Yorkshire Dales & Moors Road Trip

Yorkshire offers not one but two national parks, and this route combines both into a single journey through some of England’s most characterful landscapes. It’s a region of contrasts: limestone dales and heather moorland, medieval abbeys and industrial heritage, market towns that feel unchanged since the 1950s.

The Yorkshire Dales demand leisurely exploration. Wensleydale—yes, the cheese is named after it—winds through a broad, pastoral valley punctuated by waterfalls at Aysgarth. Swaledale, to the north, feels wilder and more remote, its stone barns and drystone walls creating the quintessential Dales landscape. The villages of Reeth, Muker, and Keld offer time-capsule authenticity, while the market town of Hawes provides practical services without sacrificing charm.

Cross eastward to the North York Moors and the landscape transforms. Here, sweeping heather moorland stretches to distant horizons, particularly spectacular when it blooms purple in late August. The heritage steam railway between Pickering and Whitby offers a memorable excursion, while the coastal stretch through Robin Hood’s Bay to Scarborough adds maritime dimension to the journey.

For motorhome travellers, Yorkshire presents few challenges. Roads are generally good, campsites plentiful, and the region’s famous hospitality extends to welcoming pubs that positively encourage overnight campervan parking. The Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub, actively promotes its camping facilities. Five days allows comfortable exploration of both parks, though literature lovers might extend their stay to explore Brontë country around Haworth or James Herriot’s Thirsk.