Our Favourite Driving Roads — North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a wonderful part of the world to spend a few days. Mostly known for its natural beauty, it’s almost like a refreshing step back in time to a slower, quieter way of life. Even its major city, York, is a world away from the likes of London or Manchester, feeling much more like Diagon Alley than Wall Street.

If you’re doing a weekend, you definitely need a day in York. I’d also recommend a walk around the historic Spa town of Harrogate and taking a rowing boat ride on the river in nearby Knaresborough, both of which sit between York and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Just 10 miles up the road from Harrogate is one of our favourite venues in the UK, Grantley Hall. Frequented by many members and host of our Supercar Weekend dubbed the Salon Privé of the north, Grantley is a stunning place to settle down for the night and treat yourself to some time in the spa the following morning, but being nestled right on the edge of the Dales means there is a somewhat more adrenaline-fuelled option.

The roads of North Yorkshire are not to be missed, so take an exciting car, get up early and make the most of them while you’re here — there’s plenty of time for the spa later, anyway! We’ve led countless drives in this region over the years, particularly our popular Yorkshire TDF day, and there are some great places to stop along the way whether it’s for a bite to eat or just to admire the views, including the famous Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest public house.

If you’re wanting to sample the roads of North Yorkshire, we’ve put together a two-hour circuit starting and ending at Grantley Hall, so you could hit it early and be back in time for breakfast, or there are some nice stops along the way to make more of a day of it.

Starting at Grantley, you’ll follow the B6265 west through the small market town of Pateley Bridge, following the road all the way until the end in Threshfield. From here, you’ll turn right and follow the B6160 for 20 miles until the end in Aysgarth, where there’s the option to stop off at Aysgarth Falls — a very popular destination on sunny weekends. You could even head further west to Wensleydale, where I hear they have cracking cheese, Gromit!

Back on our route, you’ll be following the A684 east towards Wensley, which is the rough halfway point before we head southbound again (one for the Dire Straits fans) on the winding A6108 towards Masham. On this road you can stop off at Jervaulx Abbey for a walk around the ruins, or satisfy your appetite for something sweet at Brymor Ice Cream, a frequent and popular stop-off on our drives! From Masham, you’ll follow the direct route back along more rural roads to Grantley Hall, ready to unwind after a hopefully adrenaline-fuelled morning.

If you fancy following along, check out the route here.

We’d love to hear about your favourite roads in North Yorkshire, so please do get involved in the community chat.