The Yorkshire Dales are open for business and visitors will be made welcome despite the flooding, say businesses and community leaders.
The main road between Richmond and Reeth may be closed, but there are several alternative routes into Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.
And visitors who make the journey will find that pubs, cafes and attractions are open, say business owners.
Stu Price runs the Dales Bike Centre at Fremington.
He said that thanks to the help of volunteers they are now back open for business after their site was under water after Tuesday’s flash floods.
He added: “It’s been quite busy today.
“The cafe has been open and doing a good trade and we’ve hired out quite a few mountain bikes — there’s no better way to see the Dales than by bike.
“There are alternative routes to get here. The roads are quite narrow and people need to be careful, but you can get here no problem.”
Naomi Nathan, from the Copper Kettle Tea Room, in Reeth, is another business that is back up and running.
She said: “We had a couple in who were meant to be staying in Reeth but were told by people in Richmond that you can’t get here – that;s definitely not the case.
“The diversion signs suggest you have to go via Hawes to access Grinton and Reeth when you can divert via Redmire and come over the top in a car.”
The majority of the businesses in the Leyburn area that were affected by the flooding are also back open.
Richard Sanderson, chair of Lower Wensleydale Business Network, said most were open again within 24 hours.
He added: “Leyburn and the wider Dales are definitely open for business and would love to see you.”
A quick message for anyone planning to travel to the Yorkshire Dales over the weekend – many attractions and accommodation options are very much open for business & look forward to welcoming you!
Just check your travel routes & plan ahead first ? pic.twitter.com/PCwYxUYROf
— Welcome to Yorkshire (@Welcome2Yorks) August 2, 2019
Cllr Stuart Parsons is chairman of Richmondshire District Council and was volunteering in Swaledale today.
He said: “The Dales have had a bad blow but they’re not been knocked out.
“One of the ways we can support them is by going and giving them financial support by using the businesses.
“They’re definitely open for business and they will be happy to see you.”
Marcia McLuckie, chair of Richmond and Business Tourism Association, added: “The flooding has been described as being in the Yorkshire Dales, but the Dales cover a very big area and are very much open for business.
“Here in Richmond we have not been affected and our annual outdoor music event was able to go ahead over the weekend.
“For those rainy days we have plenty of pubs and cafes as well as indoor attractions including the Station and its cinemas, the Green Howards Museum, Richmondshire Museum, the Georgian Theatre offering tours, a museum and productions on some evenings as well as the Leisure Centre. The countryside is looking greener and more beautiful and there are lots of walks to enjoy with a cosy pub at the end.”
Our priority is to get the 3 road failures fixed and get access back to as near normal as possible. Thanks to Rishi for raising issues of finance with Ministers. We need their support. Message must be the Dales are open for business but check with NYCC website for road closures.
— NorthYorksCC_Leader (@NYCC_Leader) August 4, 2019
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So pleased things are improving. We’d just come back from a stay in Hawes just days before the flood, having driven through Swaledale and visited Reeth umpteen times and Leyburn. We went to Leyburn on our way home in torrential rain. It was awful. The drive was beautiful over Swaledale.