Beyond the Tourists: 5 Hidden Scenic Drives in North Yorkshire for September

Skip the A64 convoy and the Whitby car park scrum — these five loops run through moorland, dale and coast that September empties out.

Bilsdale and Bransdale: the quietest corner of the North York Moors

Leave the A170 at Helmsley — the town itself is worth an hour for the castle and the walled garden, but the point is the road north through Bilsdale. The B1257 climbs past Chop Gate and Clay Bank, and within ten minutes the tour buses are gone. Turn left onto the unclassified lane for Bransdale at Cockayne, and you drop into a dead-end valley with a handful of farmsteads, a 12th-century church at Cockayne Chapel, and almost no traffic. September gorse is still yellow and the heather has gone over, so the moor reads purple-brown rather than the August postcard lilac.

Allow two and a half hours from Helmsley back to Helmsley, or three if you stop at the Lord Stones café on the ridge for a late breakfast. Fuel up at Helmsley or Stokesley — there is nothing between Chop Gate and Ingleby Greenhow. I'd book a room in Helmsley or Kirkbymoorside for this one: both have enough pubs open midweek in September, and you're 25 minutes from the loop's start. Skip the Blakey Ridge route on a Sunday if you want solitude; it is the one moorland road that still fills up.

Coverdale and Park Rash: the dale the Dales forget

Most traffic funnels through Wensleydale and Swaledale. Coverdale sits between them and gets a fraction of the cars. Start at Middleham — park near the castle, which is cheaper and easier than Leyburn on a Saturday — then take the A6108 west and turn north up Coverdale on the single-track road through Carlton and Melmerby. You pass Coverham Abbey's ruins, then the valley narrows toward Horsehouse, where the road pinches to one lane with passing places. In September the verges are thick with haws and rowan berries, and the light on the fells is at its best around 10am.

The reward is Park Rash, a 25% hairpin climb out of the dale onto the moor above Kettlewell. It is not for a nervous driver or anything wider than a standard car — caravans and motorhomes should turn back at Horsehouse. From the top you drop into Kettlewell on the B6160 for lunch. I'd stay in Leyburn or Middleham for this loop; Middleham's two remaining pubs are quieter in September than July, and Leyburn gives you a market on Fridays. Distance is about 40 miles, but budget two to three hours with stops.

The Moors Road to Rosedale and the old ironstone railway

The B1257 from Stokesley to Helmsley is well known, but most people turn off at Clay Bank and never take the Rosedale branch. From Chop Gate, follow the road east over Urra Moor to Bloworth Crossing — a track crossing where the old Rosedale railway ran — then drop into Rosedale Abbey. The valley has a cluster of Victorian ironstone kilns and a handful of cottages, plus a couple of tea rooms that shut at 5pm sharp. The single-track section between Bloworth and Rosedale is one of the emptiest tarmac stretches in the county on a weekday.

Do this on a Wednesday or Thursday if you can. September weekdays here see perhaps a dozen cars an hour, against hundreds on a Bank Holiday. From Rosedale, loop back via Hutton-le-Hole and Lastingham — Lastingham's crypt is a genuine Norman survival and free to enter. I'd base in Pickering or Kirkbymoorside for this one. Pickering has the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and more evening food options; Kirkbymoorside is quieter and cheaper. Either way, you're 15 minutes from the loop's start, which beats a 50-minute run from York.

The coast road from Sandsend to Runswick Bay, and the inland return

Everyone drives to Whitby and stops. Instead, take the A174 north from Whitby toward Sandsend, then the minor road above the cliffs to Runswick Bay. The village itself is a steep walk down to a sand-and-shale beach, and the cliff path north to Kettleness is one of the best short walks on the Yorkshire coast. September sea temperatures are still around 14–15°C, so a quick swim is possible but not comfortable without a wetsuit. Parking at Runswick is limited — arrive before 10am or after 3pm.

Return inland via Hinderwell and the A171 to Guisborough, then cut across to Saltburn for the last of the afternoon. Saltburn's funicular railway is a Victorian survivor and the pier is short but photogenic. The whole loop is around 45 miles and takes half a day with stops. I'd book in Whitby or Staithes rather than Scarborough for this stretch — Whitby in September still has the abbey, the black jet shops and enough open restaurants, and the drive to Sandsend is 10 minutes. Skip the A171 on a Sunday afternoon; it is the slowest road in the area.

Questions, answered

Do I need a car for these North Yorkshire drives?

Yes. All five loops use single-track lanes and unclassified roads with no bus service. A standard hatchback is fine; avoid anything wider than 2 metres for Park Rash and the Bransdale lane. Fill up in Helmsley, Leyburn, Pickering or Whitby before starting.

When is the best time to drive these routes in September?

Weekday mornings from the second week onward. Heather fades after mid-August, so you lose the purple but gain empty roads. School terms resume around 4 September, which clears the moors and coast midweek. Avoid Bank Holiday weekend entirely.

Where should I base myself for these five drives?

Two bases work best: Helmsley or Kirkbymoorside for the moors and Rosedale loops, then Leyburn or Middleham for Coverdale and Park Rash. If you only want one hotel, pick Pickering — it sits between both areas and has the most September availability.

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