Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Circuit (start in York)
Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Circuit (start in York)
7 Nights Self Guided - 158 Miles
24th March to 15th October 2012
£525 Per Person Based Upon 2 Sharing
This tour starts in the magnificent city of York and offers a mix of bustling city life, undulating countryside, and delightful market towns.
Basic Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive York
Day 2 York to Helmsley ~ 25 miles
Day 3 Helmsley to Malton ~ 22 miles
Day 4 Malton to Pocklington ~ 27 miles
Day 5 Pocklington to Hessle ~ 28 miles
Day 6 Hull to Selby ~ 40 miles
Day 7 Selby to York ~ 16 miles
Day 8 Departure
What’s Included:
* Bed and Breakfast Accommodation
* 21 gear hybrid bike with helmet, pannier bag, pump, water bottle, tool kit and lock
* Maps & route details
* Emergency Support
* Luggage transfers
A cycling holiday in the Yorkshire Wolds reveals a wonderful landscape of gently rolling chalk hills and valleys. You will ride through lots of attractive small villages and market towns, including Helmsley, Malton, Howden, Pocklington, Selby and Beverley, and pass by several magnificent abbeys and minsters.
Grade: Moderate with some steep sections once you enter the Howardian Hills.
Meals:
You will normally be staying in a town or village where there is at least one place to buy an evening meal. On the rare occasion that this is not possible, we will book you into an accommodation which provides an evening meal (this is not included in the holiday price). Lunches can usually be bought on route and we can advise you of the days when this is not possible. On these days you can book a packed lunch from your accommodation by letting them know the night before or we can book it for you. These usually cost about £5. Alternatively, most of the towns and villages in which you stay have shops where you can buy items to make up your own packed lunch.
When to Go:
April, May and June are when everything comes to life so it is very green, wild flowers are abundant and blossom abounds. July and August tend to be the warmest months, but it is rarely so warm as to be uncomfortable for walking or cycling. September tends to be one of the most pleasant times in the countryside and is quieter as most people with children have finished their holidays. By October the days are getting shorter and the weather is much more changeable.
Getting There:
By Ferry: to Hull from the continent and then by rail from Hull to York
By Rail: Train to & from York
You will normally be staying in a town or village where there is at least one place to buy an evening meal. On the rare occasion that this is not possible, we will book you into an accommodation which provides an evening meal (this is not included in the holiday price). Lunches can usually be bought on route and we can advise you of the days when this is not possible. On these days you can book a packed lunch from your accommodation by letting them know the night before or we can book it for you. These usually cost about £5. Alternatively, most of the towns and villages in which you stay have shops where you can buy items to make up your own packed lunch.
When to Go:
April, May and June are when everything comes to life so it is very green, wild flowers are abundant and blossom abounds. July and August tend to be the warmest months, but it is rarely so warm as to be uncomfortable for walking or cycling. September tends to be one of the most pleasant times in the countryside and is quieter as most people with children have finished their holidays. By October the days are getting shorter and the weather is much more changeable.
Getting There:
By Ferry: to Hull from the continent and then by rail from Hull to York
By Rail: Train to & from York
Day 1 Arrive in York.
York is steeped in history. Founded by the Romans in AD71, the city remained the capital of Britannia for hundreds of years, Constantine The Great being proclaimed Emperor there in AD306. Since that time York has seen many great upheavals from the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, and later the Vikings, to the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, and so much of this history remains in the form of its Medieval City Walls, York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, and the ancient cobbled streets. Other attractions include theatres, art galleries, excellent shops, restaurants and vibrant cafés.
Day 2 York to Helmsley.
A hilly day today as you leave the flat Vale of York and enter the Howardian Hills. Along the way you may have time to visit the stately home of Beningborough Hall and will later pass the remains of Byland Abbey and Rievaulx Abbey. Helmsley itself is a delightful small town complete with its own castle, but you might just want to try Helmsley’s Lido (outdoor swimming pool) instead. ~ 25 miles
Day 3 Helmsley to Malton.
Quiet country lanes guide you to Castle Howard, the 18th century stately home famous to millions as the setting for TV and film adaptations of Evelyn Waugh’s novel ‘Brideshead Revisited’. From here it is easy cycling to Malton through the valley of the River Derwent. ~ 22 miles
Day 4 Malton to Pocklington.
Today you ascend onto the Yorkshire Wolds, one of the last picturesque areas of the English countryside not to be exploited by tourism. You will find that you often have the quiet country lanes to yourself as you pass through small towns and villages on your way to the lovely market town of Pocklington. ~ 27 miles
Day 5 Pocklington to Hessle.
Your last day takes you down from the Wolds and into Hull via the historic and charming Medieval town of Beverley with its famous Minster and a variety of traditional pubs as well as a fine selection of restaurants and tourist attractions. ~ 28 miles
Day 6 Hessle to Selby.
Today you follow Cycle Route One, part of the National Cycle Network, which is on largely traffic-free roads passing through attractive small villages along the way. Places of interest include the market town of Howden with its medieval Minster (cathedral). Howden is also a nice place to stop for lunch in one of the town’s cafes or tea rooms.The day ends in Selby, another historic small market town with numerous restaurants and shops. ~ 40 miles
Day 7 Selby to York.
This is the shortest day of the tour, which means there is no rush to get started today and you might want to have a leisurely coffee in the Market Square overlooking the imposing and ancient Selby Abbey. You will follow the almost entirely traffic-free Cycle Route 65 today, following the course of the River Ouse, over a reasonably flat flood plain and passing through very pretty scenery and picturesque small villages along the way. The cycle path continues to follow the river right into the centre of York and you can finish you day by enjoying a coffee in one of the many river-front café/bars or by visiting one of the many museums in the city. ~ 16 miles
Day 8 Departure.
York is steeped in history. Founded by the Romans in AD71, the city remained the capital of Britannia for hundreds of years, Constantine The Great being proclaimed Emperor there in AD306. Since that time York has seen many great upheavals from the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, and later the Vikings, to the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, and so much of this history remains in the form of its Medieval City Walls, York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, and the ancient cobbled streets. Other attractions include theatres, art galleries, excellent shops, restaurants and vibrant cafés.
Day 2 York to Helmsley.
A hilly day today as you leave the flat Vale of York and enter the Howardian Hills. Along the way you may have time to visit the stately home of Beningborough Hall and will later pass the remains of Byland Abbey and Rievaulx Abbey. Helmsley itself is a delightful small town complete with its own castle, but you might just want to try Helmsley’s Lido (outdoor swimming pool) instead. ~ 25 miles
Day 3 Helmsley to Malton.
Quiet country lanes guide you to Castle Howard, the 18th century stately home famous to millions as the setting for TV and film adaptations of Evelyn Waugh’s novel ‘Brideshead Revisited’. From here it is easy cycling to Malton through the valley of the River Derwent. ~ 22 miles
Day 4 Malton to Pocklington.
Today you ascend onto the Yorkshire Wolds, one of the last picturesque areas of the English countryside not to be exploited by tourism. You will find that you often have the quiet country lanes to yourself as you pass through small towns and villages on your way to the lovely market town of Pocklington. ~ 27 miles
Day 5 Pocklington to Hessle.
Your last day takes you down from the Wolds and into Hull via the historic and charming Medieval town of Beverley with its famous Minster and a variety of traditional pubs as well as a fine selection of restaurants and tourist attractions. ~ 28 miles
Day 6 Hessle to Selby.
Today you follow Cycle Route One, part of the National Cycle Network, which is on largely traffic-free roads passing through attractive small villages along the way. Places of interest include the market town of Howden with its medieval Minster (cathedral). Howden is also a nice place to stop for lunch in one of the town’s cafes or tea rooms.The day ends in Selby, another historic small market town with numerous restaurants and shops. ~ 40 miles
Day 7 Selby to York.
This is the shortest day of the tour, which means there is no rush to get started today and you might want to have a leisurely coffee in the Market Square overlooking the imposing and ancient Selby Abbey. You will follow the almost entirely traffic-free Cycle Route 65 today, following the course of the River Ouse, over a reasonably flat flood plain and passing through very pretty scenery and picturesque small villages along the way. The cycle path continues to follow the river right into the centre of York and you can finish you day by enjoying a coffee in one of the many river-front café/bars or by visiting one of the many museums in the city. ~ 16 miles
Day 8 Departure.
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British Airways
Currency Converter
Easyjet
Flight search/comparison
Hull Rotterdam Ferries
Jet2 Flights
Ryanair
UK Rail Timetables
Useful Rail information
Weather
