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Buttertubs

Yorkshire Dales·Susan Briggs· 2 minutes
Ever peered down into one of these enormous curious crevices? Their name is also the name of a famous windy and scenic road linking Hawes and Upper Swaledale.

Known as the Buttertubs these limestone sink holes were said to be used by farmers and traders who wanted to store their cheese and butter produce between markets. The dairy goods were apparently put into large wooden buckets and then lowered down into the cooler depths of the 'butter tubs'.
The Buttertubs Pass is one of the Yorkshire Dales' most iconic roads: twisting, turning, rising and suddenly dipping for just over 5 miles between Hawes and Thwaite. It's not a long journey but is one you want take slowly, so you can enjoy the views, and of course avoid ending up in one of the steep valleys below.

Jeremy Clarkson declared it, "England’s only truly spectacular road”. The Buttertubs pass is best experienced on a sunny or clear day so you can view the surrounding scenery in all its majesty but even on a windswept misty day there's something very special about this route. There are several places to stop and pull off the road so you can enjoy the views of Lovely Seat and Great Shunner Fell. At its highest point it's 1,726 feet above sea level.

There's a seat by the road just before the switch-backs that take you down from Wensleydale into Swaledale - a lovely spot to watch the curlews and marvel at the Swaledale hay meadows far below.
Thanks to Simon Middleton for this great photo.