don't know or forget about - Newlands.

Ganan said:

Any places anyone can recommend.

Do you mean places to visit or to stay overnight?

[jimbop1]

Devils bridge. Right out of the car park and then left... Follow this road through the valley.

(Is this even Yorkshire or is it classed as Cumbria)

Either way it's good!

[Mostro]

coppice said:

I live in the North of North Yorkshire on the Moors with the Dales roads not very far away. But my preferred route for a blat is South and East - to Helmsley , Malton and then lose myself in sublime roads on the Wolds. Often deserted and well surfaced- unlike many of the Dales roads . Breakfast at the bikers cafe at Fimber and home.

Really?! Haven't been across to the Wolds for a while - less easily accessible for me - but my memory of previous trips is that the roads were either too straight and boring or too narrow and bumpy for any real fun. Are there enough twisties to keep a Seven entertained?

Admittedly Boroughbridge - Dalton - Coxwold - Hovingham area is fun.