Yorkshire: York, the moors and the Dales

Route description

York has the Minster, almost complete medieval city walls and the timber-framed Shambles. Use the park-and-ride sites rather than driving into the centre.

Head north-east across the North York Moors, where the land opens into wide heather moorland that turns purple in late summer. The road down into Whitby has steep descents, and in town 199 steps climb from the harbour to the ruined abbey on the cliff.

The long leg west crosses the Vale of York and enters Wensleydale on the A684 via Leyburn, a green valley of drystone walls and field barns. Hawes is a small market town known for Wensleydale cheese.

From Hawes a moorland road leads to the Ribblehead Viaduct, where 24 stone arches carry the Settle–Carlisle railway below Whernside. Moor roads are narrow and sheep wander freely, and the weather changes fast, so carry waterproofs even in summer.