My wife Karen rest her soul HATED going up Sutton bank to get to Whitby and hated it going down it. MMMmmm it might be because when going up i told her the motor was starting fail and on the way down the brakes where failing.
I used to drive up there quite often in the 60's and 70's. We maintained the radio site at Cold Kirby when I worked for the Home Office. We had a Ford Transit van. Brakes were very poor on them in those days. Good run out it was. Day out and about 30 minutes work on site. I'm 75 now, live in Worcestershire and long retired, but I miss those days. You could could drive from Pickering to Scarborough, using that road.
Originally the A170 ended at Helmsley. The western section was a B-road, as the Ministry of Transport in the nineteen-twenties did not think that a hill of that nature should be on an A-road. Civil Servants had funny ideas, because Porlock and Countisbury Hills have always been on the A39.
I drive up this recently and was so scared I did the whole thing in first ( VW polo) … too scared to go into second in case it stalled so the car screamed all the way up. Never ever again 😂😮
I once drive this hill in a 1.1 (about 21 years ago not long after my test, never done it since nor do I ever intend to, i'd say I was a fairly confident driver but my anxiety has gone through the roof just watching this. It's a no from me 😅
I recall my dad spending hours and hours of our holiday on a scorching summer day in 1969, doing nothing but tow overheating Cortina's, Victors, Herralds etc plus several roped and sheeted fully loaded 8 wheelers to the top with a 1958 LandRover and never charging anyone a penny! He enjoyed every minute, while we all waited at the top midst swarms of bees and wasps and watched the gliders landing in the distance! I don't think wagons are allowed up it now.
Special comment, I only go there when on the way to flamingo land, but you seem to have a special history more than I with the bank. thanks for the memories.
@@ragedapeevo7560 Sorry for the ancient reply my friend, I've only today got the notification! Flamingoland was also our reason for doing Sutton Bank too Lol, But in 1969 it was known far better as 'Cowboy City' & Flamingo Park, some birds, monkeys & a poor scrawny looking tiger. the biggest draw though was by far Cowboy City, which as a 9 year old to actually see gunfights etc was probably as exciting as it ever gets. I still have the 'Hop along Cassidy leather belt, toy six gun & black cowboy hat dad got me Lol!
I've taken loaded artics up and down Sutton Bank no problem. If the drivers any good they can do it safely and properly. If the drivers pig ignorant and lazy then they'll get themselves into trouble. One has to realise that you just can't tell some people because they think they know it all and refuse to learn. Caravans were banned because they very often burned out their brakes going downhill.
Sutton Bank is not as demanding as Porlock Hill. That hill is not only longer, but has TWO hairpin bends. You seem after a bit to have reached the top; the gradient does ease, but it is still pretty steep and needs a low gear. I cannot explain this phenomenon. What goes up must go down, so then comes Countisbury Hill, almost as steep, but reasonably straight. Not far from Sutton Bank is Rosedale Chimney, even steeper, and very narrow.( It is on an unclassified road.) The ultimate test in England must surely be Hard Knott and Wrynose. There is something similar in Scotland near Applecross, but I have never been that far north.
In the summer of 1965, I went camping with a party from school. At Thirsk Station there were two coaches to take us to Hawnby. They were both Bedfords, an SB, and a VAS. They both climbed Sutton Bank at crawling pace. On the return we had a Bedford OB, and a Bedford SB. They had to climb out of Hawnby to the junction with the A170 at the top of Sutton Bank. That ascent is also 1 in 4, and is much narrower, being an unclassified road.
My car stalled on this today and starting rolling back and struggle to go up in 1st move to 2nd and it's stalled again and had a panic attack, worst thing of my life :-(
Is that all of the bank that you have to drive or is there more further ahead after the video ends? Just me being worrisome - I'm a new driver, not so much nervous in most cases, but I try to avoid hills even in car parks, which is bad I know.
The video ends more or less at the top. The really tricky part is the hairpin, but before that the climb is still signposted as 1 in 4. The stretch before the hairpin does not look particularly steep, but appearances can be deceptive; it will force all vehicles to change down gears. Why it looks deceptive, I do not know.
