Skipton: Four (more?) days in Yorkshire

[IaninSheffield]

Prologue
(A belated report from a single centre ‘tour’)

This year’s annual ‘tour’ with my good friend and cycling buddy Paul was his choice and inspired following a few days he spent in Skipton with his wife. This vibrant little market town in North Yorkshire offers plenty of choice in accommodation, a good range of eating and drinking options, and surrounded and linked by hills and valleys in all directions, a fantastic hinterland for cycling. Since we weren’t going to be touring, I was looking forward to making the most of my most recent indulgence and hoping it would ease the journeys up and down the Yorkshire Dales.

Sabbath Aspire​

With a scant 70 miles to travel an early start was not needed, so a midday departure would allow for a leisurely drive up. Having generously offered to drive up Paul arrived on time, immediately announcing we would need to travel back to his place to pick up his cycling shoes! Forgetting something will doubtless become an increasingly likely feature of our annual trips as ageing claims more of our dwindling reserves of cerebral matter.

The added miles and an ‘interesting’ detour around the backstreets of Bradford following a coffee stop meant that we arrived in Skipton perfectly just after four. It was almost as though the travel gods had purposefully and sensibly glitched our journey to effect a timely arrival.

The B&B was handily situated almost in the town centre, though hopefully tucked in a corner far enough away from any late night revellers, which indeed it proved to be.
Our evening's repast was taken, as has become custom on at least one evening, courtesy of Wetherspoon's - simple fare which filled a gap, enjoyed with a good beer or two.
Tomorrow the cycling begins.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Day 1 (10th June) - Malham Cove
52 miles, 4323 feet of ascent
A dangerous descent?

After a slightly troubled night's sleep (pillow too firm!) the day broke with sunlight flooding the room. A hopeful start. Unusually, the B&B offers two breakfast options: a continental, which is provided in the room, or for a £5 supplement, a full English served elsewhere. Whilst the full monty is always appreciated, we were both happy to settle for the lighter option, thereby saving both time and the possibility of a full stomach on which to start a ride.
Fruit juice, tea, porridge pot, banana, pain au chocolate, and an apple later, and we were ready to roll.

After assembling the bikes we were off for around 10:00, Paul having first to return to the room for his bidon and me having forgotten to lube my nice, clean chain. Were we always this forgetful or can we legitimately blame it on advancing years? My failure to lube only became apparent when heading up the hill out of Skipton to the accompaniment of graunching gears.

Visitor Centre in Malham​

Although the B road heading away from Skipton was busier than we might have preferred, at Rylestone we picked up the quieter back lanes heading over towards Malham. I've always wanted to take a look at the large, curved, natural limestone amphitheatre that is Malham Cove, so I'd planned the route to sweep us up past it. Unfortunately, or not, that meant leaving Malham up one of Simon Warren's 100 Greatest Climbs - #47, although it only merits a 7/10 on the Warren scale. Roadside gradient signs warned of what was to come, but thankfully nothing too savage.

Malham Cove​

Shortly after we'd captured this snap of the Cove, and just past the halfway point, a car ahead had come to a standstill and remained so, but it wasn’t clear why. Walking a little closer revealed an accident scene in which a motorcyclist descending the hill had collided with a car ascending. Although the poor chap was lying on the road, he had several friends with him and fortunately didn't appear to be in undue distress.

Being on two wheels can have it’s dangers​

After edging past the scene and checking that all was in hand, we continued onwards as the air ambulance arrived and began circling for a space to land.
The remainder of the climb wasn't unduly demanding and we were soon near the summit enjoying a distant view of Malham Tarn, a glacial upland lake. Although not too bleak, we were now on the Moors and about to begin an extended descent towards Settle which was spoiled by the road having been recently chip-and-sealed, the loose surface requiring a more circumspect descent than we might otherwise have deployed.

Since Settle was near the halfway point, we took a break for coffee and cake at the Naked Man Cafe, overlooking the market Square. A pleasant half hour in the sun whilst being generously entertained by motorists in SUVs squabbling over rare parking spaces. Most amusing. We were delighted that for once our route from Settle didn't take us up High Hill, a tortuously demanding, extended climb which we've suffered twice in the past. A real lung and leg buster. Today however, we had the far more forgiving route towards Barnoldswick along the Ribble Valley. Here the back roads were truly quiet, offering pleasant views as they swept round bends and dipped into shallow valleys.

Crossing the Ribble near Paythorne​

After waiting for an extremely wide load to negotiate its way onto a building site, we shortly found ourselves at Greenberfield locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal where our navigation skills temporarily eluded us and we mistakenly joined the canal towpath for a while. Although the surface was reasonable, the canal wiggled back and forth, contouring around the local topography and confusing my sense of direction completely, so much so that by the time we rejoined a road, I felt like we were headed in the wrong direction completely! Fortunately the Garmin had re-routed us correctly and, despite the sun seeming to be over the wrong shoulder, we were headed in exactly the right direction. Even more welcome was the gradually descending gradient, the (mostly) tailwind, and the blissfully smooth tarmac, so much so that remaining miles through Gargrave and onto Skipton flew by.

Crossing the Leeds and Liverpool​

Perhaps they helped leave the sense that today had provided the gentle introduction we'd aimed for, in spite of the ferocious headwind up on the tops and the 1100m of ascent. It certainly wasn't as sapping as those figures might imply, or maybe the roads and environment provided a more than adequate distraction.

Despite arriving back around 4pm, it took a while to decide where to eat in the evening. Initially seduced by the prospect of a Turkish meal, sadly it would have meant eating too late and both of us had long passed the threshold of mere peckishness. Instead we booked in at 'Calico Jack's', a Mexican themed restaurant and not the kind of place I would normally visit … and as a consequence, exactly the right place to go. I've never had tacos in a restaurant before, nor tortillas - this evening I had both. Not haute cuisine perhaps, but tasty and more than generous portions, sufficiently ‘generous’ in fact to keep me company for the next twenty four hours. The evening was made even more pleasant by a pre-prandial visit to the 'Early Doors Micropub', a tiny, niche establishment serving locally brewed beers - until it closes at 8pm - to folks who enjoy quality beer rather than quantity.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Day 2 (11th June) - Dent RailRide
46 miles, 4072 feet of ascent
Wharfedale won my heart.

Weather conditions once more prompted our decision making, with a strong WSW gusting to 40mph on the menu. Heading east to come back into that was not going to be on the cards, so we chose today to take a train up to Dent and ride back via another of Simon Warren's Greatest Climbs - Fleet Moss, #50.

Skipton station​

The train from Skipton was busy when it arrived, obliging us to have to stand with our bikes and sadly miss looking out upon the views afforded on the iconic Settle - Carlisle line, but at least we got a brief glimpse of the Ribblehead viaduct towering over the multitude of walkers out for a stroll/hike. At the rather exposed Dent station we disembarked into decidedly windy and somewhat chilly conditions, wondering whether to don windproofs.

A more than breezy Dent station​

Although it was quite a drop from the station down to Cowgill, knowing we had a testing climb back up to Top o' Dent, we wisely held the extra layer in reserve. The first few miles were mostly spent accompanying the burbling upper reaches of the River Dee as it tumbled in the opposite direction down the gorge, and this set the scene for a good portion of the rest of the day. After passing Denthead viaduct, the remainder of the climb unfolded taking us out onto the Moors to make the left turn then descend towards Hawes. And what a descent it was! With the wind now behind us, good tarmac, and a long, long way to drop, free miles came aplenty. As a Dales village, Hawes draws a wide range of tourist visitors, but most of the others arriving astride two wheels had been propelled there by petrol rather than porridge and pain au chocolat. The growl and roar of beefy, litre-plus engines all too regularly swept through the town and past our seat outside a cafe. But as a(n ex-) motorcyclist, it was entertaining to watch nonetheless.

Upcycling?​

Coffee'd and caked up, we were now as ready as we would ever be to tackle the 600m of Fleet Moss and succumb to or surmount its 9/10 rating. Leaving Hawes up through the small settlement of Gayle isn't too demanding until rounding a corner, most of the remainder of the climb becomes visible, stretching far into the distance up the valley. It looks to become steeper towards the end, but precisely how steep isn't plain until you get much closer. Just to add a further frisson, the wind that had been at our backs during the earlier descent now came roaring down the valley into our faces. For most of the climb, the gradient and the wind were no more than bothersome, but as the summit was neared and the road tipped skywards at 20%, not once but twice in succession, I wasn't sure my lungs could cope with the exertion! On the bright side, the 11-34 tooth cassette I'd specified when ordering the Aspire proved a smart choice and even on the steepest part of the climb left me with a couple of sprockets still to go before I hit the limit.

Another cyclist about to head back the way we've come​

At the apparent summit, which of course proved to be false, we were able to look back down the valley at what we had achieved and look forward to what was sure to be a marvellous descent. With the wind on the actual summit gusting first one way then the other, I was grateful we weren't actually travelling the other direction like the cyclist in the photo. Even so, some of the steep initial sections in our direction down towards Wharfedale were a little hairy as the bike was pitched back and forth by the buffeting breeze, not helped perhaps by me choosing for this trip a musette as my carry all and which predictably flapped in the breeze like a set of bloomers on a washing line. However, once we'd dropped off the steeper sections leaving the exposed moorland behind, and it became more sheltered within the steep-sided valley, we could fully enjoy the spectacle of Wharfedale.

Following the upper reaches of the Wharfe
​

The tiny narrow lane following the river as it tumbled down the valley alongside us, the pretty stone cottages alongside the lane, occasional arched stone bridges spanning the river, sheep and their lambs straying along the roadside, and the lushness of the vegetation as summer unfurls, all contributed to a sense of contentment. In particular however, it was more free miles requiring minimal effort with the road following the course of the river mostly downhill, and what breeze there was now once more urging us along.

At Kettlewell we took another coffee break, not because we desperately needed it, but simply to spend a few minutes enjoying yet one more delightful Dales village. Wharfedale finally yielded its charm when, shortly after Burnsall, we had to hop back over Barden Moor to Skipton.

Looking back over Barden Moor​

On the route profile this looked like one of those final blips to be created towards the end of the ride. From the foot of yet another long, tortuous, steep climb up and over the Moors, it was an entirely different proposition. On the profile, and next to Fleet Moss, this looked like nothing. On the ground confronted by the topography, it most definitely was, especially as once more we were climbing directly into the howling wind. Tough as it was, I was once more grateful for the light weight and gearing of the Aspire as it ushered me ever upwards and successfully over the top. As we swept down the remaining few miles to Skipton, I was really warming to my new bike.

After returning to the micropub prior to our evening repast, the abdominal pain that was the legacy of last night's TexMex, and which had been plaguing me all day, pressed home a little more firmly. So despite the excellent beers on offer, I settled glumly but wisely for just a half pint. Sadly I needed to be similarly circumspect when choosing from the enticing restaurant menu in the Thai we had chosen and couldn't join Paul in sampling more widely. What a shame, but perhaps better to try to restore my digestive health for tomorrow.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Day 3 (12th June) - Otley
47 miles, 3969 feet of ascent
A day of two halves.
The first involved a pleasant pootle out along the Wharfe valley, followed by a return leg into the teeth of the south-westerly that's plagued us since we arrived, whilst also negotiating successive climbs up and over the moors.

The day began late. My fault. I think yesterday's illness knocked me out somewhat, but at least my digestive system felt rather less volatile when I eventually awoke. Consequently it was nearly eleven when we finally had wheels rolling as we headed along the quiet back lanes towards Bolton Abbey.

​

A quick pause to see the steam trains at Embassy station only disappointed, yielding a count of zero, so it was onwards to Bolton on what proved to be a popular route with local and other cyclists, singly and in groups. Doubtless that it was Sunday contributed to the throngs.

Bolton Priory​

A brief pause in Bolton to take in the Priory, but it was still too early for coffee, so on we pressed keeping company with the Wharfe, sometimes closely and sometimes from above. Skirting the edge of Ilkley, the tail wind and gently undulating terrain soon wafted us into Otley and almost halfway … certainly far enough to legitimately call for a break. A quiet little vegetarian cafe called Sift drew us in offering vegan cakes to supplement the coffee. With interest I opted for a gluten free banana and chocolate cake, and what a revelation! You could taste the ingredients without being overpowered by sugar. Really delicious … as was the coffee.

Wharfedale Press sculpture, Otley​

Reluctantly we had to press on knowing that we would now be both turning into the wind and facing several climbs. Although none of the climbs presented quite the severity of yesterday's, they followed one another in quick succession. Not only did the wind challenge your legs to work harder on the climb, but once atop the summit, blew with exposed ferocity. Some of the views from up on Bingley Moor were so impressive, offering panoramic vistas up and down the Aire Valley, yet it was difficult to appreciate them with your chin tucked into your chest as you battled onwards. Such a shame.

Waiting for this widebeam boat to pass through a swingbridge near Silsden
​

Dropping down into Silsden then over the canal suggested the end was near, especially as the mileage neared the expected total. But no, another little tester up alongside Black Hill was demanded before the final run into Skipton. It's those unexpected little twists that I find particularly sapping - I much prefer to know what I'm facing so I can mentally prepare. I think if I hadn't had to battle the wind during the brutal second half, my spirits would have been much higher and I'd have finished more satisfied than drained.

A rather appropriate Bombay Bicycle Beer​

Blissfully, all travails were forgotten thanks to our evening's refreshments, courtesy first of all of a couple of beers - Rhu Bar Beer from Yorkshire Heart Brewery in particular for me. Then tonight was curry night as we opted for Bangladeshi/Indian cuisine at the Craven Kitchen, with its local rather than eastern name. The food was outstanding, both in terms of variety and quality. I'm always keen to seek out the new so I immediately scan for things I've never had before. Here we were both spoiled with choice aplenty, but were even more delighted with the subtlety of flavours and quality of meats. The cod for me and lamb for Paul were excellent, the side dishes were superb and even the rice and breads were done to perfection. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Day 4 (13th June) - Bradford
0 miles, 0 feet of ascent
No cycling to see here. Move along now.

Bradford City Hall​

After three days on the bike Paul, or a rather certain part of his anatomy, was ready for a rest day so we decided to catch the train into Bradford and explore a city with which neither of us was familiar. It's a direct train, a pleasant fifty minute journey along the valleys, and with a Railcard, just over a fiver for a return ticket.

Checking the website of the Science Museum we intended to visit, it transpired that the museum was closed on Mondays. No matter, we'll try the Industrial Museum then. Erm, also closed. Seeking inspiration we popped into the Visitor Information centre. 'Well there's an interesting arcade in a set of tunnels and then there's an area called Little Germany where the architecture is quite interesting'. The arcade was … yep, closed, but at least we did enjoy a wander around Little Germany. Certainly it was an interesting area, but our short amble would have been greatly enhanced had we only had access to an audio tour.

Hockney: A portrait in nails​

Being somewhat familiar with Saltaire, Paul made the inspired suggestion to head back towards Skipton where we could drop in to Salt's Mill, have a wander round and perhaps check out the Hockney Gallery. After a cheap and not so cheerful bite to eat in the Oastler Market we returned to the station Saltaire bound. And, strike four. Salt's Mill was closed too!

We stopped off in Keighley for a walk around, but with nothing capturing our interest there either, open or closed we caught the next train home. Despite being thwarted at most turns, a day just ambling around places I've never been before is never a loss. As I regularly repeat, I do enjoy treading new ground, wherever that might be.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

After a slightly troubled night's sleep (pillow too firm!)

Whilst the full monty is always appreciated, we were both happy to settle for the lighter option

it was still too early for coffee

I'm sorry, @IaninSheffield but I don't understand these sentences

Great, descriptive write up!

Thanks for sharing

 

[IaninSheffield]

Day 5 (14th June) - Forest of Bowland
50 miles, 3572 feet of ascent
Something more gentle.

Our original plan for today was to head over to Hebden Bridge, but with the prospect of a total of 1700m of climbing, we chickened out for the more leisurely option. Also in our favour, the south westerly wind that plagued us during preceding days had mercifully all but disappeared.
Our route-finding skills seemed to have temporarily deserted us for the first few miles as we left town and unfortunately picked up the A59 then A56. Fortunately these trunk roads were not too busy and after Barnoldswick we were onto much quieter, more undulating and leafier lanes. We never tangled too closely with the moors above us, instead weaving amongst lush pastureland being manicured by juvenile lambs or cut by farmers presumably for winter hay. The smell of newly mown grass is wonderfully intoxicating, more so when it's matured for a few days.

Sawley Bridge crossing the Ribble
​

After turning north toward Bolton by Bowland, we stopped for coffee and cake at The Garden Kitchen, part of a garden centre. Away from towns and villages where shops and cafes are more commonplace, garden centres are often a welcome source of sustenance when out on the bike. Suitably refreshed, the next section nipping around the lanes overlooking the Ribble valley was joyful with the backdrop of the Pennine moors and hills no more than an empty threat … at least for today.

Multiple memorials in Tosside​

The homeward section duplicated some of Day 1's final miles, but was not to be faulted because of that. The cycling really was blissfully rewarding weaving back and forth between villages, around farms and sometimes over the canal. Even the final few miles back into Skipton along the busy B6265 was tolerable as we swept downhill to complete our final ride.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Gargrave​

Following a couple of refreshers in the Yorkshire Rose, as a treat we decided to head to a local Turkish restaurant, the Efendi. We'd tried to book last Friday, but they only had tables available after 8pm; too late for hungry cyclists. On a Tuesday however, we were more hopeful. After arriving on time at 7 and our order being taken fairly promptly, it was then an hour before our starters appeared, then another half hour for the mains. I think Paul enjoyed his meal more than I did, but for me it was simply uninspiring. I've rarely, if ever, eaten Turkish food and was hoping for something exotic. Dishes to tantalise my taste buds. As usual I selected something I'd never had before - feta with dill and parsley in filo for the starter, and lamb beyti (minced lamb wrapped in lavash coated in a tomato sauce and with salad) for main. Perhaps I chose poorly, but there was nothing which sang out making me desperate for more. Underwhelming. Such a shame on our last night.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Great stuff, looks like fine weather as well.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Epilogue

Skipton Canal Basin bowled over by a sculpture of Fred Trueman​

Despite Efendy's attempt to put a dampener on proceedings, Skipton provided yet another excellent 'tour' base. With a couple of bike shops (fortunately not needed), a wide range of amenities, easy public transport access to the West Yorkshire conurbation and beyond, and crucially, an area offering a varied selection of great cycling, the town has so much to offer.

We were of course mostly lucky with the weather this week, although the wind was at times quite ferocious, the rain behaved itself by only making an appearance during the night. I can't imagine enjoying the same level of delight in my surroundings cycling down through Upper Wharfedale had it been tipping down with rain.

Eshton Hall​

Complementing the charms of Skipton was the new bike, the Sabbath Aspire. It was a treat I didn't need, but the cash I’d earned on an unexpected work project could be fancifully spent. I have other bikes I enjoy riding so the Aspire was an n+1 dedicated to summer riding. But what a revelation! It's such a joy to be scooting along country lanes enjoying not only my surroundings, but the impeccable manners of the bike. Apart from that brief spell of graunching gears which were immediately remedied with half a turn of the barrel adjuster, I've been delighted with flawless performance. The gears are superb, the brakes excellent, the relaxed geometry almost perfect, at least for me. And how much its sylph-like weight helped me climbing Fleet Moss and other hills made the world of difference this week. More importantly perhaps, it's helped me past my reticence with drop bars - provided the stem is not so low as to drag me into a sporty profile, I can enjoy this slightly different riding position. I foresee many more (s)miles to some.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Great stuff, looks like fine weather as well.

Indeed it was. Refreshingly cool, bit windy at times, but the only rain we got was overnight.

 

[roley poley]

Skipton is my destination on the brompton along the tow path from leeds ..a pootle round ,a meal ,a few beers and then fold up to catch the X84 bus home ....a nice day out

 

[taximan]

A well written report, thank you for posting

 

[ricknmorty28]

I love this thread, Yorkshire has so much to offer, I read a lovely blog post from a website called enjoy Yorkshire. The name of the blog post is 'The Best Walks in Yorkshire' I know that its not cycling-related, but i'm sure some of these gorgeous Yorkshire walking spots you'd be able to cycle round!!

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Skipton is my destination on the brompton along the tow path from leeds ..a pootle round ,a meal ,a few beers and then fold up to catch the X84 bus home ....a nice day out

Leeds to Skipton all cycleable on a brommie?
How long does it take you?


pub recommendations in skipton?
sorry - 3 questions.

 

[roley poley]

Leeds to Skipton all cycleable on a brommie?
How long does it take you?


pub recommendations in skipton?
sorry - 3 questions.

the towpath is fine....takes about 3 hours but i do pootle to take advantage of the lack of traffic.....cock and bottle pub among many...enjoy