Back on the bikes..
Early morning train ride to Skipton via Leeds to get to starting point.
Let’s hope the rain holds out!
As a bonus – there is luggage storage.
2019 – England and Japan
Day 2: Slow Tour of Yorkshire
Hull to Hornsea
On the second day we followed a disused railway from Hull to Hornsea.
Hornsea is:
- a small seaside resort
- known for its blue flag beach
- well known for its pottery
- an acquired taste
- an up and coming town.
There was no major towns along the way on this path, only minor villages. We tried to to stop of for coffee and cake, but it’s only open seasonally.
The ride was only 27km. As usually the urban path in Hull needs a bit of repair, but as we got out onto unsealed path it became better. The Hornsea rail trail is part of the trans-Pennine trail and represents the eastern end.
In summary, quite a beautiful and relatively relaxing ride.
We caught up with the relatives for lunch in Hornsea. Then folder our bikes back up to take the bus back back to Hull.
Resources
- You can get some more details about our ride from Strava.
- We download the GPX from GPS Cycling and Walking Routes.
- Tourist information about the trail.
Day 3: Slow Tour of Yorkshire
Scarborough to Whitby
A picturesque, and a times treacherous, 35 km ride through the Yorkshire Moors.
The North York Moors is
- a special place
- one of Britain’s extraordinary places
- an upland area in North Yorkshire
The Cinder Track follows the former railway from Scarborough to Whitby. In parts it is in a terrible condition, so much so that it is nothing more than a mud bog, There are plans to improve the track and spend some money that it desperately needs. Surprisingly, there are local objections to widening the track.
In its current conditions you need to double the time you expect to complete the track in. I do not have any photos of the worst paths. We were just trying to stay on our bikes.
I would highly recommend eating at a pub along the way. Whitby is a tourist town and if the weather is fine will be over-crowded.
The views, however, make this ride a must do.
Resources
- More details about our ride are available from Strava
- We used the GPX file from GPS Cycle and Walking Routes.
- More information about the Cinder Track from Scarborough Council
Start of day 6
Today’s bike storage is pretty good – standard luggage storage – with carpet!
Our plan on this fine day is to cycle from Driffield (where we ended on day 1) to Burton Agnes Hall via a pub for lunch. Weather is due to be a lovely blue sky day of 15 degrees. Here is to a good ride – will let you know!
Caffeinated
Our favourite coffee and cake stop in Hull Trinity Market.
Focus of today
We are seeing this match today.
As a result we are attending the market At Beverley the is morning. We are currently on a train. See it, say it, sorted.
Today is a crisp 11 degrees- how nice!
Day 4: Slow tour of Yorkshire
Skipton to Saltaire
On day 4 we travelled a little bit further afield. The start of this ride was Skipton. This should take two trains from Hull – the Transpeninne Express to Leeds and then a Metro train to Skipton. We took four trains…. one that accidentally went to Selby and one returning us to Leeds.
Saltaire is:
- a Victorian model village
- near Bradford in West Yorkshire
- named after its founder, Sir Titus Salt and the River Aire
- an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This ride starts of in Skipton the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. There are a number of good coffer shops. These are of course a good place to start a bike ride.
This route starts on country lanes. They hold stunning views that can not easily be captured in a single photo. But, as a word of warning, there are a couple of small hills with gradients around 20%.
You need to keep a keen eye out for a pub lunch! The first part of the ride has a limited number of options. I had a lovely pie and Helen had bangers and mash.
After the more strenuous hills and riding through someone’s farm … the route becomes a lot simpler following the Leeds to Liverpool canal. Easy gradients but unfortunately the towpath has not been well maintained.
There were some impressive locks, including the 5 level rise Bingley lock.
Since we were a little delayed in our start and the forecast was for rain, we decided to shorten our ride and finish in Saltaire. We’re glad that we did. Saltaire, an UNESCO site, is a fascinating model village. It’s mill, now closed, has been turned into and art space with tasteful shopping.
I’d recommend visiting Tambourine for you cake and coffee needs.
Resources
- The GPX route from GPS Cycling and Walking Routes.
- My Strava information, so you can see how slow we were.
- Salts Mill and Tambourine Coffee websites.
Hello from Leeds
Here at the Leeds Art Gallery.
Loop ride…
To get to the start of today’s ride we catch the train to Goole. <not mentioning price> the internal train interior reminds us of something from the 80s. I do feel for people who find it difficult to get up steps or in wheelchairs.
Day 5: Slow Tour of Yorkshire
Selby to York
On this occasion we ventured further afield for the ride. To get to the beginning – once again – involved a train ride to Selby, as it is approximately 60km, or 50 minutes on the train.
Do I need to describe York? Surely everyone knows York is famous for:
- being a walled city built by Romans
- 13th century Gothic cathedral, with two bell towers (which while being burned a number of times the latest was July 1984)
- Vikings made it a river port
- Birth place of Guy Fawkes
- ..lots more google it yourself.
We selected the ride as the end destination was perfect for meeting my mum and uncle who were catching the train. But also it was suggested by the train conductor when we caught the wrong train on the previous ride. Why not take the recommendation. When a little research it was described as having a lengthy route without traffic – what more could you ask for in a cycle route?
Selby
The route starts immediately out of the railway station. But if you are coming from Hull, you need to walk over the bridge. If you look closely, there is only a very thin rail to enable you to push your bike up the stairs. But lets face it carrying is easier if you have a bag.
The route takes you through Selby to the old railway line. The track is really a broken asphalt, with dirt, plants, leaves… and in this season mud. I was thinking a mountain bike at this stage would be easier – see the picture below which is through dense trees after coming off the rail trail.
Once you get out of Selby there is a separate walking/cycle path which enables you to get up good speed towards Barlby. Once through the town you connect with the dedicated rail trail.
The trail was originally done from 1985-1987. Unfortunately at times it is very bumpy given there are a number of trees planted close to the track which has pushed up the asphalt. Along the route, you pass many dog walkers, walkers, and cyclists. Along the length of the path are also planets in the solar system, done to a specific scale – so you can walk the distance of the solar system to York. I could add the photo of the art work representations – but I am going to leave that to your imagination.
York
The closer you get to York the more people you encounter. There is also more art along the trail…. and a plant nursery. Here in addition to plants, you can also buy vegetables, snacks, drinks, and trinkets – where we stopped and had a cool drink.
Take a closer look at the above picture :)
The trail signage is really great – as it takes you into the centre of the town. This can sometimes be the hardest part to navigate if you have to stop and check a map every few minutes.
Oddly enough, the trail takes you through the middle of a racecourse – thankfully they were only doing maintenance. We found our way to the train station, and my mum and uncle who were waiting patiently. We were talking to them about finding a park for our bikes, and someone passing suggested the bike park accessible from the station. It was worthwhile – as there were hundreds of bikes, and we managed to find a free bike park and “city locked” our bikes, and re-joined my relatives for a spot of lunch.
