Thirsk to Pickering
Hi. Going to be travelling from Thirsk to Pickering in our motorhome. Planning to avoid Sutton Bank. Where does the alternative route to be used by caravans take you? Any help and advise much appreciated. Thank you.
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Sutton Bank is banned for caravans but not for motorhomes. The best caravan alternative is the A1 M to York and then the A64.
If you want to know more just type Avoiding Sutton Bank into Google and you will find enough previous questions and answers to keep you going till bedtime, Cheers.
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It takes you down some quite narrow roads. Sutton Bank is not bad at all in an MH, even a big one. It’s a steady climb up to the only “interesting” bit, which is a hairpin bend followed by the steepest part of the incline up to the top, and then a sharp right hander at the top. You just need to be ready for that hairpin, and know that it kicks up again. Helps if you get a clear run up with nothing in front suddenly doing something wrong.
Given the option, and a decent tow car with plenty of torque, the Bank is an easier option towing, but there’s a complete ban for caravans, so it’s the alternative route only.
I would look at both routes on Google, you know your MH and it’s engine capabilities, then decide. At least in MH you have the option👍
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There are You tube videos of driving up Sutton Bank - I watched them and said “Is that it then?”. But then my mind wandered to real hills and real hairpins.
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This is the caravan route. We have towed it with a 7.5 m caravan in the opposite direction, and although narrowish in places it is easily doable. It would also depend on the day of the week you intend taking it as one might meet tour buses at a weekend.
"On the A19 South of Thirsk, after about 2 miles take the turn to Coxwold - this may be the second posted turn as the first turn that goes through Balk and Kilburn can be blocked with people parking. Then follow the road to Ampleforth and Helmsley."
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We've towed up harder place abroad tbh, thinking of roads in the Alps and Pyrenees for a start, and would attempt this if it wasn't for the restrictions. Depends how well you can manage your clutch, if you have one, and rev counter.
Nellie's route works well though as an alternative.
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We frequently drive up and down SB from Thirsk to Slingsby in our MH.As long as your tyres,brakes and clutch are in good order you should have no issues in a diesel powered MH.Low gear and plenty of torque will get you over SB.
I would never attempt to tow a caravan up SB -there are plenty of signs telling you not to!
The Police may take a dim view if ignored and SB is then blocked.Lorries do sometimes get stuck and chaos ensues.
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Not having done it, is it any worse than Porlock Hill?
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The most recent time I drove my MH up Sutton Bank there was a l-o-n-g queue of stationary cars which were passed by Blue Lights !!
When a Fuzz-on-foot appeared { laughing like a drain !!} we were sent off a few at a time then we discovered what had happened. A large coach had broken down about half way up and the delay was because of 1] a full load of PENSIONERS had to be guided to the top
2] then the driver & mate were (slowly) unloading the luggage and carrying that to the top
3] Then finally there was a longer wait while the tow truck was summoned from the lower side
The Bobbies were definitely displaying great self control ~~ great big grins but none of them actually laughing directly at the fast tiring Driver & mate
.CY :-- not so much worse than Porlock as far as I recall BUT definitely a couple of nasty bends to navigate if losing speed ~~ Porlock I seem to recall after the first bend is steep but straight ?? Long time ago since I got caught out by a saloon car which, having stalled just out of my eyeline, was freewheeling backwards to the gravel trap, so ABM in his Anglia had to do the whole Bleep Bleep in first gear
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No, I would say not. But it is much longer, much busier (and with HGV’s,) and probably gets more snow and ice than Porlock. The ban on towing is possibly outdated nowadays, but you would need a tow car capable of steep hill starts, it’s LR territory really. Better that the ban stays. It is frequently shut when vehicles don’t make it.
We were heading up one Winter and got diverted, lorry had shed a load of steel bars that had torn up the tarmac and caused havoc on the bend. Took a while to sort out. It’s fun in the snow as well🙏0 -
We stayed on a site not too far from Porlock about 10 years back, having got there avoiding the steep hill. Out for the day solo, we were going back to the site via the hill, and came upon a small caravan rolling slowly backwards down the hill, still attached to the equally small tow car!
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Like a lot of things, how challenging you find Sutton Bank will depend, to a large extent, on your expectations.
I did it once only, some years ago in my previous motorhome. I had been told it was no trouble at all in a motorhome - just like many are saying here. So I expected it to be no problem, but I found it difficult and very stressful. Oh I made it, but it was a close run thing, and I was a bit of a sweat ball by the time I reached the top.
If you went into it expecting problems, you'll probably sail up and wonder what all the fuss was about!
All a matter of perspective, but I can say honestly that I would not do it again.
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