A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » rec.bicycles » Rides
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Tour of Yorkshire England, 2005. Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors.



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old June 12th 05, 09:58 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Tour of Yorkshire England, 2005. Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors.

Yorkshire Cycletour 2005.

On a whim, I decided to go cycletouring in Yorkshire with my wife but
found little of any use on the web. Got some advice from people on
Usenet. I'm writing this rather long account to be of use to people
who're thinking of doing it. We're very experienced bike tourers, but
never camp. This was my 47th bike tour as far as I can count.

We flew with BMIbaby from Cork, our home, to Durham Tees Valley
airport, which has been renamed from Teeside Airport. It is between
Darlington and Middlesbrough. It lies off the A67 6 miles east of the
centre of Darlington. If you're thinking of staying in Darlington,
don't. It's a horrible place. Everywhere else was lovely.
We took off our pedals and turned bars sideways and flew. Not charged
on way out, but were on return. £10 each bike. Flight went without
hitch and after putting bikes in order headed east along a67, busyish
small main road, to Eaglecliffe and then immediately Yarm. Lovely lunch
of steak and ale pie in pub on left before river there. Bought map of
Yorkshire Moors in bike shop there. A fine waterproof map with just
enough detail, for cycling. "Cycling country lanes and byways. North
York Moors. Goldeneye Maps. WWW.goldeneyemaps.com.
Headed south on A67 and then to left to Crathorne. Hutton Rudby, easy
to Rudby and Stokesly. East to Easby and just before village, north to
Ingleby Greenhow, sharp left to Great Broughton, left to come out on
B1257 at Clay Bank. This B1257 is a busy road with a good bit of
traffic, but is very scenic all the way to Helmsley. This town was
really busy due to weddings but we got a nice B&B, Stilworth house.
£60/night. Dearish but this is dear town. Dinner in Crown pub.
Unsophisticated but good food. Stayed for 2 nights. Did day spin next
day. This first day was busy until before Crathorne, and after
Claybank. Hilly. Very scenic after Crathorne. Steepest hill maybe 17%.
42 miles.

Day 2.
The Yorkshire Moors is a hilly area with valleys, the Moors being the
bleak areas on top of these flattish hills. The bits in between are the
Dales, a northern word for valley.

Headed east and left at garage just going out of Helmsley, up a nasty
long climb through farmland, some wooded areas, moorland with a lot of
birdlife, into a really picturesque farming valley. Very hilly. To
Cockayne and back down, diverting slightly to Fadmoor, where we had an
expensive but nice lunch in a pub, then east to Gillamoor and North to
Low Mill, further north and then walking down 25% wet gradient.
Unridable in wet. Back down to Hutton-le-Hole, across main road and via
minor quiet flat roads, via Wombleton, Harome to Helmsley. About 49m,
VERy hilly with some severe hills. 25% down. Maybe 20% up in areas.
Tiring. Dinner again in Crown. Duck. Nice. A few beers with wedding
crowd in pub. Bed. Weather mostly overcast but some sun. Scenery
fantastic.

Day 3.
Wet morning, dry afternoon. To York.

South on A170 and then B1257. Third right on this, past Ampleforth
school and abbey. Went to see Abbey church. Fabulous simple peaceful
church. Met English cycletouring couple there. The only cycletourists
we spoke to on our whole trip. Via Coxwold to Newburgh Priory and onto
NCN 65 cycleroute. This initially was hilly, muddy and badly surfaced
but that only lasted about 5 miles. We followed this well-signposted
route to York. We had a picnic lunch slightly off this route at
Tollerton. There's a shop there. At Alne there was only a really fancy
restaurant.
Stayed in York at Dean Court Hotel opposite York Cathedral (Minster).
We got this superb room for £100. Big suite. Look poor and reluctant
to pay when you're a cyclist. Saw York Minster and walked a lot around
the town. The River area etc. is lovely. Ate in Restaurant called Grape
19 nearby. Fancy and superb. 38 miles. First half very hilly. Second
flat.

Day four. To Skipton. 54.6 miles. Very complicated route, using first
map and OS Tour 6, Travel Map, Yorkshire Dales and part of North
Yorkshire.
On advice, took A19 to Ring road, A1237, and then South on this to
B1224. West to Long Marston, North via Tockwith, Cowthorpe to B6164,
Ribston, SW to Spofforth, North then west to A658, then SE to Kirkby
Overblow. Good lunch in Pub there (Sunday). Then West to Weeton, almost
to A658, South, then west to B6161, off that in a loop to Otley, then
via Weston, Askwith to Ilkley. Followed road to North of river. Very
hilly and very spectacular to Beamsley and Bolton Bridge. At this stage
we were really tired from severe gradients and wet on busy Main road,
a59 etc to Skipton. Saw steam train en route. About 57 miles. Hard
terrain.
Stayed in Skipton Park guest hotel B7B. £50. Nice room, but skylights
without blinds. Woke early. Breadfast run with military precision. No
choice!!. Dinner that evening in superb Greek restaurant on Cavendish
st. Weather overcast with some sun.
Day 5.
A killer. Overcast with some sun. Fabulous scenery. About 39m.
Now working on the superb Harvey map "Yorkshire Dales for Cyclists".
This contains several cycle routes including the Yorkshire Dales Trail,
which the lady in the Tourist office, where I bought the map, told me
did not exist. I bought the map from her and found it while browsing.
This route which is marked as NY10 on this map, we followed for three
days, and then tacked other stuff on. North to Embsay, Eastby, savage
climb, on to Appletreewick, Hebden, lunch in Grassington, to
Kettlewell, then unrideable climb, difficult to push the bikes up. 25%
or worse. Then more climbing, drop to Wensley and slight climb to
Leyburn. Fantastic scencery all day, of gorgeous villages, old farms,
moor etc. Lovely B&B in Leyburn. The Haven. Highly reccommended. Dinner
in the Bolton Arms. Had drinks with English couple after.

Day 6. To Hawes. Sun all day. 35m or so. Hard.
To Wensley, Then towards Redmire, but missing, to Grinton. Sharp left
before bridge here, big climb with superb views at top, on to
Gunnerside (good lunch in pub) then another unridable climb to left,
before Muker (went into Muker by mistake). Then more climbing and drop
to Askrigg, then right and finally left to Hawes, a busy town. Superb
scenery and many many hills. Stayed in good B&B, Springbank. £50. Fine
big room, no shower but plastic jug on edge of bath for washing hair
etc. Very handy. Ate superb meal in Herriott's hotel. Fancy and superb.
Drink in a pub.

Day 7. The day of days. I've done 46 tours, maybe 400+ touring days.
This is in the top 5. Sun all day. Very hilly. Some 20%. 40 miles.
South on B6255 and then left into Dentdale via the fabulous Dent head
viaduct. This valley is stunning. Had a scone and coffee in Dent,
bought a picnic and headed south on this really quiet road on which we
had to open and close 4 gates. Some vicious climbing but great scenery.
Had picnic by stream on descent. Tornton in Londale, Ingleton, more
climbing, Clapham, south to Clapham station and then up and down quiet
road to eventually reach Settle. Famous for Settle to Carlile railway
which I'll take the next time. Stayed in old, quaint and charming
Whitefriars guest house. Dinner in Indian Royal Spice restaurant in
Market square. It was good. I like Indian food.
Scenically, weather wise and for peace and quiet, this was a wonderful,
but again, hard day.

Day 8.
Had broken gear cable on exiting Settle. Took me 45 mins to get broken
bit out of changer. Had to take changer off bar to get a wire straight
in to dislodge it. Was riding MtB with STI changers. Anyway, north to
Stainforth, then to Halton Gill on quiet road, good lunch in pub in
Litton, on to Kilnsey, the Kettlewell, Buckden, left to Hubberholme,
and on over mountain to Hawes. Fierce climb after Oughtershaw. All
scenery great. Very steep descent to Hawes. Weather, sunny all day.
Same B7B and hotel. 38m or so.

Day 9. The hardest day. Some of the best scenery. Mostly sunny. 44m
From Hawes to Thwaite, Keld, huge view towards Cumbria from top, to

Nateby and lunch in Kirkby Steven. Then Hartley, Winton, some vicious
gradients, and over Tan Hill (wild moorland, with highest pub in
Britain, 526m and down to Reeth. Had nest birds making sham attacks on
us as coming across moors. Reeth was hosting Swaledale Fell running
marathon the next day and we were lucky to get a cancellation at
Arkleside hotel. A superb suite for £84. Dinner there was also
excellent.

Day 10. B6270 to Richmond (pretty road) and then A6108, exiting to
right (unmarked) to Moulton. Had to lug bikes across central
reservation of A1 to get to road on other side. On via Middleton Tyas,
Croft on Tees, Hurworth on Tees to Darlington. Stayed in the Kings Head
hotel. Ate there.
Darlington is a place to miss. Next day 6 miles to airport and home.

Observations.

When I keep stressing hilly, I mean it. This area has gradients much
worse than the Alps and the Pyrenees. I've often toured both. It's not
an area I would reccommend normally for touring because it is very
wearying, EXCEPT that the scenery is stunning, the villages are
fabulous, the food is superb for cycling, Yorkshire people and the
people you meet here are very nice, and if you are careful it is
affordable.
If you do it, get light and fit, carry minimal kit, use a MTB with
really low gears (I did) and cut back on your mileage. We normally tour
60 miles a day, and 70 with male friends. I just could not manage that
kind of distance here, and would not want to.

This took me over an hour to type and I apologise to no-one for its
length. I wish to express my thanks to the English lads who advised me
on various things before I came.

Ads
  #2  
Old June 22nd 05, 11:00 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Tour of Yorkshire England, 2005. Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors.

Thank-you for your comprehensive trip report. We just returned to the
US after touring with our tandem in Denmark and England. I'm saving
your excellent description for a future trip.


In article .com,
" wrote:

Yorkshire Cycletour 2005.

On a whim, I decided to go cycletouring in Yorkshire with my wife but
found little of any use on the web. Got some advice from people on
Usenet. I'm writing this rather long account to be of use to people
who're thinking of doing it. We're very experienced bike tourers, but
never camp. This was my 47th bike tour as far as I can count.



This took me over an hour to type and I apologise to no-one for its
length. I wish to express my thanks to the English lads who advised me
on various things before I came.

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:42 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.