All the cycling data and info you'll need to climb Tan Hill (SW #51)

Cycling Tan Hill, Yorkshire Dales, England.

We very much enjoyed this long but gentle climb.  At 10 kilometers, Tan Hill is the fifth longest of the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, Britain.  And Simon Warren stuck his landing on this one:

“The narrow, very well surfaced road, lying like a ribbon draped across a vast expanse of wild grass and gorse, is in many places the only sign of man’s presence in the wilderness” (100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, A Road Cyclist’s Guide to Britain’s Hills, p. 90).

Simon’s ribbon draped across wild grass.

Views along the ride.

This climb is reeee-mote!  Just you, the bike, the road, and big open spaces.  The climb itself is a piece of cake with many gradual rollers and averaging only 2% over its lengthy 10 kilometers.  In fact, the steepest stretch is 1.8 kilometers averaging a mere 5.4%, beginning at 5.2 kilometers.  This great climb is more about a comfortable, relaxing, and peaceful ride than it is a workout or calorie burner.  

We experienced a stunning rainbow toward the top of the climb.

This one gets PJAMM Cycling’s stamp of approval!

Steepest ½ kilometer begins at kilometer 9 (8.4%). 

The climb beginsthree kilometers northwest of Langthwaite:

“Langthwaite is one of the few villages in Arkengarthdale, North Yorkshire, England. It is probably classed as the main settlement in the dale. It is one of the most northerly settlements in the whole of Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is home to a pub ('The Red Lion'), a shop and an unusual commissioners' church of 1817, which was one of many then built with money provided by Parliament in an attempt to counteract atheism and free thinking after the French Revolution. Langthwaite is also home to a hexagonal powder house, built in 1807 to store gunpowder used in the many mines dotted around the area.

The 1851 census counted 48 houses in Langthwaite.

The village was used for the filming of several scenes in the television series All Creatures Great and Small. The Red Lion was featured in the episode "Every Dog Has His Day" but was made out to be in fictional Briston, while the frontage of the fictional J. R. Stubbs provisions store and the bridge which Siegfried Farnon and James Herriot drive over, featured in the opening credits of the later series, are also in the village. Another TV series, Century Falls, also featured Langthwaite. The 1975 Disney picture "Escape from the Dark" was partly filmed in Langthwaite and around Arkengarthdale.

The name of the village is Old Norse in origin and means 'the long meadow” (Langthwaite).

The Tan Hill climb is in the northern section of Yorkshire Dales National Park (217,800 hectares / 538,195 acres, established in 1954):

“The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a 2,178 km2 (841 sq mi) national park in England covering most of the Yorkshire Dales. The majority of the park is in North Yorkshire, with a sizeable area in Cumbria and a small part in Lancashire. The park was designated in 1954, and was extended in 2016. Over 20,000 residents live and work in the park, which attracts over eight million visitors every year.  The park is 50 miles (80 km) north-east of Manchester; Leeds and Bradford lie to the south, while Kendal is to the west, Darlington to the north-east and Harrogate to the south-east. The national park does not include all of the Yorkshire Dales. Parts of the dales to the south and east of the national park are located in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” (Yorkshire Dales National Park). 

To help plan your trip to this remote area, check out this list of  top things to do around Langthwaite.

Cycling Uphill says of the Tan Hill Climb:

“If you’re looking for short steep climbs you will be disappointed by Tan Hill. It is the definition of a long drag to the summit. The 215m height gain is stretched out over 6 miles of exposed moor land. If you get a tailwind you will fly up the gradual gradient. If it is a block headwind, it will be a very long 6 miles. There is a very short section of 10% near the summit, but that won’t be your main memory of the climb. It is the long never-ending climb up the moor.

I rode Tan Hill after quite a few other Dales climbs, such as Buttertubs and the Stang. There was a strong north westerly headwind which made the going very slow. There is a open hill climb event run on Tan Hill, it is a good hill climb for a time trial bike if you want to get the fastest time. It also features in the Etape du Dales sportive” (read more).