Yorks Moors - to Northumberland......help pls

[greengreenwood7]

need a bit of local knowledge please.
i'm planning another road trip for myself and kit car pals...last time we topped out at Whitby, this time we're heading past the Moors to Newcastle area - whitley bay i'd imagine and then would like to head further up towards Berwick before turning back to head down through the countryside ( taking in as many top roads as we can ), heading into the Dales and then having the next night at Blackpool ( yeah its a cliched tour).

anyway, we all have '7' type cars so the perfect roads for us are: not big A roads, or long straight roads - twisties is what we love! So can anyone suggest some 'must do' roads in that neck of teh woods? doesnt have to be a route as such, i'll gladly work that out - so please, any good 'uns that we should do whilst we're in the area???

[Wedg1e]

The B1257 from Helmsley to Great Broughton (known as the Helmsley TT due to the bikers who kill themselves on it).

The backroads from York up to Helmsley (there are a few ways, typically B1363).

Don't waste time on the main 'moors' road (A171?) from Whitby to Guisbrough; instead head inland to Hutton-le-Hole and take the road over Blakey Ridge to Castleton and rejoin the moors road this side of it, in time to attack the Birk Brow esses (50 limit but wait till it's quiet and give it large ) - you can't really do this AND the TT route as they're parallel!

A68 north of Darlington, up to the Border. A696 coming back towards the airport.
- watch out for one fixed speed camera this side of the Border but bloody hordes of them in Scotland.

If you have time attack Hartside Pass over by Alston. Don't go all the way to Penrith; turn round and come back the same way

For a quick bit of dual-carriageway you can't beat the A19. Beats the ar53 off the A1 and is quieter - with sea views!

Edited by Wedg1e on Wednesday 10th August 00:23

[greengreenwood7]

thanks Wedg1e.
did the Helmsley road last trip so will do Blakely Ridge through to Castleton as only did part of that last time. Looks like Hartside is a 'must'.
the roads off the main A roads that you mentioned - do you know any/many of them? Whilst looking at Gmaps the main A's look ok, we do like the quieter slightly smaller roads for our type of driving....

any other folks reading this:
need some more ideas for Northumberland and also the Dales...

[SeanyD]

Once you get around the Newcastle area, I'd suggest staying in land a bit, theres loads of good roads to choose from, but a fairly safe option would be A696 through Ponteland, heading north up to Belsay and beyond, then choose any of the twisty roads to get you back over east to the coast. Rothbury is always worth a stop for a bacon butty if you happen to pass it. Theres too many good roads to list on here, we've played on most of them previously.

[magpies]

/\/\/\ as above = once north/west of Newcastle there are numerous good drivers roads going between the A696 and the A68 and then towards Bellingham and Keilder - most used on road rallies. - some excellent scenery and village/country pubs.
Best to open up a road atlas or print a number of bing map pages - use the OS maps

[jmb88]

magpies said:

/\/\/\ as above = once north/west of Newcastle there are numerous good drivers roads going between the A696 and the A68 and then towards Bellingham and Keilder - most used on road rallies. - some excellent scenery and village/country pubs.
Best to open up a road atlas or print a number of bing map pages - use the OS maps

road surface around Bellingham really isn't the best though, really spoils driving around there.

Personally, I like the run from Cambo-Rothbury-Alnwick, but at this time of year you always get stuck behind something slow.

There's some nice bends on the A68 very close to my house, Swinburn + Barrasford quarries bends.

And, if you go far enough over, the road along the south of Derwent reservoir, to Edmundbyers, is very nice. great view up that way on a nice day too, and lets you see a bit of County Durham. So you could go across to the A68 from the coast, down A68 to Corbrige, then back roads out around the water, and back onto the A68 south to Darlington near Edmundbyers, that'd string some nice roads together.