Hawes - June 2007
The Yorkshire Dales

  With Dave B. otherwise occupied, we pointed the Ducati ST2 towards the Yorkshire Dales during a wet weekend in the middle of June, just before half of England flooded. It was another one of those occasions when we nearly gave in and went by car, we held out though and got soaked for our enthusiasm. Tea and Lemon Cake at a cafe in the square at Leyburn gave us a few minutes to dry out slightly, although we left their floor damper than we found it. Waterproof trousers weren't, the pockets of Dave's newish jacket kept the water in rather than out and boots and gloves were slightly squidgy. Still, the bike handled well even when the road became a river. The sight of a man in Wensleydale, standing in his garden with his umbrella and imitating King Canute by trying to hold back the water pouring down the hillside. Canute failed as well, although I don't think he caused local motorcyclists any problems.

   We arrived at Hawes with the rain slowing to a drizzle, and dripped our way into the Fountain Hotel where we had a room booked. After checking in, a good hot shower saw us ready for dinner so straight to the bar for a largish Burger and chips and a Beer. The Fountain probably isn't the best of the pubs in Hawes but it had rooms available and off road parking for the Ducati, both quite useful really. After food, it was time for a stroll round the village, quite pleasant now that the rain had stopped, the river certainly had plenty of water from the rain running off the surrounding Wensleydale hills. After that, we visited the White Hart and The Old Board Inn which was called the Board Hotel the last time we went there a couple of years ago. That's what happens when new management tries to change a successful pub.

  Saturday morning, with only a small hangover, a good breakfast saw us ready to face a world which had dried up slightly. The cloud was threatening and starting to come down from the hills so rain was on the agenda.

  After another walk a round the village, we dragged to bike out from under the fire escape staircase and headed off through Ingleton, Skipton and Grassington where we gave in and went to hide from the rain in a cafe. After that, onwards through Pately Bridge, Lofthouse and Masham, arriving at the Jervaulx Tea Rooms at Jervaulx Abbey about 30 seconds ahead of a tremendous downpour. We took this as a sign and decided to have lunch before heading over the moors to Reeth, following a leaky diesel vehicle on very wet roads is great for your sense of balance.

  After a wet day out, it was nice to get back to a dry B & B and be able to go out for an evening walk. The river was much quieter than yesterday, especially here a couple of hundred yards above the bridge. The wooden statues are part of a display, the Swallows in the nest are just part of nature. Nice to see them happily nesting and feeding right in the middle of a busy market town.

  After strolling around for a while, it seemed just wrong to keep on ignoring the benches outside of the Crown Hotel so we stopped for a couple of beers in the warm sun. Evening meal was taken at the fish and chip shop, not quite as good as usual due to the cafe and takeaway both being full but it was still very good. After that, another tour around the pubs to round off the day.

  Sunday started pretty much as Saturday had, with a bit more cloud. Hoping to escape the rain, we headed west along the valley and over to Sedbergh for fuel for heading for the Lake District and coffee and cake at a posh cafe in Hawkeshead. It's a beautiful little village, traffic free in the centre, full of tourists, gift shops and restaurants / cafes. We moved on and arrived at Grasmere in torrential rain, another one of the 300+ days when it rains around here, where else would all of the water come from to keep those lakes full. We carried on as we couldn't find anywhere sheltered to pull up, and eventually the rain stopped when we got to Keswick so we found another cafe for lunch. The return journey was through Penrith and then a great ride on the A6 over Shap Fell on the old main road, damp but a great fun ride. Arriving back in Sedbergh we stopped for fuel, only to be told it had been sunny all day in Wensleydale and we'd picked the wrong day to visit the lakes, we should have gone yesterday because it was sunny all day... There was nothing left to do but go back to Hawes and find a pub to drown our sorrows for the evening. It didn't rain at all on Monday, whilst we were heading home!

  There are lots of other Bed and Breakfast places along with guest houses, hotels, restaurants and cafes, a great location for a Dales holiday just so long as you don't mind sharing the place with lots of other enthusiastic tourists. The fish and chip shop is one of the very best in England in our opinion.

A list of pubs and their merits...

(Links open in a new window)

Aberporth tour 2005

Pictures and text are copyright © Dave & Karen Petty- All Rights Reserved, please don't copy anything without our permission. Thanks, D & K.