EV route through the North Yorkshire Dales
Instant torque, seamless, gearless acceleration and quiet driving made touring in the Nissan Leaf through the North Yorkshire Dales a surreal experience. From the Kendal in the Lake District we took the A685 to Kirkby Stephens in the North Yorkshire Dales. This is the rural north, with barren landscapes and the roads lined with old stone walls. Our route through the Dales was from Kirkby Stephens in the north to Skipton in the south via the market town of Hawes.
GeniePoint fast chargers dominate the Yorkshire Dales
We charged at Kendal at a GeniePoint fast charge point located next to the Council Offices. Fortunately, the town centre was less than a 10-minute walk away, and the sun was shining. It was therefore easy to occupy oneself here while the car was charging.
From here we set off on route A685 To Kirkby Stephens 25miles away and the next GeniePoint charger. This one was in a car park. There was little to do, so we had lunch while we waited for the top-up charge we wanted, before we traversed the remote North Yorkshire Dales.
Heading over the barren North Yorkshire Dales
The allure of this road is the remoteness. Here the Coast to Coast walking trail and the Penine Way cross the landscape.
It is a meditative experience. Hardly anyone passes us, not that they can on these narrow roads. We stop to gaze at the view at Muker cairn, barren land as far as the eye can see. Then continue onto Hawes, nestled at the foot of Buttertubs hill.
Hawes is the home of Wensleydale cheese. This is a fabulous old market town. Of particular interest is the 18thCentury water-powered cotton spinning at Gayle Mill. Today it is used as a sawmill and apparently also for electricity generation. Much of the mechanics however is still Victorian.
From Hawes, we head towards Aysgarth, a short distance away, past babbling streams and remote farms. The road to Skipton from here is tamer, but nevertheless provides good driving. The distance from Kirkby Stephens is just 60miles and the Nissan Leaf is performing well.
Back to modernity
From Skipton, we hit the motorways. The next fast chargers are at Bradford. We chose the one at Cedar Court Hotel on the south side of Bradford. There is another fast charger just a few miles away just in case we miss our turning on the spaghetti network of motorways that criss cross this part of the world. The journey from Kirkby in the north to the Bradford fast charger is only around 80miles. We make it comfortably for a coffee at the Cedar Court Hotel.
Nangle angle
The North Yorkshire Dales have enough GeniePoint chargers for a lone Nissan Leaf. With two or more cars travelling together though it would be difficult to do these journeys.
Nangle facts & tips
Travelling from north to south across the barren plains of the North Yorkshire National Park will require a fast charge at Kirkby Stephens. Request a Polar RFID card which works on all Polar and GeniePoint chargers.
