Mini road trip, Cumbria + Yorkshire Dales
Discussion
So with good weather forecast next week a mate and I want to make the most of it. I'll be in the Bolton area on business anyway so makes sense to head further north from here.
We want to do Cumbria, then across to the butter tubs pass. We've done Wales a couple of times but never up north. I'm after some input on any hidden gems I might have missed. We're not bothered about the hardknott pass or any narrow single track lanes, as my car isn't really suitable. Plan is to head up weds afternoon, stay in Kirkby Stephen weds night then a nice early start on a (hopefully empty) buttertubs pass on thursday.
From here we plan to head down to the Ribbleshead viaduct, through Settle and back home (Derbys). The second day is a little light so any recommendations appreciated. Air BnB already sorted in Kirkby Stephen.
Day 1 (afternoon) https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Kendal/Hartsop,+...
Day 2
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Kirkby+Stephen/T...
I imagine we'll want to do buttertubs a couple of times, however there's still some time to fill!
Cheers
We want to do Cumbria, then across to the butter tubs pass. We've done Wales a couple of times but never up north. I'm after some input on any hidden gems I might have missed. We're not bothered about the hardknott pass or any narrow single track lanes, as my car isn't really suitable. Plan is to head up weds afternoon, stay in Kirkby Stephen weds night then a nice early start on a (hopefully empty) buttertubs pass on thursday.
From here we plan to head down to the Ribbleshead viaduct, through Settle and back home (Derbys). The second day is a little light so any recommendations appreciated. Air BnB already sorted in Kirkby Stephen.
Day 1 (afternoon) https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Kendal/Hartsop,+...
Day 2
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Kirkby+Stephen/T...
I imagine we'll want to do buttertubs a couple of times, however there's still some time to fill!
Cheers
You'd be mad being based in KS not to take in Brough to Middleton then over the Alston and back down the M6 via Hartside or else continue to Haydon Bridge and come back via the A69 then turn off at Brampton on to Alston then Hartside then M6. Great roads, better than those you have planned IMHO and easily added to your route.
PS: Lakes not good for driving
PS: Lakes not good for driving
Butter tubs is barely worth the effort IMO, the run down from Hawes to Ribblehead is good though
s70rmp said:
Your going to be close to Tan Hill so I'd pop up there and see the highest pub in England.
Last time I was up there the road up to it was decent enough
This is a great run but doesn’t really fulfil the OP “no singletrack” ruleLast time I was up there the road up to it was decent enough
Green1man said:
This is a great run but doesn’t really fulfil the OP “no singletrack” rule
The 2 hairpins up the hill next to the campsite at the start of the singletrack section are very steep, my little fiesta ST will bi-pod on opposing corners through them. Although that short stretch isn't quite the same league of narrow twisty busy horribleness which is the popular lakes passes.Other way to do it is run down to Reeth from Tan Hill and traverse back to the buttertubs junction.
Lotobear said:
You'd be mad being based in KS not to take in Brough to Middleton then over the Alston and back down the M6 via Hartside or else continue to Haydon Bridge and come back via the A69 then turn off at Brampton on to Alston then Hartside then M6. Great roads, better than those you have planned IMHO and easily added to your route.
PS: Lakes not good for driving
Cheers for the suggestion, just checked out some of those roads and they look great. Will fill out the second day some more which is good.PS: Lakes not good for driving
Disappointingly, it seems the best scenic roads in the lake district are pretty much single track (Honister Pass) and now likely littered with deep potholes, not something I fancy in the F type
...yes, except the Bassenthwaite super special now has average speed cameras and a 50mph limit!
There is one road over Corney Fell from Waberthwaite to Broughton in Furness which is the best road in Cumbria (IMHO) but it's tucked away in the south west and hard to get to (which adds to it's charm!)
There is one road over Corney Fell from Waberthwaite to Broughton in Furness which is the best road in Cumbria (IMHO) but it's tucked away in the south west and hard to get to (which adds to it's charm!)
Been over that a few times. 
My O/H's matrineal side were from West Cumberland (Frizington).
The hill right at the start is steeper than it looks and you can't get a run at it - https://goo.gl/maps/trVHisVzSxq
Great view from the top heading down towards Duddon Bridge - https://goo.gl/maps/VFdhCHpkmc72
Lotobear said:
...yes, except the Bassenthwaite super special now has average speed cameras and a 50mph limit!
There is one road over Corney Fell from Waberthwaite to Broughton in Furness which is the best road in Cumbria (IMHO) but it's tucked away in the south west and hard to get to (which adds to it's charm!)
Now single carriageway too which is a real shame. Rumour had it the old average speed cameras were duds, can believe that too as I went through slightly faster on a few occasions There is one road over Corney Fell from Waberthwaite to Broughton in Furness which is the best road in Cumbria (IMHO) but it's tucked away in the south west and hard to get to (which adds to it's charm!)
We're back and had an absolute blast. We were seriously gifted with the weather, lack of people on the roads and the route we eventually took. Especially in North Yorkshire, pretty much every road was fantastic, the scenery stunning and no potholes or rough patches in site - just smooth tarmac.
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone, although some of the roads are a little narrow and I think in summer/tourist season it would be a bit of a mare in places.
We left our air BnB in Kirkby Stephen at around 5.30am (felt really bad firing the F type up at that time in a carport behind a row of terraced houses...) and raced the sun to try and get a perfect spot for sunrise pics. We made it just in time:
A couple from the Lakes the previous day:
Both cars were flawless and we didn't have any mishaps. I really enjoyed the buttertubs pass, but can see why some think it's overrated. My favourite bit about the roads we did is most of them were twisty and technical and not really that fast - I set my speed limiter so I couldn't get too carried away and very rarely hit it. That's one of the things that gets me about the evo triangle, it's so open and well sighted in places that in a car like the F type you really can (and want to) do silly speeds.
The Jag is a heavy car and it was obvious on downhill sections, it didn't take many hard stops to get the brakes smelling hot. My mate's clio (182 cup) was amazing on the twisties, it always amazes me how fast that thing is and how much fun you can have for sub 2 grand.
We came the long way back home to Derby, through Glossop and across the Snake Pass, before a quick run up the whinnats pass and back home through Buxton and down the A515. Last stop at Parsley Hay junction (there's some little roads down there towards Hartington that are fantastic - It's a little valley with only a couple of farm turn offs so completely deserted). Have to say after Yorkshire we didn't think all that much to the Snake Pass until we got to the reservoir where we turned off, and the standard of driving was pretty poor coupled with lots of cyclists and bikers.
Cheers again for the suggestions, especially the Middleton - Alston road, that's where we caught the sunrise.
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone, although some of the roads are a little narrow and I think in summer/tourist season it would be a bit of a mare in places.
We left our air BnB in Kirkby Stephen at around 5.30am (felt really bad firing the F type up at that time in a carport behind a row of terraced houses...) and raced the sun to try and get a perfect spot for sunrise pics. We made it just in time:
A couple from the Lakes the previous day:
Both cars were flawless and we didn't have any mishaps. I really enjoyed the buttertubs pass, but can see why some think it's overrated. My favourite bit about the roads we did is most of them were twisty and technical and not really that fast - I set my speed limiter so I couldn't get too carried away and very rarely hit it. That's one of the things that gets me about the evo triangle, it's so open and well sighted in places that in a car like the F type you really can (and want to) do silly speeds.
The Jag is a heavy car and it was obvious on downhill sections, it didn't take many hard stops to get the brakes smelling hot. My mate's clio (182 cup) was amazing on the twisties, it always amazes me how fast that thing is and how much fun you can have for sub 2 grand.
We came the long way back home to Derby, through Glossop and across the Snake Pass, before a quick run up the whinnats pass and back home through Buxton and down the A515. Last stop at Parsley Hay junction (there's some little roads down there towards Hartington that are fantastic - It's a little valley with only a couple of farm turn offs so completely deserted). Have to say after Yorkshire we didn't think all that much to the Snake Pass until we got to the reservoir where we turned off, and the standard of driving was pretty poor coupled with lots of cyclists and bikers.
Cheers again for the suggestions, especially the Middleton - Alston road, that's where we caught the sunrise.
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