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.
