LITTLE DEVILS TOUR
September 14th
In association with Kirkby lonsdale Motor Club.
Part of the HRCR Scentic Tours Series.
The 2025 Little Devils will follow the successful format of previous years but with a new route and a new Start/Finish venue. We will be based nearer our ‘home town’ of Kirkby Lonsdale and the first half of the route will be new territory just over the Border into Lancashire on some well known rally routes, before taking in some spectacular routes through the Western Dales. There will be a new lunch venue followed by some more familiar roads in the Eden Valley and the traditional ‘final fling’ around the Killington area and back to Kirkby Lonsdale.
£75 per car – Accommodation NOT included
click to download booking form
OCT 5-9th DALES TO DURHAM ‘25
Some of the tour is based on last years Dales to Durham Tour, which was blighted by the worst fog I have ever seen on a tour. I thought therefore 1 would give those who braved it last year, a second chance to see what they missed. However, as you would expect things are not exactly as last year, I have changed a few things around whilst keeping most of the highlights of 2023/24. We won’t do the loop south into the Dales but instead we will have a different route through the North Pennines.
The main change is the starting point and the first day. As Headlam is more to the east of the country we thought it made sense to start in the east and cover some different ground to previous years. Therefore we will meet at the newly refurbished Aldwark Manor near York on Sunday 5th October.
DAY ONE Monday 6th
A totally new route across the Yorkshire Wolds and Moors starting with a gentle run across country through Easingwold and Ampleforth to the Hambleton Hills, where we turn west to continue through the rolling hills on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds. Wooded lanes bring us to Kilburn where you might like to stop for a look at the showrooms of ‘The Mouseman’, Robert Thompson. The visitor centre and café were closed at the time of writing, so it is on to Sutton Bank for coffee, climbing past the White Horse hill feature on the way to the National Park Visitor Centre. A short walk from the café gives panoramic views over the Vale of York.
After coffee we head north on quiet roads with views over flat farmland on one side and a deep wooded valley on the other. Turning south we pass the majestic ruins of Gerveaulx Abbey before we return to the main road into the market town of Helmsely. Then it is into the North York Moors, starting with the ‘Barnsdale Loop’ which takes us up one side of the valley and back down the other. Then comes the climb through very open countryside to the highest point of the Moors, ‘Blakey Ridge’ and lunch at the Lion Hotel.
The afternoon run takes us down through Westerdale with views in all directions as we make our way to Eskdale and turn west to Battersby. We climb through Ingleby Greenhow to the viewpoint where we can look back on the unusual hill feature, Roseberry Topping. From here we head south again briefly to Chop Gate where we turn off onto a secluded little valley which brings us right to the edge of the moors and a panoramic view over the northern end of the Vale of York and Teesdale spread out below us.
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We descend abruptly from the moors and join the main A19 to Northallerton briefly before turning north through country lanes to Danby Wiske and pass Croft Racing Circuit on our way to Darlington. We pass through the outskirts of the town and then it is only a short main road run to our sumptuous hotel, Headlam Hall, for the remainder of the tour.
DAY TWO Tuesday 7th
First we take the main road to Barnard Castle and then head north over the moors to Stanhope where we tale the main road north west through Weardale to a coffee stop at the Killlhope Mines Museum.
From here we head north on quiet minor roads to cross the A686 onto some very remote a and quiet roads along the edge of the North Pennines with views into Scotland. We then drop down into the valley of the North Tyne River on our way into Alston, A little loop around the north of Alston brings us to our lunch stop at the quaint (temperance) hotel at Lovelady Shield. (Used last year)
A run over Alston Moor then takes us down through Teesdale, passing High Force on our way into Middleton in Teesdale.
The final little ‘sting in the tale’ includes a loop around the Grassholme and Buckton reservoirs before we return through Barnard Castle to the hotel.
DAY THREE Wednesday 8th
First we head north and loop around the edge of Hamsterley Forest into Weardale where we stop for coffee at the Dales Visitor centre in Stanhope. Some remote fell roads through Allendale then take us along the Pennines and on to the fabulous Langley Castle for a lunch not to be missed!
Afterwards we head east, skirting Slaley Forest and doing almost a circuit of the Derwent reservoir. From here we take some little known roads in the heart of Durham but we don’t quite make it in to the city as we turn south and take the main A68 through West Auckland and back to the hotel.
3 DAYS 4 NIGHTS £1,799 per car
DISCOUNT FOR LAST YEARS ENTRANTS. £1,699