Buttertubs Pass - North England

One of the shorter rides featured on our RideTo best rides takes us up to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park. Picking up in the small village of Thwaite in Swaledale where you're met by narrow lanes boarded by the classic stone walls synonymous with Yorkshire. Make sure you're taking it steady through these sections as you never know what could be coming the other way and being surrounded by farmland there is a good chance there may be some variety of farm vehicles coming the other way.

Once you're on the Cliff Gate Road the fun begins as the road opens out into the dale. A fairly straightforward sweeping curve is interrupted by a tight series of corners before opening out again. From here you will soon approach the 20ft limestone potholes from which Buttertubs Pass is named. The story goes as the farmers who were on their way to the market in Hawes would rest at the summit and lower the butter they had produced to sell down into the potholes to keep it cool.

As with a lot of roads popular with motorcyclists, Buttertubs pass is also popular with cyclists so it's worth keeping an extra eye out, especially on some of the blind corners. In fact, in 2014 the pass was used as the second King of the mountains climb in the Grand Depart of the Tour de France.

The route continues through to beautiful Yorkshire Countryside through winding roads into the market village of Hawes. If you're ready for a spot of lunch then we highly recommend stopping in at The White Hart Inn who offer a great selection of food and drink.

Click the link below, load up the route and set off for a brilliant day of riding. Have fun!

Have you ridden the route through Hartside Pass? Tag us in your photos over at @rideto