Leaving Rievaulx Abbey, head back
to the bridge, and turn right,
continuing towards Scawton.
After a few hundred metres, you’ll
pass a turn toward Old Byland
and Scawton. Continue past this,
and around the next corner,
adjacent to Ashberry Farm, turn
onto a bridle path (please give
way to horses), which takes you south, past Scawton Croft and
over Scawton Moor, with its Red Deer Park.
The bridle path crosses the A170, continuing into the Byland
Moor Plantation at Wass Moor. The path eventually joins
Wass Bank Road, taking you down the steep incline of Wass
Bank and into Wass village (at the bottom of the hill, give way
as you go straight across the junction). Follow the road for
about half a mile and you will come to the impressive Byland
Abbey site. You can park your cycle safely at the
neighbouring Abbey Inn and enjoy a cool drink in cosy
surroundings before looking around the Abbey site itself.
Byland was one of the greatest monasteries in England
housing over 200 monks. The circular window, now surviving
only in part, is believed to have been the model for the
famous rose window at York Minster.
Leaving Byland Abbey, return to Wass
village, this time turning right onto
the road towards Oswaldkirk.
Follow this road for some time,
passing through the villages of
Ampleforth and past Ampleforth
Abbey, and through Oswaldkirk.
Continue along the road a few hundred yards after
Oswaldkirk, before turning left onto the road towards
Nunnington, where you then turn off towards Harome.
When you reach Harome village, turn left at the church and
then left again, following the signs back to Helmsley. You will
eventually rejoin the A170 east of Helmsley, onto which you
turn left, heading back into the town, and following the signs
to the long-stay parking and Helmsley Castle, to complete
your tour. Visit Helmsley Castle’s visitor centre for more local
information and take the audio tour which will guide you
through the key features of the castle and Tudor mansion.
Route Two
Scarborough Castle-Whitby Abbey
(Approx 43km / 27 miles)
The route from Scarborough Castle to Whitby Abbey
follows a portion of the Sustrans National Cycle
Network (NCN route number one) which is well
signposted. For more information please visit
www.sustrans.org.uk or purchase the official Sustrans
map, as highlighted on the map key.
There are a number of options for following this route
between two of the North Yorkshire coast’s most iconic and
historic landmarks. The most popular version of the route
takes you out of the coastal town of Scarborough. Start your
trip at the imposing Scarborough Castle situated on the
strategic headland above this seaside town. The castle has
experienced over 2,500 years of turbulent history from the
bronze age and Roman times through to its defensive role in
World War II. The master gunners tea room is a good place
to fuel up before embarking on your journey.
Out of Scarborough, head north
on the A165 to Cloughton. From
Cloughton, fork right towards
Cloughton Newlands and
Staintondale. From Staintondale,
a cycle path along the old railway
line takes you over to Ravenscar,
before rejoining the road up to
Fylingthorpe and Robin Hood’s
Bay. Then follow the B1447 to
High Hawkser, picking up the A171 for a short while, before
taking a path across the moors to Whitby Abbey itself. You
will see the beautiful gothic ruins of the Abbey well before
you reach it. The Abbey is a sight to behold and it’s not hard
to see why famous literary names like Bram Stoker and
GP Taylor have drawn inspiration from it. Once inside, take
some time to explore the interactive visitor centre, enjoy the
audio tour which helps people absorb the historical
importance of this site and enjoy the impressive coastal views
out to sea and over Whitby town. If your cycle trip includes
an overnight stay this is a good place to rest as the Abbey
also has an YHA Youth Hostel and seasonal tea room.
English Heritage in Yorkshire
There’s always something to do
with English Heritage, whether it’s
enjoying spectacular live action
events or visiting stunning
locations, there are over 30
historic properties and ancient
monuments to visit in Yorkshire
alone. For details of opening
times, events and prices at
English Heritage sites visit
www.english-heritage.org.uk/yorkshire. For more
information on cycling and sustainable transport in Yorkshire
visit www.sustrans.org.uk or
www.northyorkmoors.org.uk
Join English Heritage
and enjoy more great days out
With over 400 historic sites plus hundreds of action packed
events throughout the year, you can enjoy many wonderful
days out when you become a member of English Heritage.
To join English Heritage speak to a
member of staff at our sites or take
out membership online at
www.english-heritage.org.uk/membership
or call 0870 333 1182
For more information: www.english-heritage.org.uk
or call 0870 3331181
When you have finished with this leaflet
please recycle it
All details correct at time of going to press and whilst every effort is made to ensure the route
descriptions are accurate, this does not take into account future road works or route closures.
HERITAGE CYCLE TRAILS
in North Yorkshire
A169
Pickering
Pick
Pi
cker
kerin
ingg
A170
8
68
A61
ALDBOROUGH
ROMAN SITE
14
A614
RIEVAULX Scunthorpe
S
Scunt
e
ABBEY
M180
A161
A170
A1
A 19
A6
42
A169
THORNTON
T
HORNTON ABBEY
PICKERING
& GATEHOUSE
A18
Pickering
HELMSLEY
CASTLE
A1
68
BYLAND
ABBEY
A631
Gainsborough
Gainsbor
bo
rough
g
gh
Scarborough
CASTLE
A46
A1
A1(M)
SCARBOROUGH
CASTLE
Barton-uponnHumber
er
A15
CONISBROUGH
M1
CASTLE
A63
1
A
Rotherham
SHEFFIELD
AA1164
72
A58
A61
8
A16
Doncaster
te
ter
Withernsea
ST PETER’S
CHURCH
Thorne
M18
Thirsk
KINGSTON
GS N
UPON
U
PO HULL
LL
Market
rket
Rasenn
Malton
(Approx. 24km / 15 miles)
This route starts from the visitor centre at Helmsley
Castle (also a good place to park the car), and
features a steep hill near the start, but with a relaxing
downhill ride down into the Rievaulx valley. After
leaving Rievaulx, you will follow the uphill path out of
the valley. Similarly, the route is fairly steep uphill
after leaving Byland Abbey on the approach to
Ampleforth, but the route levels off after Oswaldkirk
for a pleasant return trip back into Helmsley.
Rievaulx is famed for its tranquil setting and is a must visit.
You can find out why this famous monastic site was such an
attraction for thousands of medieval pilgrims. Park your bike
in the specially installed racks and explore 900 years of
history in the museum and Abbey remains.
71
A1
Goole
Goo
Gool
oole
le
7
A616
A635
A16
38
Barnsley
Humber
Humb
mbe
ber Bridge
idg
dge
MOUNT
GRACE
PRIORY
A614
A1
A6
A628
A6
29
79
M62
A16
1
Northallerton
Wakefield
WHITBY
ABBEY
3
A6
A645
BRODSWORTH
HALL & GARDENS
A635
A63
Castleford
Pontefract
act
A642
A19
Selby
Sel
elby
by
A1
Batley
Huddersfield
2
A6
M62
A167
LEEDS
Garforth
BRADFORD M621
Brighouse
A163
4
A6
Whitby
35
A10
Stokesley
A10
4
A103
20
A61
Shipley
Tadcaster
casteer
A1
16
65
6
5
Wetherby
A1
Bingley
63
A1
4
A6
A19
A65
CLIFFORD’S
TOWER
A1664
YORK
YO
RK
A6
61
59
Harrogate
A6
A166
A5
9
Ilkley
Bridlington
KIRKHAM
PRIORY
Route One
Helmsley-Rievaulx-Byland
From Helmsley Castle, follow the main B1257 route
(signposted to Stokesley) out of Helmsley. As you get to the
top of the hill, you will be able to look back down onto the
Castle ruins behind you as the road starts to level out. Take
the next left turn onto a minor route signposted to Scawton.
Follow this down hill until you come to Rievaulx Bridge. At
the bridge, take a short detour right, and just a few hundred
yards further on, you’ll see the majestic ruins of Rievaulx
Abbey – a great first stop-off where you can enjoy a cool
drink and snack in the tea room which serves up locally
produced cakes and sandwiches.
5
A1
Malton
Knaresborough
A59
Filey
A16
BYLAND
ABBEY
A1(M)
70
A1
HELMSLEY
CASTLE
A19
Ripon
Scarborough
r gh
PICKERING
CASTLE
RIEVAULX
ABBEY
A6
4
Thirsk
Thi
hirsk
10
SCARBOROUGH
CASTLE
8
A16
A6
Please note, this map is not to scale and does
not show undulations in terrain or finer road
junction detail. Cyclists wishing a more
comprehensive map of these routes are
advised to purchase official Ordnance Survey
Maps of the North York Moors National Park
or the National Cycle Network Yorkshire
Moors and Coast Map, produced by Sustrans.
71
A1
MOUNT GRACE
PRIORY
4
A68
MIDDLEHAM
CASTLE
ROUTE TWO
ROUTE ONE
Catterick Northaller
Northallerton
ha ton
Leyburn
ENGLISH HERITAGE
PROPERTY
WHITBY
ABBEY
A1
72
A19
RICHMOND
CASTLE
A61
These trails are designed for experienced cyclists;
the terrain of North Yorkshire can be very hilly, and
some of the tracks are uneven. However, it is
possible to break these trails up into shorter, more
manageable sections for a more leisurely ride.
Scotch
Corner
Richmond
7
They are designed to allow cyclists the
opportunity to take in some of Yorkshire’s rich
heritage by exploring the historic properties
en route. You can chose to cycle just one leg of
the route or do the whole route in one day.
New cycle racks have been installed at several
English Heritage sites to enable cyclists to secure
their bikes while they take time out to explore
the stunning properties and each site has
refreshment facilities to reinvigorate before the
next leg of the trail.
Stokesley
Sto
Stok
kesley
A16
There are many long and short distance routes to
follow within the North York Moors National Park
but for any cycle ride it is helpful to have breaks
planned into the trip, and goals along the way. With
this in mind, the two cycle trails mapped in this
leaflet both start and end at English Heritage sites.
KEY:
Whitby
Whit
byy
A1
The North Yorkshire countryside
offers some of the most stunning
scenery in the country, with
beautiful coastlines and fantastic
moorland, forests and dales.
Walking around the countryside is
exceptionally popular, but to truly
experience North Yorkshire’s
splendour, the best way is to get
on your bike!
A6
6
A167
English Heritage North
Yorkshire Cycle Trail
70
A1
A1