The perils of driving to Great Britain’s highest pub
There’s nothing better than a road trip, exploring new places, particularly if you’re over the other side of the world.Recently my partner and I headed off on a six-week European adventure, which involved more than one road trip in the UK, and across Baltic Europe (think Latvia).
However, there was one road trip, that despite numerous previous attempts, had alluded us. The trip to Great Britain’s highest pub, Tan Hill Inn in North Yorkshire. Given it is located 528 metres above sea level, you can imagine not only the snow, but also the single-lane, winding road through the Yorkshire Dales to get there. It’s no easy feat!
Yet here we were, determined to make our way from Bedale, North Yorkshire, to Tan Hill Inn. If you’ve have not heard of the Tan Hill Inn before, never fear. The 17th century pub is located quite literally in the middle of nowhere (the nearest town is 18km away) and it is not the easiest drive to get to.
So while it turned out to be a lovely drive, and an even better lunch once we eventually arrived, there are some challenges we faced while trying to get up to the Tan Hill Inn.
The snow
Snowfall at Tan Hill Inn is quite legendary. There’s been an 11-day lock-in due to snowfall before, and on New Year’s Eve 2009 partygoers were unable to leave for three days because of it. So it’s an issue, which means it can also cause all types of headaches actually driving up there too. For example, the last time my partner and I tried to reach Tan Hill Inn, it was April, a time of year which traditionally you don’t expect snowfall. Or at least enough snowfall to stop you from reaching a pub, and yet that is exactly what happened. We were travelling in a small car, the pub was right in front of us, we were less than a kilometre away. But the snowfall was too much and it was too dangerous to continue driving on so, we turned around.
This time though, learning from past mistakes and determined to get there, our car was bigger, and we ventured there later in the year (June to be exact). While we did encounter some slight sleet due to the classic British weather on the day, it wasn’t enough to stop us! Not this time!
The roads
Given Tan Hill Inn is located close to the northern boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, it means you have to drive through the endless rolling hills to get there. Scenery aside (despite being very picturesque), the roads are unlike anything we have here at home. Winding, with dips that make your stomach fly into your throat every few hundred metres. If you’re prone to motion sickness make sure you take a ginger tablet or two before heading off! The roads are also single lane, and the speed limit is… or seems to be… non-existent, meaning you can get the odd driver or two coming up uncomfortably close behind you. Best advice is to obviously take care, and drive to the conditions. Or bring a couple of friends who are familiar with the roads and enjoy being a passenger.
The tight corners
As mentioned above, the roads, steep hills, and dips in the road can all be relatively new to overseas drivers; however, I think we encountered the most challenges when it came to the very tight corners we had to navigate. One vivid memory from the road trip included having to reverse (more than once) because the corner was so tight we couldn’t make it through. The hill was too steep for us to get up (another common issue encountered) or another car was coming from the opposite direction and there wasn’t enough room for both of us to pass through the corner at the same time. I must admit, this was the first time I had ever come across this issue while driving, but it’s good to remember how important it is to pay attention, and don’t overestimate your driving skills or the car when driving!
Despite these challenges, there’s nothing better than finally getting to your destination and enjoying lunch with a view! If you’re looking for an adventure, and find yourself in North Yorkshire, this is one road trip I can’t recommend highly enough.
Related: An Aussie’s first time driving on the Autobahn
Related: Top five outback pubs to try
Related: Five reasons to take the back way instead of the highway on your next road trip
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