We are going to the West Ayton C & MC site and our natural route take us towards the A170 and Sutton Bank. We are aware from travelling this road previously that there are big signs all over informing everyone that caravans are not allowed to drive on the Bank.

There is apparently a diversion route via Coxwold, Wass and Ampleforth. I don't know the area well and was wondering if anyone has towed their Eriba on this route and how good it is for caravans. It looks on the map to be a very winding diversion along minor roads.

Although the York ring road is always a pain I am thinking that it will be a less demanding route in the long run.

Any thoughts gladly accepted.......
MikeT

Mike, I live very close to this area and know it very well. We towed our big old van many times along the alternative caravan route without incident. The main pinch point is Ampleforth which has parked cars to negotiate - the locals must hate caravans spoiling their village but they are stuck with it! I towed our Triton on the caravan route a couple of weeks ago (leaving the A1 signed Thirsk on A168 and then a short section of A19 south, then follow caravan route - Coxwold etc) and while it's a bit windy it was absolutely fine. I prefer it to York ring road which can be very congested and I'm not a big fan of the A64. Too many sections of dual carriageway suddenly going to two lane.
Enjoy your time at West Ayton when it comes.
Stan

Can't help with the route but we were at West Ayton a few weeks back some very nice grass pitches as well as HS, only trouble is they lose the late afternoon evening sun

hi Stan

Thanks for this its really helpful. Sadly we left home just before you posted....sods law.

We decided to go the route we knew and it was a nightmare. There were three way traffic lights in Harrogate, then the ring road around York was as bad as ever, then when we got onto the A64 there was a breakdown on the road to Malton causing a long tail back. It took us well over an hour longer than we expected.

So on the return journey we went via the Sutton Bank Caravan diversion route and it was fine. As you say there were one or two slightly tight bits and Ampleforth Village had cars parked on both sides but we got through. This enabled us to go on to Thirsk and then across to Ripon cutting out Harrogate totally.

We would certainly use this route again to avoid Sutton Bank and it's far better than the York Ring Road which is always solid.

Cheers
MikeT

Hi Old Rocker

Think they must have had lots of rain since you were there as the grass pitches were really muddy and people were struggling to not cut it all up when they moved their cars & motorhomes. They had even had to shut off some of the hardstandings due to water.

You're right it is a nice site but I thought that the toilets are badly in need of modernising. The Covid safe measures they had taken in cutting the toilet facilities right down meant that there were often queues for the mens. Didn't seem to work as smoothly as when we were at the Southport site the week previously.

MikeT

Hey there! Glad it all went well for you and you had a good break near Scarborough.

I used to travel Sutton Bank by car regularly every Monday and Friday. More often than you'd think, I saw caravans coming up and down it! Occasionally, I'd see anxious looking vanners waiting near the bottom of the bank having come too far - not believing that the caravans prohibited signs included them!

Caravans were only prohibited from using the bank in May 1984, not too long before powerful turbo diesels became common.