Driving the Moors
Classic Car Country
This is classic-car country in more ways than one — Bangers & Cash territory, laced with some of the finest driving roads in the North of England: empty moor-top ridges, plunging dale lanes and a coast road with the sea on one side.
A classic Triumph Stag on the moor road through the heather.
This is classic-car country in more ways than one. It's Bangers & Cash territory — the Mathewsons auction house is just down the road in Thornton-le-Dale — and it's laced with some of the finest driving roads in the North of England: empty moor-top ridges, plunging dale lanes and a coast road with the sea on one side. Here are our favourite routes to take the long way round.
1. The High Moor Loop (Blakey Ridge & the dales)
From Kirkbymoorside or Hutton-le-Hole, climb onto Blakey Ridge, one of the most exhilarating stretches of road in the country, running along the roof of the National Park with uninterrupted views over Rosedale and Farndale. Lunch at the Lion Inn, then drop to Castleton and the Esk Valley, returning south past Rosedale Abbey. The bold can tackle Rosedale Chimney Bank — one of England's steepest roads at around 1-in-3 with a hairpin — thrilling, but only if your car and clutch are happy with it. Heather season (August) is unforgettable.
Driving note: High, exposed and prone to sudden mist; cattle grids and free-roaming sheep; Chimney Bank is not for the faint-hearted or heavily-laden.
2. The Whitby Run (moor to sea)
The A169 from Pickering to Whitby is the classic top-down run over the moors: sweeping curves past the great bowl of the Hole of Horcum and the Saltergate escarpment, the Fylingdales "pyramid" on the skyline, and the North Sea glinting ahead on a clear day. Return through the Esk Valley villages for a gentler, wooded contrast. Pub stop: the Fox & Rabbit at Lockton on the way out; fish and chips in Whitby.
Driving note: Fast A-road with blind crests and plenty of motorcyclists; watch for visitors slowing at the Horcum.
3. The Yorkshire TT (Helmsley & Bilsdale)
Locals call the B1257 the "Yorkshire TT": twenty winding miles from Helmsley up over Newgate Bank and down through the beautiful Bilsdale valley along the River Seph, through Chop Gate to Stokesley. Loop back over Sutton Bank on the A170 — a 1-in-4 escarpment with what James Herriot called "the finest view in England." Pub stop: Helmsley's market-square inns.
Driving note: Challenging bends, steep gradients and lots of bikes; caravans are banned on both climbs — enjoy it, but leave the racing to the real TT.
4. Forest & Villages amble (the gentle one)
For an unhurried, open-top potter: from Thornton-le-Dale take the Dalby Forest Drive (a scenic toll road) up past Staindale and the Bridestones, then wander the quiet lanes of the southern moors and back through Lockton and Allerston. Short, pretty and easy — ideal for a summer evening cruise. Pub stop: the Cayley Arms in Allerston to finish.
Driving note: The forest drive is a toll road; keep to 20mph and mind walkers, cyclists and families.
5. The Coast & the Bay
Head to Scarborough, then north on the A171 with the sea on your right, dropping into the smugglers' village of Robin Hood's Bay and on to Whitby, before climbing back over the moors on the A169. Cliffs, bays and harbour towns — a proper grand tour, and a natural pairing with our coast guide.
Driving note: The lanes down into Robin Hood's Bay are steep and narrow with little parking — park at the top and walk down.
Driving it right
These are shared, often single-track roads — blind summits, cattle grids and free-roaming sheep and lambs, with walkers, cyclists and horse riders about. Weather turns fast on high ground (mist and ice), and some gradients are severe: Rosedale Chimney around 1-in-3, Sutton Bank around 1-in-4. Take it steady, use the passing places, let faster locals through, and remember these roads reward a relaxed pace far more than a fast one.
Classic Car Country
You're in the heart of Bangers & Cash territory, so it's worth timing a drive with a Mathewsons viewing day. Round it off with a pub — see where to eat & drink — and if you'd rather arrive in something special, Allerston Cottage is a classic-car-themed base right on Route 4.