Coast To Coast - Whitby to Sellafield

[Pumpy]

The Route: Coast to Coast From Sandsend beach at Whitby, via the N.Yorls Moors, Yorks Dales NP, Vale of Mowbry, and through Cumbria & the Lake District, very few miles on A roads, mostly lanes and unclassified roads with a few B roads, finishing near Sellafield on the west coast, or if you want to test your dynatrol in anger, take in the tidal byway near Duddon (but check the tides!)

We really need new words to describe the trip, epic & awsome were overused and under-descriptive, if it wasn't on the bucket list - it is now, and it's ticked off I thought it was better than N. Wales last year and that was awsome too.

Even the first few field type lanes in the lowlands were in spectacular scenery, some epic short lanes around the fords with challenging climbs, up onto the moors rescuing lost American septegenarian bobbles on Rutland rig (they'd gone about 8 miles off track so we gave them a lift), we didn't think we'd be able to beat the section comming off the rigg, alot of the interesting sections we were stopping to take photos of on the first day were not as good as subsiquent lanes, we got a bit blaz'e taking it all in - the stark difference in scenery over the route felt as if we'd driven though 6 or 7 different countries.

I think going E to W is by far the best direction, it just gets better and better every day! I'd heard you can do it in 2 days, not this route IMO, I do think it would be better to try and get a bit further on the first 2 days, we camped near the A1 and naer the M6, I thought the last day was going to be shortest but I was wrong, we came down off the last lane at 8:30, after a mystery tour to find a chippy we got into the campsite at 10:30 absolutely drained

It was all amazing but the Lakes took the top prize I think, I really felt privilaged to be able to drive those lanes, so much so I was really anoyed with the off piste mess left on Grizedale, I've took some pics and reported it, hopefully Glass can get some warning posters up or something, it's a SSSI in a really sensitive area, I'd be gutted if we lost access.

from home I racked up 1085km and £215 in diesel, tho my speedo is a bit out (315's) so I'm not sure exactly how far it was, that did include a guided tour of Wigan and Preston to find a new fan belt for a 90 on a BH monday!

1 minor mechanical mishap from the 80, a previous owner had bodged one of the turbo pipes with tie wraps after a (bodged) jubilee clip failed, since I got the air-con sorted it seems the air con expert took off the tie wraps to get at the compressor, so the turbo pipe popped out again on the A1, all fixed good as new - with new tie wraps

I have a lot more pics if anyone fancies the route want to see em send me a PM for the link as I don't want to put links in public. Same goes if you want the gpx file send me a PM with an email addy I can send the route to: Disclaimer if you are not fully familiar with your vehicles capability forget this route or risk death and follow the green lane code of conduct

 

[mrdelmonti]

Looks like you had a good trip.

See you got to test out the articulation now the anti roll bar is sorted [emoji106]

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[Pumpy]

Aye, and looking at that articulation, I'm glad we got the bump stops lowered too! Amazing vehicle, very impressive performace on the lanes, bit of a fat arse for some of the tight gateways mind

 

[AndyCook]

Looks great and recognise all the lanes in the lakes pics, done quite a few on your route imagine,


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[David]

Was not me who bodged the turbo pipe,must have missed it or we would have fixed it what pipe was it?

 

[Chris]

Great write up. You don't have to cross continents to have fun, eh.

 

[Pumpy]

Was not me who bodged the turbo pipe,must have missed it or we would have fixed it what pipe was it?

I found mels photodump last night, the bodge was on when he had it I also found another lift top cubboard I didn't know I had next to the draw in the nearside!

The red turbo pipe was tie wrapped to the air-con compressor top hose elbow, the jubilee clip is fubar, two small jubilee clips had been clagged together, tie wraps were the only thing holding it in the rubber pipe, to be fair it did look like the tie wraps were just tidying up the air con hoses, I didn't spot it either, until it started making a noise on the A1

everyone who sent a PM should have the gpx and photo links in their email by now

 

[clivehorridge]

Great write up. You don't have to cross continents to have fun, eh.

I'd go along with that Chris, the UK has some of the best countryside in the world, IMO especially its diverse coastline.

Things are "different" abroad maybe, but not necessarily any better.

Access often seems to be an issue in the UK though.

 

[Pumpy]

Great write up. You don't have to cross continents to have fun, eh.

Access often seems to be an issue in the UK though

not got the hang of this multiquote thingy yet

crossing continents appeals to me, but I'd rather be a phone call from the NHS with my glassback history

We should have national green lanes routes IMO, they have national footpaths for bobbles, national cycleways etc. but laners often won't even share their routes with fellow forum members let alone get involved in national route planning/sharing.

Imagine some local council jobsworth trying to TRO part of the Lands End to John O'Groats national greenlane route? It would force them to maintain the lanes IMO.

There should be official county routes in each county you could join up to make different day routes, I think we have to get over the current mindset where people think sharing routes will lead to off piste activity, it's a piss poor excuse that's limiting our hobby, illegal offroading will happen regardless of route sharing.

/soapbox

 

[stumog]

Has anyone done this trip and got the track they followed as I can't get it to tie up very well.

 

[LC80tim]

Has anyone done this trip and got the track they followed as I can't get it to tie up very well.

I've done a very similar route, and doing it again in July with a few guys from the Lowrangers, last 2 times I did it west to east but going east to west this year, gladly send you a gpx file if you give me a email to send it to

 

[chapel gate]

That looks cracking pumpy. No problems wild camping?
suitable for an 80 with a 2" lift, 285s and no armour or sliders?

 

[LC80tim]

That looks cracking pumpy. No problems wild camping?
suitable for an 80 with a 2" lift, 285s and no armour or sliders?

I'll be doing it this time in a 80 as you describe, last 2 times I did it in my disco ( all being running 35's and double lockers ) can't see any problems along route as have done the lakes part in the cruiser already

 

[chapel gate]

Thanks tim, not over keen on pumpys danger of death warning..

 

[LC80tim]

Only one that might be 'interesting' is sheep wash Osmotherley, only done it downhill and be going up this time ( or attempting to ) some vids on u-tube, but this can be missed out if necessary lol

 

[Pumpy]

We did the route again this April, done it 4 times now and never get tired of it I've imporved the route each year so it's even better now. Went a bit further North through Yorkshire this time for a bigger campsite since there were two groups of us, also get to chuck goats lane in for a bonus!

Skipped the sheep wash at Osmotherley, looked too much like a truck killer for the first day of a long weekend The death warning was to put off any first timers trying it alone, some bits will get yer heart pumping but there's nothing anyone familiar with their trucks capabilities will have issues with.

Since there's always been a full group or two with me I planned the route around campsites, one year we did wild camp one night in the lee of the hills at tits-up-lane in the lakes since it was a massive storm and the campsite had torrential horizontal rain, and after two hours trying to find a B&B with space we had to plod on Grumpy farmer came up just after we'd set up and started with the £50 each routine, after plying him with beer and sweet-talk and he realised we wern't sheep rustling he chilled out a bit and let us stay for nowt.

 

[Pumpy]

forgot I had some video took in 2016, the route has chnged a bit since then, but the best lanes are still on it mite be a bit boring since it's just a record of the lanes so click thru what you fancy, check out the other stuff (Alps) on my channel for better vids I did later