OT: Decent driving roads up north

made a nice short but interesting drive over the moors to Holmfirth when I went to pick up the old Octavia a couple of years ago.

Don't do it in the snow though, could be a bit nasty. You could stop for a bite at Compo's Tea Room before heading back or further into the kingdom of Yorkshire.

I did that a few weeks ago to get back from Manchester when the 62 was shut for a lorry fire. Used to live near the Holmfirth end of that and we did that run every weekend to see my gran in Droylsden, snow never stopped us then. Last time I did it in snow though was in the XR4x4 - that was fun...

Back when I lived up that way I drove the Landie over the Snake Pass and down into Sheffield. As I came down the hill a copper was putting up a "ROAD CLOSED" sign. He stopped me and asked me where I had driven from and I told him from Glossop. "So I don't need to put this up then? The road's open?" Errm no, at one point there was only the top foot of the snow poles showing above the snow and I know they're about 8 foot tall.

Landie did damn well though, but I went back a different route.

I took one of the more scenic routes to Edinburgh (A73 I think) in heavy snow - guy in a landrover coming the other way flashed and we stopped - he said "turn back you'll never make it". My passenger was someone I didn't like, who hated my driving and normally refuses to go anywhere in a car but due to some clot falling asleep at the wheel and killing a few train passengers there were no trains that day going our way and all the flights were full.

So we carried on, car locked in D2, one hand on steering wheel, other on handbrake. Car was a Daewoo Lanos Auto - one of the reasons the guy didn't like me (apart from my driving style and his inbred racism) was when I had the job of ordering him a company car asked what he wanted he said "don't care as long as it's low tax and auto", it took a lot of effort to find an auto lanos... He didn't speak until we got to Edinburgh.

Bit wild and wooly up at the middle to get stuck/broke down etc though isn't it.

If playing in Yorkshire beware what you overtake.

Been there, done that :-(

Mike P

A59 to Harrogate isn't too bad as long as you don't get behind someone. A65 from Kirby Lonsdale to Skipton is a similar type of road.

A686 from Penrith to near Newcastle. Absolute blinder.

Cheers chaps, I've saved all your suggestions for future reference.

Mike P

My favourite route round those parts: Start at Settle, head to Horton in Ribblesdale then to Ribblehead, turn right and follow road to Hawes. In Hawes, turn right past cheese factory and head up the hills and at the top bear left down into Langstrothdale, left again through Yokenthwaite, Buckden, Starbotton and Kettlewell. A coupe of miles after Kettlewell, just over the river, turn right towards Arncliffe, and head up Littondale, then up and over the hills to Malham tarn, then across the tops and back down into Settle for some superb Fish&Chips (I recommend the place opposite the P&D carpark).

It's a loop of about 30 miles of some of the best driving roads I know of, all in the amazing scenery of the dales.

Ribblesdale hehe, that's an awesome name :-)

What do you reckon to the village on the other side of the river to Settle, Giggleswick?

That whole area sounds like a really happy and jolly place to live :-) I hope there's a cool like, old classic bus that just goes between Ribblesdale and Giggleswick, with a suitably cute old name like "The Giggleswick Skipper".

"DanB" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I was near Upper Thong & Nether Thong the other day.

Does that take you through ingleton? That road is awesome.

I spent a while trying to find "Zebra" on a map when I was enlightened to it being the quaint local dialect for Sedburgh.

Was there any butterflies and cheap crystals round the back?

Talking of amusing names, I bought a copy of the local rag the other day, and the name of the local football club's manager highly amused me, in very much a 13-year-old schoolboy fashion. Google for Wokingham + Emmbrook FC's manager's name and you'll see what I mean.