Classic Car Country · Winter
A Winter Classic Car Weekend in the North York Moors
Enormous visibility on a crisp day, some of the darkest skies in England after dinner, and a shorter, more cautious version of the tour.
Winter rewards a short day well planned, and a fire at the end of it.
Winter touring in an older car is a different proposition, and worth doing with clear eyes. On a crisp, still day the visibility from Sutton Bank or Blakey Ridge is enormous, the moors are empty, and the National Park has some of the darkest skies in England for an after-dinner hour of stargazing. Against that: the light goes by four, real cold and ice linger on the high roads long after the valleys have thawed, and some of the severe banks are simply not sensible. This version of the weekend is shorter, sticks to the main roads, and builds the day around a fire at the end of it.
This is the winter 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 winter (December–February)
- Visibility: on a clear, cold day the view from Sutton Bank over the Vale of York and from Blakey Ridge across the dales is the best of the year.
- Dark skies, the National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve, and a winter evening gives you full darkness by six.
- Empty roads and easy parking everywhere, including Whitby.
- Pubs and fires: the moorland inns are at their best in January, and the Lion Inn at Blakey is a proper winter destination.
Day 1
Sutton Bank on a clear day
Keep the first day short and low. Rievaulx Abbey in the frost, then a run out to Sutton Bank for the escarpment view, which on a cold clear day reaches right across the Vale of York. Back to Helmsley for the market square and an early fire.
- Drive
- A170 Helmsley–Sutton Bank (main roads only)
- Fuel
- Helmsley
- Parking
- Sutton Bank National Park Centre (pay & display, café)
- Walk
- Sutton Bank escarpment edge. Easy and level, but exposed and cold
- Winter note
- The 1-in-4 Sutton Bank descent is treated but can be icy; if there is any doubt about grip, turn round rather than commit to it.
Day 2
Blakey Ridge, main roads and the Lion Inn
Only attempt the ridge on a clear forecast and after the gritters. Hutton-le-Hole, then the climb onto Blakey with the moors bleached and huge around you, lunch at the Lion Inn, and back the way you came rather than looping through the dales on untreated lanes.
- Drive
- Hutton-le-Hole – Blakey Ridge, out and back
- Fuel
- Kirkbymoorside; none on the ridge
- Parking
- Hutton-le-Hole village car park; the Lion Inn (patrons)
- Walk
- Keep it short and near the road. The tops are no place to be caught out in the dark
- Winter note
- The ridge is the first road to close in snow and the last to reopen; Rosedale Chimney Bank (about 1-in-3) should be considered out of bounds in winter.
Day 3
The A169 to Whitby, and dark skies home
The A169 is a main road and usually the safest way onto the moor in winter. Stop at the Hole of Horcum for the view, the amphitheatre is at its most dramatic under low cloud. Then down into a quiet Whitby for the abbey and fish and chips. Head back inland before dusk and stop on the moor for the stars: the darkness up here is the equal of anywhere in England.
- Drive
- A169 Pickering–Whitby, returning the same way
- Fuel
- Pickering or Whitby
- Parking
- Hole of Horcum (Saltergate); Whitby West Cliff or park & ride
- Walk
- The abbey and 199 steps, or a short stretch at Horcum in daylight
- Winter note
- The A169 is fast, exposed and prone to drifting snow at the Horcum end; the long descent into Whitby is hard on older brakes, more so when wet.
Looking after the car in winter
- Check the forecast and the road conditions the night before and again in the morning; a clear cold day is a joy, a snow warning means stay in the valleys.
- Cooling system, antifreeze strength, battery, wipers and heater are the winter checks. The heater matters more than you think on the tops.
- 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. Short winter days mean less time to find a pump.
- Carry a torch, warm layers, a flask and a charged phone. Mobile signal is patchy on the moor and help can be a long way off.
- Avoid the severe banks entirely: Rosedale Chimney and the steep unclassified dale lanes hold ice for days.
Winter weekend FAQs
Can you drive the North York Moors in winter?
Yes, on the main roads and with a good forecast. The A170, A169 and B1257 are gritted routes; the high ridge roads and the steep banks close or ice over first, so keep plans flexible and be ready to turn back.
Is a winter weekend worth it in a classic car?
On a crisp clear day, very much so. Huge visibility, empty roads, dark skies and warm pubs. Keep the days short, stick to treated roads, and accept that snow or ice may change the plan.
Where can you see dark skies in the North York Moors in winter?
The National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve, and the open moor away from village lighting. The tops around Blakey Ridge, Danby and the A169 moorland. Gives full darkness from around six in midwinter.