Twenty-four arches, then time for lunch
Ribblehead’s viaduct has 24 stone arches. You can admire the work without becoming a railway enthusiast, just as you can enjoy the road to Hawes without owning a sports car. This weekend gives both interests space, with a night in Hawes between a Saturday in Ribblesdale and a Sunday through Wensleydale and Wharfedale.
The measured road route is about 87 km / 54 miles from Settle to Grassington. Allow 2½–3 hours driving across the two days, rather than using the uninterrupted routing estimate of roughly 80 minutes as a timetable. Getting to Settle and travelling home from Grassington are additional journeys.
| Day | Suggested plan | Driving between stops |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Settle around 10:00; Ribblehead late morning; Hawes for a late lunch, an afternoon visit and the night | About 37 km; allow 1–1½ hours |
| Sunday | Aysgarth Falls after breakfast; lunch and a walk in Grassington; onward journey during the afternoon | About 50 km; allow 1½ hours |
Use a dry spring, summer or early-autumn weekend as the starting assumption. These are suggested visit times, not bookings. A walk beside a waterfall needs different preparation from a museum visit, even when both appear on the same short itinerary.
Settle: breakfast before the smaller roads
Greenfoot car park — allow 45–60 minutes.
Start in Settle rather than treating the whole morning as an approach drive. Park, have breakfast or a coffee in town and take a little time around the centre before heading north. It gives passengers a stop of their own before the roads start asking more of the driver’s attention.
The map uses Greenfoot, one of the main public car parks identified by Settle Town Council. Market Place has different arrangements, including market-day restrictions; choosing a named car park avoids building the day around finding a convenient space in the square.
Leave the timetable loose enough to include this first pause. If reaching Settle already takes several hours, a Friday-night arrival makes more sense than trying to recover that time on the B6479.
Next: about 20 km towards Ribblehead on the B6479. Allow 30–40 minutes, with time for local traffic and finding a legitimate parking space.
Ribblehead: look up from the road
Existing parking off the B6255 — allow 45–60 minutes.
The viaduct gives this drive its largest piece of engineering. From the parking area, follow the established approach towards the arches and decide how far the group wants to walk. The weekend does not include climbing any of the Three Peaks.
The National Park’s Access Hub describes informal parking near the viaduct and warns that it gets busy. Our point is beside the existing parking area, not at the station’s customer spaces, the pub’s car park or on the railway. If the usable spaces are full, shorten or omit the stop; a verge, passing place or farm entrance does not become a car park because another driver has used it.
Footing and exposure matter here. Look at the current access information before choosing how far to go, and keep the walk proportionate to the weather. Overnight stays in vehicles are not permitted in this parking area.
Ribblehead access and parking guidance
Next: about 17 km along the B6255 to Hawes. Allow 25–35 minutes.
Hawes: stop for the afternoon, stay for the night
Dales Countryside Museum car park — an afternoon in town, then one night in booked accommodation.
Hawes has a visitor centre housed in the Dales Countryside Museum, with parking, toilets and a small picnic area. It is a practical place to arrive, ask about local walks and choose what the afternoon needs. The map point is for that daytime visit; it is not a hotel entrance.
Choose one main activity after lunch. The museum looks at life in the Dales, while Wensleydale Creamery offers another reason to stay in town, with a shop, food and its separately ticketed Cheese Experience. Check the current arrangements for whichever you choose. Trying to fit both full visits around a long walk would undo the relaxed plan.
Book accommodation in or near Hawes before setting off. As one central option to investigate, the White Hart publishes its own arrival and parking advice: it has no on-site car parking. A room booking therefore does not secure a space outside the door. Ask your chosen host where to leave the car, what overnight tariff or access rules apply and whether a single Saturday night is available.
Public parking and sleeping in a vehicle are different things. The National Park prohibits overnight occupation of vehicles in its car parks. This itinerary assumes a room, with parking arranged separately, and dinner within walking distance where possible.
Hawes visitor centre · Creamery visitor information · White Hart parking advice
Sunday’s first leg: about 17 km to Aysgarth Falls. Allow 25–35 minutes after breakfast and check-out.
Aysgarth Falls: leave the bags in the boot
National Park visitor-centre car park — allow 1–1½ hours.
Give Sunday its walk before the drive south. Use the National Park’s visitor information and map to choose a route to the falls that suits the group. There is no need to turn the stop into a longer hike to make the journey worthwhile.
The car park is the one serving the visitor centre, not a promise of a space on the road beside the river. Pay for enough time to include the walk back. Paths near water can be slippery, and a short distance on a map is not a guarantee of level access; check the published route information and any closures before committing.
If heavy rain has made the walk a poor choice, have a shorter village or café stop where available and move on. The itinerary leaves the afternoon free enough to accommodate that change.
National Park visitor maps and advice · Official car-park directory
Next: about 33 km through Bishopdale and along the B6160 towards Grassington. Allow 50–65 minutes. Stay with the mapped road rather than accepting an unfamiliar minor-road shortcut simply to save a few minutes.
Grassington: lunch before the journey home
National Park car park — allow 1½–2 hours.
Finish with lunch and time around Grassington. The National Park provides visitor information and walking maps for Grassington and Linton Falls. Choose a short outing only if it fits the group and the remaining daylight; the drive home still has to happen after the last pin.
The mapped point is the National Park car park below the village. That keeps the arrival simple and leaves the centre for walking. Check the payment instructions and plan food independently rather than assuming a particular pub kitchen will still be serving when you arrive.
For readers who like the idea of staying longer in one place, our Dales motoring-weekend notebook takes a slower approach to choosing a base. This mapped weekend is the practical starting version.
Before you go
Book the Hawes room and dinner first, and settle the parking arrangements with the host. Check museum or Cheese Experience opening if either is important to the trip. There is no fixed accommodation or meal price in this plan.
The Google Maps link contains the five stops in order. Its road choices and timings may differ from the OSRM illustration. The map shows real road geometry and selected local roads for context, rather than a complete road atlas. Temporary closures, parking availability and live traffic are not represented.
Keep coats and footwear accessible. Drivers should expect bends, narrow sections, cyclists, walkers and working vehicles. If the weekend forecast is poor, choose a different date or our Manchester day under cover. Neither this itinerary nor the map is a guide to towing or driving a large motorhome.
This is an independently researched proposal, not an account of a completed drive. Distances come from road routing; visit lengths are editorial estimates. The room, parking and individual attractions need checking for your chosen date.