Buttertubs Pass In N Yorkshire

[Richie 32]

Well i had some holiday booked this week and have been at a loose end so i decided to take the 205 somewhere nice and enjoy it on some nice roads because i seem to just sit in traffic at the moment.

 

I travelled to a place called Skipton, then went on to visit the Yorkshire Dales, and this "buttertubs pass" i hear people talk about. Buttertubs pass connects a place called Thwaite, to a town called Hawes.

 

Some pictures (low res)

 

 

 

Its pretty much in the centre of the Dales. Its called buttertubs pass because apparently some farmers used to store their butter in the rocky cave type things to keep it cool for market. Or something. I didn't really read the sign. I decided to discover the rocky cave type things a bit too closely and nearly fell down a massive hole.

 

Anyway, the road, It was good but i expected better. You can't really give your car the full beans because for starters there are many sheep roaming around, and visability isn't that good so i just pottered around it in a leisurley manner. It would be slightly irresponsible to put your foot down round these roads. But the views are excellent up there.

 

I did however come accross quite alot of great roads which were better than the Buttertubs pass. Theres another road that almost runs parralell to buttertubs but is futher along which is quite tricky, but again you can't open the taps up too much because theres not much room for 2 cars to pass. This is a small picture of it. The picture doesn't capture the gradients very well, its a very entertaining road.

 

 

 

I also went from Dent train station, to Cowgill. Involved some great scenary and there was nobody around, road goes really high up into the hills.

 

Thankfully the car behaved 100% because my phone had "no service" the whole time i was in the Dales, so if i'd broke down in the middle of nowhere it'd be a long walk.

 

If you do venture up there i'd recommend avoiding weekends. Chap at a petrol station told me its full of bikers at the weekend, so i'd recommend going at an obscure time/day like i did. A club run up there would be good, theres plenty of pubs up that way

 

Saw quite alot of old MG's, and fair few TVR's, oh and i got to see a Suzuki Vitari (sp?) really close because he tailgated me down the last bit of buttertubs, thanks mate.

 

 

 

Has anyone done this road, or recommend any others?

[Richie 32]

btw this is Clarkson doing it in an Escort Cosworth.

 

Edited August 3, 2011 by Richie

[notamondayfan 44]

I'm from around there, a little village called Askrigg, about 5 miles from Hawes. It is a great road, but as you say, not that much different to many others in the Yorkshire Dales. I personally like the road from Hawes to Ingleton, it's all wide, plently of visability and many safe overtaking spots.

 

I think you have to get use to driving on narrow B roads before you have any confidence, like hugging the near side, slowing right down for blind bends, not crossing over to the other side of the road unnecesseraly, and generally driving the road as you see it. Too many people (lots of bikers) die on the roads around there, simply because B roads are unpredictable, and change literally from day to day. All you need is a farmer dragging mud onto the road and turning it basically to be as slippery as ice, or a sheep has strayed and is standing in the middle of the road, to have a very nasty accident.

[Andy_C 50]

I was up that way on business a couple of weeks ago and used my favourite stretch of road from Stanhope to Barnard Castle (B6277) - but further north but driving bliss and rarely busy. I then travelled south from Barnard Castle to Aysgarth and south again down to Grasmere via some roads which were barely any wider than the car.

 

I've done the 6277 in the last 5 company motors but never the 205 sadly. My SMax handled it very well indeed as it drives pretty much the same as a Mondeo which in itself is no bad thing.

 

Drove the Buttertubs yonks ago and got a relatively quiet drive.

[Richie 32]

I'm from around there, a little village called Askrigg, about 5 miles from Hawes. It is a great road, but as you say, not that much different to many others in the Yorkshire Dales. I personally like the road from Hawes to Ingleton, it's all wide, plently of visability and many safe overtaking spots.

 

I think you have to get use to driving on narrow B roads before you have any confidence, like hugging the near side, slowing right down for blind bends, not crossing over to the other side of the road unnecesseraly, and generally driving the road as you see it. Too many people (lots of bikers) die on the roads around there, simply because B roads are unpredictable, and change literally from day to day. All you need is a farmer dragging mud onto the road and turning it basically to be as slippery as ice, or a sheep has strayed and is standing in the middle of the road, to have a very nasty accident.

 

Yeah you're right, you never know whats round the cornor. I was getting a bit confident at one point, turned a tight cornor at speed and right in front of me was a giant lorry full of hay that was half stuck on a tight bend. Certainly woke me up. The cattle grids come out of nowhere too.

 

I drove past Askrigg i think. Do you have a 4x4 in your house hold? I think i'd want either a 4x4 or awd up there in the winter time.

 

I know bikers get a bad rap and i know there are alot of bikers who are sensible, but the bikers i saw up there were a little reckless.

 

I was up that way on business a couple of weeks ago and used my favourite stretch of road from Stanhope to Barnard Castle (B6277) - but further north but driving bliss and rarely busy. I then travelled south from Barnard Castle to Aysgarth and south again down to Grasmere via some roads which were barely any wider than the car.

 

I've done the 6277 in the last 5 company motors but never the 205 sadly. My SMax handled it very well indeed as it drives pretty much the same as a Mondeo which in itself is no bad thing.

 

Drove the Buttertubs yonks ago and got a relatively quiet drive.

 

I'll have to check out that one next time im up that way. I'm thinking of maybe heading to the black mountains on my next mini trip.

 

Found a couple of pictures from an unfortunate MG driver on the pass

 

 

Would have been a long way down!

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I travelled to a place called Skipton

I live a few miles outside Skipton, there are some great roads in the dales but local knowledge helps to avoid the traffic / busy times.

 

I'm going to take a run up to the buttertubs pass sometime but the roads there can be just as entertaining just with fewer sheep & better visability.

 

Isn't it one of Clarksons fave UK roads?

 

g.

[Richie 32]

I live a few miles outside Skipton, there are some great roads in the dales but local knowledge helps to avoid the traffic / busy times.

 

I'm going to take a run up to the buttertubs pass sometime but the roads there can be just as entertaining just with fewer sheep & better visability.

 

Isn't it one of Clarksons fave UK roads?

 

g.

 

Nice place to live i'd have thought up that way. I agree local knowledge would make the driving a bit more enjoyable.

 

Clarkson does mention that its his favourite UK road. Bit random I thought, i thought there were lots of great roads up that way. You lot are spoilt for choice, plus the lake districts close by too. If the 205 had a brain of its own, it would chose to live oop north with those roads.

[GeorgeXS 32]

Despite living close to the Buttertubs Pass i have never ventured there.

However i do know quite a few of the good roads round the dales.

My personal favourite is the road from Reeth to the A66 as below, its fast, steep, has hairpins, bumps and usually quiet as hell!

Edited August 9, 2011 by GeorgeXS