We are renting a car in the Lake District and returning it in York, and have been told the easiest route across the Dales is the A684. We want to overnight somewhere in the Dales for one evening and were wondering if anyone has any suggestions! Thanks.
Posted by
Walnut Creek, CA
548 posts
How about Grassington? It's the village that stands in for Darrowby in "all creatures great and small."
Of course, I guess you'd have to be a fan of the show.
Posted by
Lake District, England
5758 posts
I wouldn't say the A684 was the easiest route from Keswick to York- that is the A66/A19 route- 3 hours or so, but it is north of the Dales.
Next would be the A66/M6/A65/A59 route skirting the bottom of the Dales.
The A684 is the one which is through the middle of the Dales.
A month or so ago there was a friendly conversation on here with ianandjulie- a regular contributor. I would say Hawes or maybe The Green Dragon Inn at nearby Hardraw. Ian is a bit less enthused with Hawes than me.
Either way if you are going straight for Kendal and then the A684 you want to stop at the former Church of St Gregory the Great, Vale of Lune, then in Sedbergh- the Book Town. It is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, but also in the county of Westmorland (formerly Cumbria!!). Also at the Fairfield Mill.
Then go 4 miles up the Dale to the charming cobbled village of Dent, then back to Sedbergh and the A684 through Garsdale over into Yorkshire and Hawes.
The other route is the A66 to Appleby- a town well worth spending an hour or two in, then the B6259 through Warcop and Great Musgrave (both with interesting Churches), then over to Brough Castle (and Ice Cream Parlour!!) and on to Kirkby Stephen.
From there you could route down to Sedbergh, but I would go through Nateby on to the village of Keld, through Upper Swaledale to Thwaite then over the Buttertubs pass to Hawes.
You will find that quite a rewarding day.
At Hawes you of course have the Creamery/Wensleydale Cheese Factory, and also the Dales Countryside Museum at the old Railway Station. If you go round to Hardraw you have the splendid Hardraw Force waterfall.
You could, next day, go straight down Wensleydale to Northallerton for the A19.
I would favour the A684 to Aysgarth then the B6160 to Grassington and then Bolton Abbey and the Strid. After Bolton Abbey the A59 through Harrogate and Knaresborough to York.
If All Creatures Great and Small interests you then, coming out of Hawes, divert at Bainbridge to Askrigg then go straight to Northallerton and down the A19 to Thirsk for the Herriot Museum.
Any of these routes are a good 2 day road trip showcasing the Dales.
Posted by
Yorkshire
1212 posts
I will offer ,go up Dent Dale and take the road to Ribblehead and stay at the Old Hill Inn at Chapel-le-Dale.
Or the White Lion at Cray at top end of Wharfedale has always had a good reputation.
Wharfdale is likely my favourite dale.
Depending how much gorgeous scenery you can bear you could take the A66 then cut off to loop over by Tan Hill, Swaledale,Buttertubs Pass that drops you more or less at the front door of the Green Dragon.