Detour #280: A Run Up Route YC, Yorkshire UK
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When the creator and founder of the iconic NC 500 was looking for another epic UK driving route, he looked no further than Yorkshire.
I might be biased, as a Yorkshire woman, but the largest county in England really does have everything. Still, despite living here all my life, I’ve never driven the entire coastline before, and as a buzz begins to gather around the new Route YC, I thought it was time I did.
I decided to drive my home county in a campervan, something else I’ve never done before. When I first pick up my campervan from camper hiring company Camplify, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake. My VW camper for the weekend looks poky inside and I worry I won’t be able to sleep in it. But as I head up the A614 and get better acquainted with my van, I start to relax. I like the feeling of having my home right there with me, and apart from the lack of a sat nav, I love driving Lola the van.
My first stop is Bridlington. My last visit to Brid was as a young child, so I’m pleasantly surprised to find a peaceful, wind swept, and interesting town, and not the candy floss and slot machines I remember (I’m sure you can still find that if that’s what you want). I spend some time in Sewerby Hall and then make for Flamborough Head where the wind picks up even more and a trip up the lighthouse feels precarious, though the views over the bay and to the old lighthouse make it worthwhile.
As I carry on up the coast towards Filey, I pass through village after village, offering tempting country pubs and a taste of old England. My first pitch up is at Thorpe Hall Camp Site where I find, thankfully, sleeping in the van is not only easy, but cosy and snug.
You can drive the entire Yorkshire coast in just four hours, but the secluded coves and long stretches of sandy beach are worth taking your time over. At Hunmanby Gap, turn off the A165 into a well-kept car park that charges £5 for the day. A walk down the slope leads to a small café and below that is a spectacular beach.
When I reach Filey the next morning I find a sleepy and quaint seaside town that holds onto ‘Old Filey’ with a fierce determination to stay true to itself. From Filey, the coast road hugs the shoreline up to Scarborough, where views of the sea and the rocky land leave the serenity of the south Yorkshire coast behind and start to become more dramatic in nature. This is perhaps the best part of the drive, leaving one character behind and meeting another. The A171 delves into the North Yorkshire Moors and brings about the swooping hills and valleys of the north. My usual drive to Whitby takes me via Sleights and is a tad more beautiful, but this route is still inspiring and sticks as close to the coast as possible.
I end my journey in Whitby, where I pitch at the Whitby Holiday Park, walk the coastal path along to The Abbey, and eat at the Abbey Wharf overlooking the sea. I spend another cosy night in Lola before my trip wraps up.
And that’s it, I’m a camper convert. Maybe it was the lovely Lola who made me love van life, or maybe it was Route YC with its flat sands, calm towns, rocky inlets, and rugged coast. I can’t think of a better way to experience home.
Words & Photography Samantha Priestley Twitter | Instagram