Cyclists will find much to enjoy on a weeklong holiday into the golden Yorkshire Dales. An area of romantic landscapes and nostalgic towns and villages; dry stonewalls and animals grazing in generously green fields. It is the quintessential heart, perhaps the very essence of England. To a Yorkshire man it is God's own country, with everything in its right place. A constant in a World of change! We should not perhaps get too blaze' with the superlatives, but nevertheless with some luck with the weather, you will roll along the country lanes with a glorious rural tapestry unveiling around you. On this tour you can enjoy several famous Dales including Swaledale, Ribblesdale, Malhamdale, Wharfedale and Littondale. There are sites of great interest for naturalists and historians: Malham Cove and the region's famous 'Karst' limestone scenery, Bolton Abbey and the old cobbled market towns certainly spring to mind. Then there are the opportunities for picnicking by the lively rivers perhaps watching Dippers swim after little fish. This is a circular tour, based upon a back bone of pleasant accommodations, some of which are Inns with long standing pedigrees, adding to the flavour of the region.

Grade

Easy - Moderate. Some long steep hills. Most cyclists of average fitness should be able to complete the route easily especially as the cycling days do not exceed approx 30 miles, giving stronger cyclists the opportunity to explore further around the area, or you could go for little walks at some of the sites.

Minimum 18 miles – Max 14 miles.

Season

4 April to mid October.

Travel Information

Starting point: Richmond.

End of tour: Richmond.

Most convenient major city with international airport:

Teeside, also Tyne and Wear.

Outward journey from London to starting point: For main line trains London Kings Cross - York - Northallerton  - Darlington. For trains phone 08457 48 49 50. (24 hour service, local rate call) for current train times and Operators. London to Darlington by train takes 2.5 hours, then onwards to Richmond by local bus service from Darlington Station No: 29 every 2 hours during day, none on Sundays or evenings. Otherwise take a taxi. Approx £20.

By road Richmond is on the A6108 from the Dales and from "The South" it is off the A1 from Catterick and then Catterick Garrison. Public car parks at Richmond Green (signposted ‘Coaches’) just a few metres from The Old Brewery.

Inward journey to London at end of tour: Bus / taxi to Darlington to U.K. mainline rail services.

The Bikes

These are modern hybrids, with eighteen to twenty-one gears. They are provided with saddle bag, (please note error in the brochure pannies are not provided), lock, & basic repair kit.   Cycle hire fee is £95 paid locally. You are also welcome to bring your own bikes if you wish.

Accommodation

Note that the descriptions of night stops and the itinerary is the usual schedule of the holiday, however we do need occasionally to change places that we use when our chosen hotels may be full. This is particularly the case with "late" bookings.

q       Nights 1 and 7: In Richmond. Our Guesthouse is a charming Grade II listed Georgian building nestling in a quiet secluded corner of historic Richmond, North Yorkshire. General facilities include residents lounge, beautiful patio garden, drying facilities, town centre less than 5 minutes walk, packed lunches available and a riverside walk starts 30 meters away, car parking is only 10 meters away. This guesthouse is cycle friendly, ETB 3 Diamonds. A four poster room maybe available. Fully centrally heated, tea & coffee making facilities colour TV in all rooms, and private bath or shower for all rooms. For breakfast one can choose from cereals and fresh fruit followed by a traditional English breakfast or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Freshly baked bread and croissants are also available.

q       Night 2: In Kettlewell. The hotel is a small friendly, family run 18th Century country inn with thirteen en-suite bedrooms with beautiful views of either the river Wharfe or surrounding hills. The hotel was recently extensively modernised and all the bedrooms have luxurious en-suite facilities, each with colour television and tea and coffee making facilities. There are two comfortable bar rooms and dining areas, both with real fires during the winter months and cold days in the summer, also a non-smoking dining room, which can also cater for small functions.

q        Night 3: In Skipton: Our accommodation tonight is located close to the shops and tourist attractions. It is most noted locally for its satisfying food, comfortable accommodation and of course, its much loved Timothy Taylor ales.

q       Night 4: In Malham: Our accommodation tonight was built in 1874 on the site of an old 13th century coaching Inn.

q       Night 5: Near Ingleton: Where you stay there is the ultimate combination of great beer, good cheer, hearty food and cosy country accommodation in a delightful Inn dating back to the 13th century. The inn is tucked anonymously off the main A65 along the old Skipton to Kendal turnpike road and nestles beneath imposing Ingleborough Peak. Together with historic St. Oswald's Church, they form the charming hamlet of Thornton-in-Lonsdale, where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was once married.

q       Night 6: In Hawes: Our intimate 17th century stone-built hotel retains its old world atmosphere yet provides all the modern facilities you need and the comfort you would wish for. It is the proprietors' desire to provide traditional English cooking of the highest standard at a reasonable price. All rooms have colour TV, tea making facilities, electric shaver point and trouser press.

Extend your stay

At any overnight stop along the route.  Please ask for details.

Itinerary Guide

DAY 1: Arrive Richmond: The Normans formally established this attractive Georgian town in 1071, as they rapidly progressed up the country after the 1066 invasion. They quickly constructing timbered fortresses and later remodelled them with full stone work defences. The name Richmond is derived from ‘riche-mont’ or ‘strong-hill’ and whose massive keep dominates all other buildings that have grown up around it in the town.

During the medieval period the town became an important market place, royal charters were granted giving it rights to hold markets and fairs. Hence the substantial cobbled open market place, surrounded by shops and pubs. The market square today is, apart from some modern shop fronts, unchanged for decades and has a brooding quality on a grey blustery day. You will notice around the square and as you stroll through the town, some very fine stone buildings, many from The Georgian era when mercantile dealings and the wool trade brought much wealth into the town.

You can follow the Town Trail and the Plaque walk, which take you through the fine Georgian streets and little alleys. Explore Castle Hill and Castle Walk, also Millgate where you can choose to walk down to the river and falls. The Keep is looked after by English Heritage and can be climbed up (£3 entry) for an even more commanding view of the town and countryside. From the Market Place, Friar’s Wynd takes you through one of the two remaining medieval gateways, past the Georgian Theatre to the Friary Gardens where the fine 12th century Franciscan Friary bell tower, amidst well kept gardens, still stands. Richmond has a number of good restaurants and pubs of varying quality.

DAY 2: Grinton to Kettlewell  (23 miles) From Richmond you have the option being transported to Grinton to start your ride or you could cycle the extra 12 miles or so. Today’s section begins the journey south into Wensleydale over the high Grinton moors, which are still peppered with the reminders of the lead mining industry, before making the long climb up Coverdale and over the watershed to the attractive village of Kettlewell in Wharfedale. This is a popular holiday centre; its fine collection of old buildings straddles Cam Gill Beck. On the way today, medieval Bolton Castle provides an opportunity for an interesting break from cycling. It is a place that imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots for a while and also went under siege in the English Civil War.

DAY 3: Kettlewell to Skipton (22.5 miles) This stretch takes lanes down Wharfedale. The contrast between the wide, limestone-dominated middle reaches of the dale seen in the early stages of the section and the narrow grit stone valley closer to Bolton Abbey tomorrow will be apparent. The dominant feature in this part of Wharfedale is the overhanging rock wall of Kilnsey Crag. Consisting of a huge slab of Great Scar Limestone formed from the shells and skeletons of a multitude of tiny sea creatures over 300 million years ago, it is popular with rock climbers. Nearby is Kilnsey Park Aquarium, with opportunities for fishing. You then come into Grassington, the ‘capital’ of upper Wharfedale, between the 17th and 19th centuries the village assumed major importance when lead began to be mined on the moor above. Today the mines, like those in the northern part of the park, are disused, but the village remains busy due to its popularity with visitors.  There is an attractive central square to pedal around before you head off to Skipton for the night. This is a bustling market town, but retains charm and interest. There is a market held along the sides of the High Street on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. At the top of the High Street is Holy Trinity Church, while the entrance to the well-preserved Skipton Castle is nearby.

DAY 4: Skipton to Malham (23 miles) The wooded area of lower Wharfedale is visited before the route crosses spreading farmland to Malhamdale. On the way the 13th century Bolton Priory makes the small village of Bolton Abbey a favorite with visitors and the extensive ruins are well worth a look. There is then Burnsall, with its attractive riverside setting and fine bridge and old houses, is one of the prettiest villages in the national park. Your destination is the small village of Malham, famous for its awesome rock formations, Goredale scar, limestone pavements and waterfalls.

q       DAY 5: Malham to Ingleton (23 miles). The highlights of this part of the cycle way are the peaceful upland waters of Malham Tarn, of international wildlife importance, and Ingleton is famous for the series of waterfalls along the valleys of the Rivers Doe and Twiss: the Ingleton Glens. Again a trail leads you through the best of this Highland scenery. You will also visit Settle another old market town which has some 13^th century features.

q       DAY 6: Ingleton to Hawes (25 miles). This section takes you through five of the Yorkshire dales: Kingsdale, Deepdale, Dentdale, Widdale and Wensleydale. Each has its own distinctive scenery and character. The route reaches into some of the quietest corners of the national park, but finishes at the lively market town of Hawes. Attractions include the cobbled, winding streets and whitewashed cottages of Dent and features of the Settle-Carlisle Railway. This is probably the most scenic line in England and was a triumph of Victorian engineering. The line and the series of viaducts, such as the one at the head of Dentdale, were built in the 1870s by a team of up to 5000 canal workers!

q       DAY 7: Hawes to Grinton (20 miles), return to Richmond (+ 12 miles approx). From Hawes your route lies down Wensleydale, perhaps the easiest of the Yorkshire Dales. From Askrigg, a delightful village featured in television's "All Creatures Great & Small", a steep climb takes you high onto the moors of Askrigg Common. The descent into Swaledale and the trip down Dale to Grinton will make it clear why this Dale is held by many to be the most beautiful of all.  From Grinton you cycle back to Richmond on quiet roads, via the village of Marske.

q       DAY 8: Richmond. Depart after breakfast.

Included in price of tour

Bed and breakfast with ensuite facilities where available. Luggage transfers from Inn to Inn.  Route notes and map package.