The Yorkshire Dales

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Continuing north, I left the Peak District and headed for the Yorkshire Dales. The southern Yorkshire Dales holds desolate yet beautiful wild heather moors. Again, the ever changing skies provide an almost surreal beauty to the landscape. Deeper into the dales, the terrain becomes lusher and greener. The omnipresent drystone walls, built by sheep farmers in days gone by, seem to blend into the natural beauty of the terrain.

I stopped in Grassington for fuel. Unlike in the U.S. where gas stations seem to be on every corner, in the north of England you have to search them out. Most locals are amiable types who are more than happy to give directions to the “petrol” pump.

The residents of the Yorkshire Dales are a hearty, hard-working lot as evidenced by all the stone walls. This area produced some of the world’s best trials riders including the Lampkin brothers, famous for drinking their opponents under the table on Saturday nights then going out the next morning and kicking their butts on the trials course.

I picked up the A684 which cuts across northern England from east to west and is another fine motorcycling road. Just keep your speeds in check as the stone walls are rather unforgiving. I head east, leaving the Dales behind, heading for the North York Moors.

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Photos

Yorkshire Moors
Stark vegetation in the West Yorkshire moors

Drystone Walls
The drystone walls seem to blend into the natural beauty of the terrain.

Greenery
Lush greenery in the pastoral Yorkshire Dales.

Water Crossing
A water crossing near the entrance to the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

Road Sign
Whimsical road sign warning.