It’s quite spectacular to find that the remotest spot in Britain is in Yorkshire – many of us would assume it was further north, maybe in the Pennines of Cumbria or Northumberland.
Riggs Moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park is England’s most remote spot, where civilisation is almost completely cut off.
The nearest restricted local-access road is 2.4 miles away in a tiny village, called Stean.
Unfortunately, as storm Dudley hit I didn’t manage to make it all the way to Riggs Moor but I did venture to the end of the road in Stean – the closest point of civilisation to Riggs Moor, where I braved the wind to find out more.
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The road to ‘the end of civilisation’ as I’m now calling it, is actually called Nidderdale Way, which takes you through the minute village of Stean – which consisted of a farm and no phone signal – how do people survive?!
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Stean was extremely isolated, the closest thing to other human life I found was the adventure beauty spot How Stean Gorge LLP, which is a countryside activity centre over the gorge.
Lofthouse, the next closest village, was a seven minute drive away.
I was full of anticipation driving to Stean.
I am not quite sure what I expected to find there – if anything – and I didn’t dare take my car right to the end of the road, which was more of a farm track, as the horrendous storm closed in.
The road was getting increasingly narrow and I worried I wouldn’t be able to spin round, so I ditched my car and took the rest by foot with the help of my trusty wellies in the boot. Rule number one of journalism school? Always have a pair on hand, just in case.
The road (if we can call it that), came to an abrupt end at the start of a farmer’s field, which was so big I couldn’t see the other side of it. According to expert hikers, this is where the trek to Riggs Moor begins.
The end of the ‘road’ in Stean before the2.4 mile hike to Riggs Moor
(Image: Megan Banner)
Of course, setting out on my intrepid investigation, with no phone signal and in the middle of Storm Dudley was not my editor’s idea of safe. So, I went as far as I could while still being able to see my car.
The only person I saw during my visit was one man driving a tractor, who I assumed is the only resident from the farm.
Expert hikers have claimed the walk to Riggs Moor is possibly the most difficult walk in the area of Upper Nidderdale but one of the most exhilarating – it can’t be an easy task to cross the open Moors.
I can vouch when they say Riggs Moor is the most remote place in Britain, it’s eerily quiet.
Perhaps in the summer I’ll get my hiking boots on and take the trek to the remotest spot in Britain.
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