Classic Car Country · Autumn
An Autumn Classic Car Weekend in the North York Moors
Golden woodland, the last of the heather, empty roads and low sunlight. For many drivers this is the best weekend of the year in an open car.
Autumn colour in Dalby, Newtondale and the Esk Valley, with the roads to yourself.
Autumn is the connoisseur's season on the North York Moors. The summer traffic has gone, the heather is fading but still colours the tops into September, and the woodland. Dalby, Newtondale, the Esk Valley and the Rievaulx woods. Turns gold through October. Add soft, low light for photography and cool air for an older engine and it is hard to beat, provided you accept shorter days and the first of the wet leaves.
This is the autumn version of our three-day classic car weekend, the same roads, adjusted for the season. The full route detail sits on the driving routes page.
Why autumn (September–November)
- Peak woodland colour, typically mid-October into early November, is at its best in Dalby Forest, the Esk Valley and the wooded valley at Rievaulx.
- Empty roads: the B1257, Blakey Ridge and the A169 are quiet again on weekdays and manageable at weekends.
- Low sunlight all day makes the escarpment views and the moorland photographs better than at any other time of year.
- Cool air and cool running, with none of the summer queueing that troubles older cooling systems.
Day 1
Rievaulx colour and the B1257
Rievaulx Abbey sits in a wooded valley that is at its finest in October. Then north on the B1257 over Newgate Bank, down Bilsdale and back over the tops to Sutton Bank, where the low afternoon sun picks out the Vale of York and Lake Gormire below the escarpment edge.
- Drive
- B1257 and Sutton Bank (A170)
- Fuel
- Helmsley or Stokesley
- Parking
- Sutton Bank National Park Centre (pay & display, café)
- Walk
- Sutton Bank escarpment edge. Easy and level
- Autumn note
- Wet leaves and mud from field traffic make the B1257's bends slippery; the 1-in-4 Sutton Bank descent wants a low gear.
Day 2
Blakey Ridge and the dales in gold
Hutton-le-Hole first, then Blakey Ridge with the last of the heather and bracken turning rust-brown across the tops. Lunch at the Lion Inn, then down the gentler road to Rosedale Abbey and the level walk along the old ironstone railway with the dale colouring below you.
- Drive
- Hutton-le-Hole – Blakey Ridge – Rosedale
- Fuel
- Kirkbymoorside or Castleton; none on the ridge
- Parking
- Hutton-le-Hole village car park; the Lion Inn (patrons); Rosedale Abbey
- Walk
- The old Rosedale railway track. Level, big views
- Autumn note
- The ridge is high and exposed and mist can drop in minutes; keep off Rosedale Chimney Bank (about 1-in-3) in a marginal car, more so when it is damp.
Day 3
The A169, Whitby and the Esk Valley
The Hole of Horcum in autumn light is worth the early start, then over the moor to Whitby for a town that has its harbour back to itself. Return through the Esk Valley, which is the best autumn drive in the National Park. Goathland and Grosmont, with the steam railway working through the trees, and Dalby Forest close enough to add if the light holds.
- Drive
- A169 Pickering–Whitby, returning via the Esk Valley
- Fuel
- Pickering or Whitby
- Parking
- Hole of Horcum (Saltergate); Whitby West Cliff or park & ride
- Walk
- Hole of Horcum circular (moderate) or the abbey and 199 steps
- Autumn note
- Days shorten fast, by late October the light is going by five, so plan the coast leg for the middle of the day.
Looking after the car in autumn
- Wipers, washers and demisting matter more than power this time of year; damp mornings and low sun make a clean windscreen a safety item.
- Wet leaves in the wooded lanes and mud on the dale roads both reduce grip sharply, brake earlier than the dry-road habit.
- Treat the moor tops as a fuel desert: fill up in Helmsley, Pickering, Kirkbymoorside, Thornton-le-Dale, Stokesley, Castleton or Whitby before the high roads.
- Check the lights properly before you travel: an unplanned dark run home over the moors is very dark indeed.
Autumn weekend FAQs
When is autumn colour best in the North York Moors?
Usually from mid-October into early November, with Dalby Forest, Newtondale and the Esk Valley holding the strongest colour. The heather fades from September but the bracken keeps the tops warm-toned into November.
Is autumn the best season to drive the moors in a classic car?
Many drivers think so: the roads are quiet, the air is cool, the light is soft all day and the woodland is at its best. The trade-offs are shorter days, wet leaves and the chance of hill fog.
What are the driving hazards on moor roads in autumn?
Wet leaves and mud on the dale lanes, low sun straight into your eyes morning and evening, hill fog on Blakey Ridge, and early dusk. Carry a torch and plan to be off the tops before dark.