Driving in the Yorkshire Dales
 

I'm trying to plan a driving itinerary while in the Dales. I will be staying in Hawes for one night, but planning to do a little driving around the area. Getting to Hawes looks easy (an A road), but there are lots of B roads leading to other villages. A Brit I met recently said to beware of the roads in the Dales. Maybe someone here can elaborate.

I'm particularly interested in driving from Hawes to Muker (and area around). Maybe someone here can tell me about the roads?

I drove in the Dales, once, about 20 years ago. I lost a hubcap! I remember following a driving booklet that focused on James Herriot's corners of Yorkshire. It was gorgeous. Can't tell you much that is useful, though.

First edition was in 1981, I wonder if this was the book. I'd have to dig around to find it:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Herriots.../dp/0312439717

I live in the Dales so I drive the roads daily. I'm not completely sure what your question is? If you are capable enough to get behind a wheel and drive in this country then you'll be able to drive in the Dales. What exactly do you need to be aware of that's concerning you about this area in particular?
Some of the lanes can be narrow and twisty, and they can be bordered with dry stone walls (to keep the animals in!). But as long as you go carefully I can't see why you'd have a particular problem. Stick to the speed limits, know your Highway Code and drive carefully, as I am sure you would wherever you go.
The narrowest roads will have passing places so if you do meet someone then one of you will have to back.
If you are going slowly and are gathering an impatient queue behind you, then pull over somewhere safe and let the other vehicles go past.
And don't attempt to drive ANYWHERE in the area when the Tour de France comes through part of the Dales at the beginning of July!

Morgana will know better but IME there isn't much traffic at all except on nice weekends. But the roads are mostly quite narrow so you'll probably drive pretty slow. On the weekend I did run into a LOT of motorcyclists - but they aren't a 'traffic problem' but more of an annoyance because of the numbers.

And - just to let you know -- just because it has an <B>A </B> designation doesn't necessarily mean a road is wide/fast. Lots of A roads are narrow too.

Between Hawes and Muker you would likely take the Buttertubs Pass

make sure your brakes work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPtzuvIkLm4

Thanks to flygirl, Morgana, janisj, and sofarsogood for your comments.

Morgana, I guess i was just trying find out if there are any "treacherous" roads there. I will be in the area about one week after Tour de France is there (thank goodness -- just hope they have it cleaned up by then). Thanks very much for your advice on driving in the area.

sofarsogood -- that video has me more concerned about other drivers than anything else, but at least I know the road itself is not too scary.

Thank you!

The only bit that I can add to Morgana and janisj is that there can be

bicycles, including flocks of bicycles
caravans being towed slowly
cars travelling slowly
farm vehicles driving slowly
cows going for milking (normally early in the day or 5 or 6pm in evening
sheep, which are stupid creatures getting out of their fields or indeed within some parts of the dales you will see cattle-gridded roads and then both sheep and cattle are free to roam on the road (there will be signs to warn you of these areas)
finally there are often no pavements and very hard stone walls on the sides

Hope that helps, still no dangerous daffodils. :-)

You forgot about the pheasants! They were wandering all over the roads this morning............

Just in case translation FYI : >>finally there are often no pavements << means there are no sidewalks.

(For the Brits -- in Amurikin, 'pavement' means the road surface.

B roads are no problem, although there are still some which have gates to be opened rather than cattle grids, like the road between Dent and Ingleton. No, it's the unmarked roads which are waaaay more fun, especially if marked with double arrows on the map. My advice - if there is grass growing up the middle, unless you have a 4x4, turn back. Anything else is fair game, and the less populated the area it crosses, the less traffic and more scenery you are likely to encounter.

Thanks, everyone!

Yes, Billoburgler, I've seen photos of those sheep taking over the road. Don't know what I'll do in that case, except wait it out (or photograph it!).