# Best way to get to Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales



## lighterthief (Apr 7, 2009)

Me and a couple of mates are planning to repeat a cycling trip we did a few years ago in the Yorkshire Dales, where we stayed in the youth hostel at Hawes.

Last time we drove, but this time we are wondering if we can train it from London and cycle in Friday evening and out Sunday afternoon.

What's the best station to aim for?  The mainline stations all seem 50+ miles away.  Or are we being completely silly to consider doing this? 

Thanks in advance


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## neonwilderness (Apr 8, 2009)

Garsdale station is about 7 or 8 miles west of Hawes.  That line is also quite scenic once you get out of Leeds too


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## Yetman (Apr 8, 2009)

Just go to the red light district and let crack smoke drift out of your car windows. They'll soon come-a-flocking 

Ah....dales you say. Look for lots of parked up cars by the woodside - you might get lucky if you offer enough cash. Otherwise at least you'll get to watch some doggers (or a load of hairy truckers bumming each other if your not so lucky)


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## QueenOfGoths (Apr 8, 2009)

neonwilderness said:


> Garsdale station is about 7 or 8 miles west of Hawes.  That line is also quite scenic once you get out of Leeds too



Yep - Garsdale is the nerest station. 

From London you are looking at a just over 4 hour journey miniimum, changing at Leeds - and once on your way past Skipton the line is, as neonwilderness says, very scenic

This is based on going on a Friday and staying till the Sunday

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/tt


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## Bingo (Apr 9, 2009)

See if ya can make it up to Tan hill... highest pub in England... go there every year its ace. Went last week for mates wedding...

They have gigs and that too its a unique spot 

http://www.tanhillinn.com/live-musi...h-yorkshire-dales/swaledale/richmond/reeth/3/


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## lighterthief (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks for the tips folks.

Tan Hill Pub is indeed awesome, and will be on our list of hostelries to visit


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## mhendo (Apr 9, 2009)

I love the Tan Hill pub, but the whole "Highest Pub in England" thing is pretty lame. I mean, 1,732 feet? That's barely a hillock! When you hear "Highest something" you expect to be perched on some massive mountain, not a rolling little hill that is about the same height as all the other rolling little hills around you. 

Anyway, my memory of my last visit to Tan Hill is clouded by a bit of youthful tomfoolery that cost me about 200 quid. It didn't happen in the pub itself, but on the road just near the pub after we left.

At the time, i was living and working at a hotel on Ullswater, in the Lakes District. A mate and i decided, on our day off, to make the drive down to North Yorkshire to check out the Dales and have a Ploughmans at Tan Hill. Not far from the pub, on the B6270, there's one of those little bridges that you come across quite frequently in rural England, especially in Yorkshire. It takes the road over a stream, and is more of a large speed bump than a proper bridge. Because it's so steep and short, you have to slow right down to get over it comfortably.

You can see where this is going, right?

My mate and i left the pub after lunch, and as we came to the bridge i began to slow down. My mate looked at me and just said, "Take it!" Without even thinking, i dropped my trusty Lada Samara (don't laugh!) down a couple of gears and hit the throttle. By the time we got to the bridge we must have been going about 50.

All four wheels came off the ground, and for a surreal instant we were airborne. The front wheels hit perfectly and softly, and for a millisecond i thought we were going to come out alright. But then the back hit with an ominous crunch, followed by a loud scraping sound. 

We pulled to the side to the road, and an inspection revealed that the back right suspension had completely sheared off with the impact, leaving that side of the rear basically without any suspension whatsoever, and riding very low above the tyre. The car was still just drivable, although we had to crawl back to Cumbria at about 25 miles an hour, and every right-hand turn was accompanied by a loud scraping as the tyre rubbed on the inside of the wheel well. 

Needless to say, that was my last attempt at stunt driving over those Yorkshire bridges.


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## free spirit (Apr 9, 2009)




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## neonwilderness (Apr 9, 2009)

Oops


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## Bingo (Apr 10, 2009)

haha I went over that in me astravan the other day, got air! Hehe


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## lighterthief (Apr 11, 2009)

Hmmm, doesn't look like I'll be able to get to Garsdale on a Friday evening 

*ponders other plans*


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## neonwilderness (Apr 11, 2009)

If you can get up to Leeds for about just after 7, there's a train that runs as far as Ribblehead.  From there it's about 12 miles to Hawes.

Failing that, there's Northallerton which is east of Hawes, but that's about 35 miles.  Depends how fit you're feeling I suppose


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