Dales/Durham drive

[Jack4688]

I've just booked a room in a hotel near Consett for what can only be described as a gargantuan drive through North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Durham, maybe even a little bit of Northumberland, later this month. It's that big (and the latest iteration of google maps is that crap) that I'll have to split it into several sections (hopefully these links show as I laid them out):

Part One: Gouthwaite Reservoir to Hawes

Part Two: Hawes to A66, near Barnard Castle and via Buttertubs Pass

Part Three: A 16 mile jaunt along the A66 to Brough, then along the B6276 to Stanhope I expect the stretch from Brough to Thringarth to be the first properly astonishing bit of road.

Part Four: Stanhope to Rookhope, but a bloody long way round! The section from Harwood heading North-West is the part I'm looking forward to the most and the section from Nenthead to Rookhope has some interesting looking twisties in there too.

As you can see that's one hell of a route, adding on the hour & a half-ish to get to the start it looks like it'll take getting on for 6 and a half hours! Hence the hotel room for the night, oh and whatever time it takes to go from Rookhope to the hotel near Allensford - suggestions welcome! The other reason for the overnight stop is that with all that beautiful English tarmac crammed into this route I want to experience those same corners, rises, dips and views coming from the opposite direction.

I'll be taking a fully charged Gopro with me to show you some of the best bits, don't worry not a 6 hour video on youtube I'll have to remember to save it all to my laptop and recharge the Gopro overnight and hopefully I'll get some good weather for it. I've been wanting to do this drive for a while now and even pondered the idea of doing it on the way back from Edinburgh last month but helping my brother move into his flat and leaving at 8pm with my parents in tow all lead to that being shelved. If I do end up moving to New Zealand not doing this drive will be my biggest regret (apart from the serious stuff) so I'm doing it now before daylight diminishes!

Any other unmissable roads while I'm up there will be welcome, I'll try and fit them in

[greenyman]

hi,if you need a bit of company on your trip i live on the doorstep of the places you hope to viisit. i know most of them very well, and if your staying at the derwent manor hotel at allensford, i live a half mile from there.let me know the dates and hopefully i will be able to join you.regards martin.

[anthonys2]

Jack give me a shout as well happy to meet you at some stage. My S2 just passed its MOT yesterday so it's good to go!!!

[Jack4688]

OK guys thanks for the shouts, I tell you what as I've got to get there for check-in I'll hopefully still have some energy to potter about some more around that area. It is indeed the Derwent Manor, looks cracking!

[Jack4688]

Short notice I know, but I'm going tomorrow! Was looking likely that I would have cancelled the hotel booking for something else this weekend as I can do without charge until 4pm tomorrow. Anyway as it has turned out I'll be off tomorrow. I'll have internet access should anyone want to meet up for a further blast, but it's possible I'll head straight for my room for a much needed sleep and maybe a swim

However I'm sure there's plenty of roads up there well worth a assuming I'm still awake

[anthonys2]

Jack am heading out tomorrow night but if you around late afternoon I'll try and pop up to see you?

[Jack4688]

Yeah late afternoon sounds good, where's worth going to in the area? I haven't even worked out how to get to the hotel from Rookhope yet

[anthonys2]

To be honest Jack I don't really know the area I know Derwent Resevoir is nice but the rest I only tend to go as far as Stanley as i have one of my shops there

[greenyman]

hi jack, as you say, its a bit short notice as i have just read your post now (9.30am) however i will pop over to the hotel at about 5.00pm and we can a chat about possibly having a look out tomorrow if that sounds ok.my number is 07733101969 if you need to call. if Anthony reads this pehaps he may be able to come as well. cheers martin

[Jack4688]

Sh*t I've only just seen this Went out just before you would have arrived and went for a blast around Derwent res. Sorry if you came out for nothing, would have been good to see three S2s together as well!

[greenyman]

hi jack,if you let me know what time your leaving in the morning, i,ll pop over to see you at the hotel. cheers martin.

[Jack4688]

About 9.30, need to work out how much of the return journey I can be *rsed doing - I'll be sick of driving by the time I get home

[anthonys2]

Hi Jack good to meet you mate and to also see your S2 sorry it wasn't for long as i was heading out tonight am knackered now!! Here's a few photos from today

[Jack4688]

Been without broadband at home so I haven't had a chance to upload any of the photos I took Great to see two brilliant shiny examples of S2 coupes Another great drive on Sunday with Martin, it's just a shame the coupes didn't meet! As for the roads buttertubs was a let down but at least I've done it and the road wiggling across to Alston was just let down by a poor road surface for most of it, however there were plenty of surprising stretches of tarmac along the way

[Jack4688]

Finally, here's some pics I took:







Martin and I went over a really nice stretch of road on the Sunday morning, nice and open and amzing views of unspoilt moorland:

Castleside to Stanhope