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
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