Touring the Yorkshire Dales: Passes, Villages and Empty Roads
The Dales are the easiest of the northern uplands to drive and the hardest to leave on schedule.
Dale by dale rather than point by point
The Dales are organised as a series of parallel valleys running roughly east to west, each with its own character and its own road along the bottom. Wensleydale is broad and green with waterfalls and a cheese-making town at Hawes. Swaledale to the north is narrower, wilder and lined with field barns. Wharfedale in the south is the gentlest and closest to Leeds. Touring works best by following one dale up and crossing to the next over a moorland pass, rather than dodging between them on the outside. The passes are where the scenery is, and they are short.
The roads over the top
The Buttertubs Pass between Hawes and Muker is the classic crossing, climbing onto open moor with a set of deep limestone shafts beside the road at the summit. Fleet Moss out of Hawes towards Kettlewell is higher and lonelier. Both are unfenced, with sheep on the tarmac and cattle grids at either end. Unfenced moorland driving needs a different rhythm. Sheep move without warning, particularly lambs, and blind summits hide oncoming traffic. Nobody should be in a hurry on these roads, which is precisely why they are enjoyable.
- Buttertubs Pass, Hawes to Swaledale, the best-known crossing
- Fleet Moss towards Kettlewell, higher and much quieter
- The Coal Road above Dentdale for long views into Cumbria
- Cattle grids and unfenced sections throughout, with livestock on the road
The set-piece places
Malham is the geological centrepiece: a curved limestone cliff with a pavement on top, a gorge at Gordale Scar and a waterfall in the woods between. It is also the busiest village in the park, with a car park that fills early and lanes that struggle.
Ribblehead Viaduct carries the Settle to Carlisle railway across open moor and is one of the great engineering sights of northern England, free to walk up to and best in changing weather. Aysgarth Falls, Bolton Abbey and the Ingleton waterfalls trail complete the list most visitors want.
Villages, food and the Herriot connection
Hawes, Reeth, Grassington, Askrigg and Middleham each have enough for an hour. The Wensleydale creamery at Hawes and the ropemaker next door are both working businesses rather than heritage displays. Askrigg and the surrounding country stood in for Darrowby in the Herriot television adaptations, which brings a steady stream of visitors. Bolton Abbey sits on a large private estate with its own car parking arrangements and a run of riverside walks, and it is one of the few places in the Dales set up for large numbers.
Timing, weather and mobile signal
The Dales are at their best in late spring, when the hay meadows around Muker and Gunnerside are in flower, and again in autumn. Winter brings snow to the passes, which close readily, and short daylight. Mobile coverage in the dale bottoms is patchy. Agreeing a pickup point and a time before separating avoids the common problem of standing at a lay-by with no signal. It is a small thing that makes a driven day here work smoothly.
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Frequently asked questions
How many dales can you cover in a day?
Two comfortably, three at a push. A typical good day runs up Wensleydale, crosses the Buttertubs into Swaledale and returns via Richmond or over another pass. Adding Malham or Ribblehead usually means dropping one of the dales.
Are the moorland passes difficult?
Not technically, but they are narrow, unfenced and shared with sheep. Blind summits and sudden weather changes call for a slower pace than the road markings suggest. In winter they close in snow and there is often no quick alternative.
When are the hay meadows in flower?
Usually late June into early July in upper Swaledale, though timing shifts with the season. The meadows around Muker are the best known and are managed traditionally, so paths through them are narrow and walking off them is discouraged.
How does this compare with the Lake District?
The Dales are quieter, the roads are easier and the parking pressure is lower except at Malham. The Lakes have higher drama and more water. For a driven touring day with a relaxed pace, the Dales are usually the better choice.