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Petrolhead things to do t'up north?

2K views 22 replies 8 participants last post by  Twiddle 
#1 ·
I've got a week coming up later in the month where its just me, the FiST and the open road.

I'll be based near Thirsk as it betwixt The North York Moors and The Yorkshire Dale's but still in striking distance of the Pennines and The Lakes.

Basically I'm looking for the inside track from any locals on the 'must do' roads in the vicinity plus any interesting petrolhead sights/stops to break up the driving (cafés, museums etc.).

So far for ideas I've got... NY500, the Pickering to Whitby Road, Mathewsons at Thornton-le-dale, Buttertub pass, Downholm to Nateby and the Lakeland Motor Museum. Any of them not worth bothering with?

Four days to fill just buzzing about enjoying my great car, so any suggestions gratefully considered.

Thanks in advance 👍🏻
 
#4 ·
NY500 is great and even better if you go when they have an event or meet on.

Lakeland Motor Museum was good last time we went which was a good few years ago.

If we are in the area we always go to Hutton Le Hole and Goathland nice places with nice roads to drive but a few sheep wandering around.
 
#8 ·
In the same vein, I've found a place called 'The Motorist' just outside Leeds. I'm more all day breakfast than fillet mignon but food/drink wise it looks more like a fancy restaurant than my usual more blue collar car 'caff'.

A potential for the way up or the way back down, can anyone advise if it's worth the effort?
 
#11 ·
If you're doing Buttertubs, call in at Hawes and visit the Wensleydale Creamery and buy some Wensleydale cheese at the place it's made (and lots of other local cheese)!
Also, if you do Buttertubs, stop and look down the Buttertub! OK, not fantastically spectacular, but still an interesting hole in the ground. There's a "photo" pin on Google maps which shows the exact location.
To be fair, any of the passes between Swaledale and Wensleydale are great roads to try. If you do Buttertubs from south to north, turn right when you hit the B6270 at the end, go along for a mile or so and take the next right back over the top, back into Wensleydale into Askrigg. All great fun.
 
#12 ·
Ah, Swaledale, that reminds me... I would have suggested if you pass through there, stop by Ravenseat Farm for a cream tea, but they're closed now until spring next year.

That said, the passes around there are great. The one back towards Kirkby Stephen (B6270) has some amazing views and feels like a rally stage with the drop down to the side.
 
#16 ·
By way of note for posterity if anyone is thinking of doing the same these are the highlights and low lights...

Honister Pass - OMG! spent an age crawling up to the Keswick area behind bloody caravans and campervans thinking "this better be worth it". It was!

Started off behind a Focus ST before they whimped out half way up... I mean what's the point of all the Mountune badges and stuff if the driver is powered by Browntune? 💩

Over the top and wow. That's a must do for everyone.

The Lakes in general were epic, lots of great roads and scenery to die for. I would say though that if the 'snails' that drive their homes round with them are that bad in mid October, avoid during peak season 👎🏻

Lakeland Motor Museum was worth it, some iconic Fords in there and a good food stop.

The Dales were also very good (did Buttertubs and the Kirkby Stephen suggestion amongst others). Different landscape entirely but fun roads. Probably helped getting up there earlier, no traffic.

North York Moors I have to say were a bit disappointing. Whoever it was on a Google search who suggested Pickering to Whitby needs to get out more. A largely straight A road with a couple of drops and big bends... which was where the 'snails' were 🤦🏻

Saved slightly by an accidental epic road discovered between Helmsley and Stocksley. 20 miles of twisties, drops, rises and brief straights almost devoid of traffic.

Mathewsons was Mathewsons, couple of bits for the Man Cave picked up.

Goathland was a good food stop, cheers @Twiddle. Steam trains leave me flacid but I got a couple of videos for the Grandson (he's in that Thomas phase).

The car cafes were hit and miss. Caffeine & Machine was good, NY500 was OK, but The Motorist seems to be aimed at 'Ruperts' in supercars not biffs in FiSTs. The cafe and shop was closed just so these chinless wonders could have exclusive use for their McLarens. Not a blue collar destination that one 🧐

The long boring motorway drive home tomorrow will seem like purgatory but all in all a great week was had, thanks for all the suggestions 👍🏻

Tire Wheel Mountain Car Sky
 
#18 ·
I actually had two extremes getting there. The caravans were constant but yes, I too had a bus! At two points though some off the scale suicidal driving created opposed annoyance.

Firstly a Range Rover Sport did about a twelve car white line overtake where I was just waiting for the head-on. Then a pair of BMW's (confirming to stereotype) took on a long queue at about 80-90 in a 30 limit 😱

It all added to me questioning what the hell I was doing there... then I got it 😍

I even got a massive low flying military transport plane heading up the pass as I came down. Epic.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Other opinions are available and in fairness all I could judge it on was the fancy restaurant as the cafe and shop were closed off. It was a very nice coffee in a very nice restaurant... but there isn't anything that unique about very nice coffee or very nice restaurants 🤷🏻

I had my suspicions in advance (see post #8) so I suppose the clues were there. And had there been something up on their website about an 'event' being on closing the two things I was actually interested in I'd have swerved it.

I guess the fact there wasn't any articulation to the plebs speaks by far the loudest here. It wasn't in their mind to write a couple of lines advising that just four or five supercars constituted such an 'event' they would be shutting up shop.

On the day you or anyone else decided to give it a go you too wouldn't know until you got there it was closed.
Wheel Tire Car Land vehicle Vehicle
 
#21 ·
Glad to hear you enjoyed the dales, we spend a lot of time that way. I've also been a bit underwhelmed by the North Yorkshire Moors in comparison. I'd forgotten about the Stokesley/Helmsley road though. It's a great road but it tends to be packed with motorbikes and there's been a lot of accidents on it. This has resulted in proportionate popularity with law enforcement, both marked and unmarked, so something to be aware of. Some great cafes in Helmsley market place though!
 
#22 ·
Law enforcement couldn't have touched me on those roads, or any road come to think of it. The NSL is plenty on twisty dippy roads like that and I'm disciplined enough to hit the speed limits bang on.

They might get some joy mind you with the 'monospeeds' I'd left for dead in the NSL only for them to overtake me the 30 limit 🙄

Never stopped in Helmsley in the end, pit stopped in Pickering but that was a pretty underwhelming place too.

Next time, one day, I'd base myself betwixt the Dales and Lakes and swerve the Moors completely.
 
#23 ·
Monospeeds 😱😂
Plenty of them round here in the Honda Jazz Owners Club. 42mph everywhere.

The cafe in Pickerings main carpark does (or did) a mean breakfast. It's a good base for the surrounding area but like you say, underwhelming as a destination which makes one of the cheaper holiday cottage places.
 
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