Jaguars in the Dales

Three days of good roads, fine weather and good company on this Backwater Classic Car Tour.

The Yorkshire Dales is hard to beat for a classic-car tour: quiet roads, attractive villages, wide-open views, and enough bends and climbs to keep both driver and navigator occupied.

Our base from 12 to 16 July was the Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa at Coniston Cold, near Skipton. The hotel was comfortable, well placed for the routes and had a lovely view across its lake, with a relaxing spa.

Twelve Jaguars took part: seven E-types and five XKs. The cars included two 1955 XK140s, a modern XK, and  Series 1, 2 and 3 E-types, roadsters, fixed-head coupés and a 2+2 among the group.

People arrived around mid-afternoon after travelling from different parts of the country and the Isle of Man. Our own journey from Worcester took around four hours, as we had planned the route to limit motorway driving to just 35 miles and make the trip north part of the experience. After settling in, there was time to look around one another’s cars before the tour began properly with a welcome drink in MacLeods Bar, where Anne and Sue talked us through the plans for the next three days.

Each day followed a similar pattern: breakfast, a suggested 9.30am start and a circular route using a detailed tulip roadbook, although some preferred the TourBoss app. Backwater Tours had made a real effort to find quieter roads, but there were, of course, sheep and farm traffic to contend with, as well as the usual narrow sections where meeting anything larger than a bicycle could become interesting.

We were extremely lucky with the weather. It was blue sky and sunshine every day, with temperatures around a very pleasant 25 degrees. For those in open cars, it was close to ideal.

Cream of the Dales

Monday’s route was called the Cream of the Dales Run and took us into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

One of the first main stops was Ribblehead Viaduct. The viaduct looked particularly impressive in the sunshine and provided a good excuse to stop, take photographs and admire the view.

From Ribblehead, we continued towards Hawes for coffee at the Stone House Hotel. The hotel sits just outside the town and made a pleasant stop after the morning drive.

Some also visited the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes, although how much cheese actually made it home rather than being eaten during the week is another matter.

The return route took us through Wensleydale and Aysgarth. A number of crews stopped at Aysgarth Falls, where the River Ure runs over a series of broad limestone falls. It was well worth the walk and made a good break from the driving.

The day also produced the first roadside problem of the tour. Adrian’s 1962 E-type roadster suffered a puncture. Roger stepped in, changed the wheel and soon had Adrian back on the road.

It was not a major drama, but it showed the advantage of travelling with a group of experienced classic-car owners. There is usually someone nearby with the right tool, the right idea or both.

From Aysgarth, the route brought us back through the Dales towards Coniston. It was a good first day, with a mixture of well-known sights, quieter roads and plenty of places to stop along the way.

The Bowland Run

Tuesday’s Bowland Run took us west into the Forest of Bowland.

The scenery was different from the previous day, with more wooded valleys, open moorland and roads that often felt even quieter. Some were also narrower, so there were several occasions when drivers had to slow down and make room for tractors, vans or traffic coming the other way.

Coffee had been arranged at the Inn at Whitewell, an old country inn overlooking the River Hodder. It was a very good choice of stop, with plenty of character and a fine setting.

The inn also has a royal connection, having been visited by the late Queen. The Jaguars attracted their usual share of attention in the car park, as they did wherever we stopped.

The Swinton Run

Wednesday’s Swinton Run took us north and east towards Swinton Park.

A number of crews stopped in Grassington, which was used as one of the main filming locations for All Creatures Great and Small. The stone streets and old shopfronts are easy to recognise from the television series, although it is understandably rather busier in real life.

Around Leyburn, in the hills, we briefly drove through low cloud. For a while, the long views disappeared and we were surrounded by mist; cows and cars could suddenly appear, but the conditions did not last long. Once we had descended again, the blue skies and sunshine returned.

A light lunch had been arranged at Swinton Park Hotel. The hotel and grounds provided an excellent setting for the cars and also gave us the chance to take one of the best photographs of the tour.

All twelve cars were lined up with the full group in front of the hotel. It took a bit of moving cars, arranging people and making sure nobody was hidden behind anyone else, but the result was well worth the effort.

Unfortunately, the final afternoon also produced the most serious problem of the trip. Mark and Judith’s 1957 XK150 fixed-head coupé developed an electrical fault. This was not something that could be sorted quickly at the roadside, so they had to call for breakdown assistance. Sadly, they missed the farewell drink and final dinner while waiting for help.

The rest of us met in MacLeods Bar before moving to Winston’s Barn for dinner. Some also watched the sad end of England’s defeat by Argentina, which was not quite the finish to the day we had hoped for.

Fortunately, there was still plenty to talk about over dinner, including the routes, the cars and the events of the previous three days.

The final morning 

By Thursday morning, the tour was coming to an end. We said our goodbyes over breakfast before packing up and setting off for home.

The Coniston Hotel proved an excellent base, with comfortable accommodation, superb views and a welcome spa at the end of each day's driving. Anne and Sue kept the tour running smoothly throughout, and despite a puncture and an electrical fault, the event will be remembered as one of the finest Jaguar tours many of us have enjoyed.

The best part was seeing such a varied group of E-types and XKs being used as intended, on roads that suited them, in very good company.