Yorkshire Dales Cycleway Tour

Make your own way to Skiption. Picture perfect, without a stone out of place, in 2016 Skipton was voted the best place to live in England for the second time, in a poll by the Sunday Times. Literally meaning ‘sheep-town,’ the Norman castle was started here in 1090 being strengthened in the 13th century against the Scots. It is now one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England and worth a visit if you have time. The town also has one of the oldest mills in North Yorkshire, High Corn Mill, powered by the waters of Eller Beck and dates to 1310.

From medieval times Skipton became a prosperous market town, trading sheep and woollen goods and in the 19th century, it became a small mill town connected to the major cities by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Today of course, tourism is the main draw aided by its historic architecture and proximity to the Yorkshire Dales and great walking and cycling routes.

Introducing the moors, hills and rivers and dales of Yorkshire, the cycle ride gets underway from Skipton. The ride starts through the lovely village of Embsay and then with a long hill climb up to 300m /984 feet along Barden Road giving superb views across Embsay Moor and as far as Ilkley Moor. Then descends to the babbling beauty of the River Wharfe and Wharfedale. You pass charming Appletreewick, essentially a medieval village with gorgeous stone cottages reflecting the limestone nature of the surrounding geology. Indeed some of the buildings seem to have grown out of the ground having been there since the 12th century. Perhaps pause at the pub, the beautiful ivy covered Craven Arms with a long trestle table terrace. Then continue along the river as it flows through Burnsall, a dramatic village with an imposing stone bridge, as well as a Grammar School built in 1601. Have a riverside break here before ascending Elberton Hill the last major climb before a gentle downhill into the village of Airton, where you join the River Aire in Upper Airedale. Continue up through Kirkby Malham to reach the popular village of Malham.

This is a pretty place, surrounded by limestone dry-stone walls, with a stream running right through the middle of the village. It has been a settlement for at least a thousand years and once a place of mills and mines. Nowadays, Pennine hill farms and tourism are the main activities. Mind the ducks as you walk to the pub. Either tonight or tomorrow (if the weather looks better), walk up the valley to the beautiful and dramatic limestone amphitheater of Malham Cove. If you can manage the footpath above it, you will end up on the rocky pavement – and a setting in Harry Potter - with great views back down the valley.

A cycle ride deep into the Dales. Prepare for about 15km of wild and remote riding before you reach the first village! Steeply ascend Malham Rakes to the rippling waters of the glacial Malham Tarn. You now have some quiet hilly moorland riding before descending into Stainforth the ancient ‘Stony ford’ once a colliery town, on the River Ribble. Following the river, the ride pass the old milling village of Langcliffe before arriving in Settle. The market place is surrounded by a variety of glorious buildings, most notably the Shambles (1675) and the Town Hall (1832) now housing a great selection of shops, galleries and places to eat. The Victoria Hall opened as a music hall in 1853 and still has regular shows making it the oldest continuously-operating music hall in the country. If you are a railway enthusiast, visit Settle Station with its working signal box and water tower. The iconic Settle-Carlisle Railway is a heritage treasure trove.

A day of riding, passing limestone caves and waterfalls and a leg testing amount of elevation gain! The route follows gentle hills through peaceful countryside to the village of Clapham - perhaps a coffee stop before riding into Ingleton, a pretty village which has a beautiful gorge and waterfall walk (entrance charge). To do this just lock up your bike and spend a couple of hours exploring. From here the route heads up into the glacially formed Kingsdale Valley with the highest Yorkshire Peak of Whernside on your right and with wide and wild views which you can contemplate on the long ascents. At last you roll down into Dentdale and Dent Village hidden between the Howgill Fells and Pennines, with its own little brewery and a couple of pubs and tea shops. There are delightful cobbled streets and a fountain of pink granite in the village centre (where the three cobbled streets meet), commemorating Dent’s links with Adam Sedgwick, (1785-1873), one of the greatest field geologists of his time. Dent is also famous for its ‘manic’ knitters. In the 18th century, both men and women knitted, often while walking to the fields to work. Their output of hand-knitted gloves and socks was enormous, providing an important supplementary income. The large 12th century St. Andrews Church is also worth a visit.

The day starts with a steep climb through Dentdale, following the river Dee. There are great views over rolling fells and the Arten Gill Viaduct. You reach the high point of the day at 435m / 1,427 feet and then the route becomes much easier as you roll into Hawes - England’s highest market town (259m /850 feet). Hawes was granted a charter to hold markets by King William III in 1699 then in 1887 an auction market was established for cattle sales and sheep fairs. Soon after this, cheese fairs also became a regular event.

Cycle to Gayle next to Hawes and visit The Wensleydale Creamery - they have been making this kind of cheese since around 1150, involving traditional recipes following those first created by French monks. Nowadays there are many different varieties of the eponymous Wensleydale which you can try. There is also a traditional rope factory where you can become more entwined in the history of the area.

After your Hawes break, you cross over the River Ure and follow a quiet road which runs parallel to it for a final relaxing stretch through Bainbridge a village with extensive greens and cascading river. Finally arrive in Askrigg a viking settlement named ‘The ridge where ash trees grow.’ Once a knitting, milling and clock-making village, today it is a place of tea shops and pubs, with cobbled streets. Fans of James Herriot and the TV show ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ will recognize Skeldale House, as the vet’s surgery.

Today there are two big hills. The first one is from rom Askrigg to Cross Top, (495m / 1,624 feet ) with up to a 15% gradient at times. However once over this there is a gorgeous descent down into the valley of the River Swale. The old lead mining village of Gunnerside is one stop for a coffee and cake although it is slightly off the route. You continue along the river until Grinton with a popular pub and historic church that is known as the ‘Cathedral of the Dales.’ A worthwhile short detour is the interesting village of Reeth, with it’s nice large green, shops and also the nearby Dales Bike Centre – with tasty food and drinks as well as equipment if you need stocking up. Then is your next steep climb back up to 450m /1,476 feet to cross Grinton Moor and then down into Redmire - another village used in the James Herriot series. Castle Bolton is nearby; built from 1378 and left largely intact from the Civil War in the 1640s. You can visit old kitchens, dungeon, nursery, armoury, great chamber and Mary Queen of Scots’ bedroom - she was imprisoned here for a while on the way to Fotheringay Castle. About one third of the rooms are fully intact and the rest of the castle is almost completely accessible giving visitors great insight into its turbulent past.

Today is another hilly ride ride through postcard perfect landscapes and villages. The first place you get to is the historic village called Wensley, the place name for the Dale. Wensley comes from the Norse god - Woden. This was a plague village in the 1560s, and took a long time to recover. It is still home to a Grade I listed 13th century Holy Trinity Church, Wensley Mill and there are hidden waterfalls. After a look round, cross over the River Ure and climb along Gale Bank, which has beautiful woodlands and dry-stone lined roads. You cycle through glorious Coverdale now following the River Cover as it carves through the landscape threading its way through some tiny villages. Finally you ascend the Park Rash climb which averages 11% and climbs 230 metres. Be careful on the descent into Kettlewell, a gorgeous village, by the River Wharfe with quaint tea shops and limestone terraces. Kettlewell meaning ‘bubbling spring’ is a charming little place. Destroyed by a flood in the 1680s, much of the village reflects the success of lead mining and smelting here from the 1800s. Tea shops and a couple of pubs will welcome you through their doors.

Accommodation: A traditional pub with newly renovated and individually styled rooms, making the most of the enviable Yorkshire Dales views, whether it be the pretty village church or the dramatic surrounding hills. They have ensuite shower rooms, flat screen TV with DVD player, tea and coffee making facilities with a complimentary selection of homemade Yorkshire biscuits!

Your final stage and despite a bit of climbing is a much easier day! You continue with the river along Wharfedale, with its share of waterfalls and limestone caves. Cycling via Conistone with its 11th century church and limestone hillock called the Pie, and passing by Grass Wood Nature Reserve brimming with limestone scars and thick woodland you arrive at Grassington - a place whose name means what it says! However it also found wealth from lead mining and local quarry workings. The Old Hall here is reputedly the oldest house in Yorkshire. The village is an excellent place to stop for lunch with a range of tea rooms and cafes.

Next, cross over the river at Linton Falls and wind through the countryside, passing more villages and perhaps a final fantastic break-spot at Bolton Abbey which was founded in 1154 by the Augustinian order, on the banks of the River Wharfe. The nave of the abbey church was in use as a parish church from about 1170 onwards, and survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries which closed this one in January 1540. There is a final hill to Halton East, before reaching Embsay and then Skipton.

Today is the final day of your time in Isle of Wight, when you departure after your breakfast.