Yorkshire's best

[fritz]

Another short notice ride out (i.e. no chance to tell anyone!) to enjoy the spring weather and avoid the crowds and power-rangers. Never more than 25 miles from home, nothing difficult trail wise but as always a joy. Lucky with the weather and we are of course lucky to live in God’s County (or ‘chosen ones’ perhaps!), but realistically almost anywhere in the UK has access to similar trails if you spend a little time with an OS map, nothing hard as two-up as usual, but hugely enjoyable.

Over Kepwick without a cloud, cool, but the sun stopped us getting too cool. Lambs aplenty frolicking and gambling about, though one clearly wasn’t so lucky in the past.

 

[fritz]

Next up Caydale Mill for a wheel splash before descending to Rievaulx and taking a route out up to the B1257 that we’ve not tried before. Back to the land of sports bikes and the chaos of Helmsley, avoided by a side trip up to Duncombe Park to visit the café. Known its there for years but not been in. They did the catering for a while at the Farmyard, and are open for breakfast when it’s on. Anyway a nice secluded (compared to the ‘biker hell’ of Helmsley) spot with a great chocolate ice-cream milkshake for Bev and coffee and cake for me, nice! Not cheap but plentiful and quality – worth paying for. Lovely views on way back out too across the walled garden and castle. Seem to have gone a bit mad with ‘bikesafe’ signs, they are bloody everywhere on A170 at minute, says a lot I guess.

 

[fritz]

Lunchtime!

 

[fritz]

Out past Spaunton and another nice lane through freshly tilled fields, budding oil seed rape and blackthorn flowering abundantly in hedgerows. As it’s been dry of late there were no significant puddles – but a few patches of sand caused a twitch, in bike and me trousers!
Just time for another seldom used lane up near where me folks used to live before refuelling and heading homeward.
One final lane cresting the countries top Catholic school (with another very good café).

Fantastic day! Hope you enjoy your Easter folks

Will try and give a bit of notice and organise something at some point - but, carpe diem

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

You've been frequenting all my haunts again

Scotland for me today & not a cloud in the sky

 

[Elle]

Looks like the perfect day out
Didn't know you could visit the cafe at the house, I'll put that on my list, thank you

 

[(RIP) andrewgsadv]

That looks like a top day out. Spring is well and truly here. Thanks for posting.

 

[Popell]

Commenting to allow me to find it again - intend to visit some of those roads and 100% agree about Helmsley..

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

Nipped out in Swaledale today

 

[stever1]

stating the obvious

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

Reeth with mint sauce.

 

[fritz]

Looks like we've been venturing similarly west today...Dales are a bit busy for my liking generally, but avoid the tourist routes and it can be very pleasant.

First a call on a lane I first rode some 25 yrs ago on my R80/7.

Lovely lane near to a large estate

 

[fritz]

It's quite long and sadly for past coupe of years I've noticed a highways 'Road Closed sign' sprouting up just outside were the lane starts by the large house of said estate, and a private property adjacent to it that I can't help but think has some thing to do with it (NIMBY?) the type of person that mows the (highway) verge and puts 'no parking' or 'no turning' signs up. Maybe I'm mistaken.

Anyway, said lane has a couple of boggy bits even when dry, like now - because **** off great big agricultural stuff uses it to get about which is more of a pain.

At far end another 'road closed' sign was present....ummm excuse me

I so wanted someone to appear and say something. The only reason those signs could be there if lane was being repairs (splutter choke laugh).

I would have loved to have ben able to say

"Well excuse me dear fellow but I happen to be a civil engineer working for the county council and am aware this is a classified highway and you are not allowed to close it, and may I ask have you bought those signs because they look eaxactly like the ones that should be in the highways depot"

Think that would suffice.

Only other explananation is GPS tracking vehilcles getting stuck - a deterant that I could understand, but better making your own sign.

Perhaps I could ask the divisional surveyor if he'd like his signs back? Anyway, bigger fish to fry

 

[fritz]

Further 'up dale' we swung off across a road (a bituminous one) that we have never been on - amazing! Ok it has gates, but still surprised not been on it before - nice view towards Castle Bolton in haze, nice diversion. There's a 14k fell run over the hills behind there that I'll no doubt have the 'pleasure' of 'enjoying' in the not too distant future would make a lovely ride, but wholly on a private estate

 

[fritz]

And so to the best bit(s)

Been up afore but this time exploring different tracks.

An interesting area full of loads of industrial artifacts and ruins that if in a city would be termed a 'shit hole' ripe for developement, but in the parks (well, just outside luckily) it's more like a haven of tranquility with elements of a long lost past and industrial heritage that must be saved for future generations, blah, blah, bollocks. don't get me wrong - I love these places, but I love then for the raw dereliction, not the sanitised crap and hog-wash

It a very pleasant area for distant views over the peaks, a genuign haven for some interesting birds...but mainly 'game' and far enough away from roads that you could just pull over and nod-off to only be woken by a lamb nibbling your face....well, enough of fantasies

It did almost happen many moons ago when I did indeed nod off and awoke to find a sheep staring me in the face - I'm not sure who was most startled

 

[fritz]

And so to the top of the moor and the path went 'faint', not easy without a compass so returned to road to find other end.

The route passes into the parks area and hence a clicking of heels and an erect right raised arm leads us to marks of enough bafflement to think you shouldn't be there.

Open access - welcome to enjoy on foot....hmmmm....doesn't sound good......but byway too (red arrow).....hmmmmmm.


Thick as thieves these folk that like signs and signage - seem more concerned with regulating people and urbanising OUR countryside than they are with letting it just be raw and wild


Sometimes I walk it, sometimes I run it, sometimes I ride it without engine and sometimes I ride it on my bike and I think I can safely decide IF you don't like it go somewhere else, or stay home were it's warm safe and you won't meet anyone.

I should say we met a few folk on the trails and without fail there were 'no issues'.

And to cheer myself up I must say it's great seeing all the Grand Depart signage - it is going to be sooooooo greeeetttt seeing le Tour ride our back yard.


Allez

 

[sven]

Reeth with mint sauce

We had an excellent hot beef sandwich at The Buck Inn in Reeth this afternoon and a nice ride on the back roads of the Dales

The NY police scamera van was out spoiling the fun on the Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Ribblehead road, but was hard to miss (didn't affect us as we were heading south) unless you were totally stupid...

 

[Elle]

Lovely pics of Yorkshire's finest

 

[yoxi675]

Lovely pics of Yorkshire's finest

Got to agree there. Must make some time for a ride out myself this next few weeks, work permitting.
Great photos by the way

 

[MartinS]

Heya gents,

I'm kind of new but is anyone up for a ride out in the Dales area at some point? The GS really needs to stretch its legs and only a couple of my mates are into bikes. Would be nice to ride in a small group now and again. I'm in Pontefract.

Cracking photos.