I rode this ride eleven years ago to the day. The occasion was part of a local tourism body outdoors festival that has taken place in various forms over the years each September. I met Rupert Douglas, co-creator of the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route, Big Skies Bike Rides and Way of the Roses, to do this hilly loop from the free carpark in Stamford Bridge. This is an extract from a blog post I wrote back in 2013…

Last weekend I took a 30-mile cycle ride with Rupert Douglas, creator of the Big Skies Bike Rides that I have written about over the last couple of years. The ride wasn’t one of the eight circular routes described previously, being longer, harder and starting further from the Yorkshire Wolds than any of the others.

Stamford Bridge is an ideal base from which to cycle on to the western escarpment of the Yorkshire Wolds – the steepest area. This ride passed through Acklam in North Yorkshire then on to the attractive East Yorkshire villages of Millington, Great Givendale and Bishop Wilton. There are few opportunities for refreshments along the way, but we made use of an extended stop at the Ramblers’ Rest. Unusually there weren’t many cyclists at the tables outside, which was a pity; I couldn’t recall a better day for cycling in the Yorkshire Wolds this year. It was glorious.

I had always thought of Stamford Bridge as being in North Yorkshire, but apparently it falls within the East Riding of Yorkshire. Anyway, this ride was advertised as part of the Walking and Outdoor Festival by ‘Visit Hull and East Yorkshire’ (14th – 22nd September). Patrick and I had tried to follow this route last year and after taking the little bridge over the River Derwent we travelled north before turning east towards Buttercrambe. It wasn’t long before we turned off the ever-so-slightly main road and headed for Barthorpe. This is a lovely road and we rode side by side without any traffic to bother us as we gabbed all the way about cycling stuff. The conversation became tougher as the roads around Acklam pointed upwards and here we took a different, supposedly easier, route from the one Patrick and I had taken up Thrussendale Road. It was still a stiff little climb.

Past the communications mast it was on to the familiar Roman road and the gradual, gentle incline to Garrowby Hill – the highest point of the Yorkshire Wolds. On a clear day such as this one there are excellent views over the Vale of York. After crossing the A166 it is always a pleasure to descend to Millington, whether stopping for something to eat or drink or not.

From Millington we went out on a road I had never ridden before. A thrilling descent followed before the struggle to regain height once more on the steady climb to Great Givendale. I’m not sure I could have captured the beauty of the early autumn scene as a herd of cows grazed around a pond. I’ve been cycling in this area for more than thirty years and I’ve never seen that particular view before. Perhaps it’s just as well I didn’t pause to take a photograph. We were running late after the longish stop in Millington and I would probably have been disappointed at my efforts to do justice to the scene.

Another unfamiliar and splendid road led us to Bishop Wilton and another diversion from last year’s route. Rupert had arrived in Stamford Bridge with his road bike on the back of the car, and didn’t fancy the bridleway Patrick and I had taken last year. So an alternative route along the road known locally as Snake Lane. True to its name it wriggled and twisted for much of its length. Fortnately the motorists we met took to the grass verges as they passed us in the opposite direction. We crossed the minor, but busy, road between Pocklington and Stamford Bridge and took the quiet alternative route back to the car park there.

I should probably have dared to take more than one photograph, but the ride was advertised as being one ridden at a brisk pace (a little under 14mph as it turned out) and I didn’t want to slow things down any further. This was a superb route and although I would happily have gone along the bridleway with my 28mm Gatorskins I particularly enjoyed the Snake Lane diversion. And I especially enjoyed chatting with Rupert Douglas about cycling in the Yorkshire Wolds and beyond. As well as putting together the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route he is also the creator of the Way of the Roses coast-to-coast route – wayoftheroses.info – is the only official site.

Patrick takes the alternative route via the track after High Belthorpe on the Western Wolds Big Skies Bike Ride

(As mentioned, the Stamford Bridge Big Skies Bike Ride was not one of the original eight – the others start from Wolds-edge towns and villages that feature on the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route – and perhaps that’s why the ride no longer features on the East Riding council’s list of these routes. Yes, there is a potentially busy road northwest out of Stamford Bridge, but I’m not sure if that’s why it can’t be found easily any more. At any rate we can use the Wayback Machine for the Western Wolds Big Skies Bike Ride map.)

In the decade that followed that ride with Rupert I’ve passed through Bishop Wilton on a number of occasions. Many of the visits have been to check out potential routes for the Sykes Churches Trail and to make use of the excellent community shop, which is run by volunteers, as described by Sarah-May Buccieri for the BBC after the Times newspaper listed Bishop Wilton as one of the best secret villages in which to live.

Thrussendale Road – detailed by Roger England in his excellent Hill Climbs on the Yorkshire Wolds – leads out of Bishop Wilton on its way up to the A166. It’s a pity that the cycle track on the southern path at Garrowby Hill doesn’t extend to the top of Thrussendale Road as this would open up further route opportunities for touring cyclists and roadies alike without having to face the terrifically busy main road.

View the Garmin Course of the Western Wolds Big Skies Bike Ride.

Even before a well-received exhibition of ‘A Bigger Picture’ at the Royal Academy in 2012, Visit Hull & East Yorkshire tried to raise the profile of ‘Hockney Country’ and bring tourists in to this relatively overlooked part of the county. At some point those responsible for tourism in East Yorkshire and the Wolds, with the help of Rupert Douglas, set about creating eight (later nine) ‘Big Skies Bike Rides’, borrowing a phrase Hockney used to describe the skies over the American West. The Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route includes a number of Hockney locations; however, despite most of those short, circular Big Skies Bike Rides covering the roads travelled by Hockney, there doesn’t seem to have been any attempt made to combine all of the locations chosen by the man himself and link them all together. This post aims to do just that. ‘Hockney Trail: A Cyclist’s Route’ is a little over 100 miles and (with the exception of the busy A166 at Garrowby Hill) takes in all known places studied by ‘Britain’s favourite living artist’.

In trying to avoid main roads as much as possible – and to limit going over the same ground – the route falls naturally in to two distinct parts. The eastern section goes out to the coast through Kilham via Thwing and then Rudston and the standing stone there before returning again through Kilham after the shallow climb of Woldgate. The western section sits entirely within the “candidate area” currently being assessed by Natural England for Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty status. (It seems fair to suggest that the epithet ‘Hockney Country’ has given some renewed impetus for this long overdue designation.) The western section is less spread out and is a loop taking in a number of Wolds favourites.

Take a minor detour to visit Britain’s tallest megalith. It would be rood not to…

Hockney Trail: A Cyclist’s Route – overview

You can view both the Garmin Activity and Strava segment for this Hockney Trail: A Cyclist’s Route. (Edit August 2024: these links updated to include the climb up to Cowlam in order to view ‘A Road Across the Wolds‘.) I am indebted to Simon Gregson for his detailed analysis of the Hockney locations. Although all images here are my own – you will note that I dutifully observe Hockney’s assertion that “you can’t photograph the landscapes here” – I reproduce in limited form some of the information Simon gathered, specifically the grid references first published on www.yocc.co.uk, since delisted.

Hockney Trail: A Cyclist’s Route outline in Garmin Connect

In the version of the route detailed here we start at Huggate, one of the highest villages on the Wolds, although I first rode the full course from nearby Field House campsite, an excellent base for Yorkshire Wolds day rides. (Alternative places to begin the ride might include Sledmere, Weaverthorpe – or even Bempton if choosing to arrive by train.) From Huggate the route drops to Wetwang then climbs to Sledmere along Life Hill.

(St Andrew’s, Kirby Grindalythe on the Sykes Churches Trail is notable for its mosaic by the Venice and Murano Glass & Mosaic Co. depicting the Ascension. At barely a dozen miles in to the ride it is perhaps too soon to make a stop, but its west wall is a rather impressive affair.)

From Kirby Grindalythe we travel along the ‘Great Wold Valley’ and pick up the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route as far as the outskirts of Foxholes before taking the road to Thwing. Our first visit to Kilham is preceded by our first Hockney locations – not pictured – ‘The Road to Thwing, Late Spring‘ (Grid: TA 05801 66398), albeit viewed over the shoulder, along with ‘Harvesting Near the Road to Thwing‘ are followed by ‘Hawthorn Blossom near Rudston‘ (not listed on yocc.co.uk).

‘Hawthorn Blossom near Rudston‘. Er, probably

‘Track and Hedgerow‘ (Grid: TA 08862 66665) just before Rudston and painted in January 2006 featured in the last of the 80 outtakes from Bruce Wollheim from his 2010 documentary.

Moving on from there towards Grindale via Rudston – with a short, lumpy stretch of occasionally busy road – gets us back on the YWCR and Buckton, Bempton, Sewerby and Bridlington. There are galleries in Bridlington as well as plenty of places to eat, but my recommendation would be The Gallery Tea Rooms in Buckton which, rather neatly, doubles as a gallery for watercolour artist Richard Burton.

The Gallery Tea Rooms, Buckton

All the way from Grindale the trail deliberately follows the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route to deliver us to Woldgate and the concentration of places Hockney chose to study in oil and iPad.

There are numerous Woldgate locations detailed by Simon Gregson on www.yocc.co.uk, most of which I haven’t photographed, but which can be viewed from the laybys that pepper this Roman road. The exception would appear to be ‘Walnut Trees‘ (Grid: TA 13622 67512.) Simon suggests a stop at ‘Woldgate Woods‘ (Grid: TA 13723 67017) and that by “parking your car there, you can [...] go down the hill following a track to Boynton. It is down this track that ‘Walnut Trees’ was painted.”

The Woldgate locations between Bessingby Hill (Bridlington) and Kilham

In following the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route (and the Way of the Roses) from the Bridlington coast the trail makes its way to Woldgate. It avoids a Hockney location at this point, but for those wishing to scrupulously observe each point of interest – albeit this particular one filmed rather than painted – a detour from the Garmin/Strava route is not far: ‘25 Trees between Bridlington School and Morrison’s supermarket along Bessingby Road in the Semi-Egyptian style‘ (Grid: TA 17217 66786). See the Bessingby Road page from Visit East Yorkshire’s web site for a minor detour if you wish. Best viewed from the entrance to the fire station, apparently.

Back on to Woldgate and the places of interest come thick and fast. What follows is a list of locations you may wish to keep an eye out for…

‘Woldgate Tree‘ (Grid: TA 15630 67353) and nearby ‘Lovely Day with Puddles‘, ‘Woldgate Winter Tree, 2006‘ and ‘Road and Two Trees East Yorkshire‘.

‘The Arrival of Spring‘ (Grid: TA 14520 67316)

‘Woldgate Woods‘ (Grid: TA 13723 67019) and from there the track towards Boynton and ‘Walnut Trees‘ (Grid: TA 13622 67512) as detailed earlier – ‘Walnut Trees‘ is not on the Garmin/Strava route for this ride.

‘Winter Timber‘ (Grid: TA 13206 66872), and a totem since cut down by vandals. Just beyond this a right turn heads towards Boynton. Apparently, at the edge of the woods down the hill the painting ‘Roads and Cornfields‘ was created, as well as the watercolour ‘After Rain‘.

‘Early Blossom Woldgate‘ (Grid: TA 12011 66380) before a hedgerow in the left and a small lane across the fields. The painting was made looking towards Kilham.

Woldgate leads directly to Kilham where ‘Midsummer‘, and the puddle and tunnel locations follow in quick succession.

‘Midsummer‘ (Grid: TA 06516 64423) the view of the church from East Street is one from the ‘Midsummer’ series.

‘Puddle Near Kilham‘ (Grid: TA 05093 64620), it seems likely…

‘Late Spring Tunnel’, Kilham (Grid: TA 04814 64760)

After the tunnel continue on the road to Langtoft (just before the village ‘Tracks into a Wheatfield near Langtoft‘ is on the right beyond a gated entrance).

‘Tracks into a Wheatfield near Langtoft‘ (Grid: TA 01433 66160)

Once in the village take the second exit north on the mini-roundabout and a short uphill stretch of the B1249 before picking up the minor road left along the road towards Sledmere. (Note also that St Peter’s, Langtoft is a significant church sadly omitted from the Sykes Churches Trail: A Cyclist’s route. Follow the brown tourist signs for a short diversion if you would like to tick this one off.) This ultimately brings us back to the Great Wold Valley near Helperthorpe, where the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route is picked up again briefly before a turning left at the crossroads at the bottom of the hill to head up to Cowlam and go along ‘The Road Across the Wolds‘.

Collingwood House from ‘The Road Across the Wolds’

(At the top of the climb to the Cowlam crossroads we head down to Sledmere passing Collingwood House which features in that oil on canvas painting. The B1253 can be busy, but even this risk averse cyclist isn’t fazed by the mostly downhill stretch in to Sledmere. Just don’t ride it uphill would be my advice.)

The rotunda seen in ‘The Road to York Through Sledmere‘

A word of caution. The mostly downhill stretch of the B1251 from Sledmere heading west has caused me no upset, but it’s arguably not for the squeamish. (It can be busy, but I can always get a move on; I wouldn’t choose to ride in the opposite direction uphill, though.) The Big G Sportive takes this road as far as the roundabout near the picnic area and Yorkshire Wolds Railway sidings – before heading north along the B1248 – but we go straight over the roundabout and continue along the B1251 on the way to the village of Fimber, carefully taking the right turn to Burdale. We’re heading to Thixendale now along the narrow valley road that has become rather busy in recent times. There is just enough room on the far side of the road to pull over in to the scrape of a layby-cum-passing place and view ‘Three Trees near Thixendale‘.

‘Three Trees near Thixendale‘ (Grid: SE 86822 62287)

In Thixendale (Cross Keys pub, village hall refreshments Sundays only) take the steep road immediately beside the village hall and head up towards the Roman road. Once over, take particular care on the steep descent through Uncleby Wold, follow the road around and take a left to pass through Kirby Underdale and drop again before the climb of Painsthorpe Lane.

‘Bugthorpe Valley’(Grid: SE 82216 58275) or Painsthorpe Dale near the top of the road out of Kirby Underdale

At the Roman road again, take a left and then a right along the ‘Fuller Gallery Road’. Regular viewers of the BBC’s The One Show will be familiar with Robert Fuller’s wildlife videos that allow us to share moments from the lives, loves – and occasionally deaths – of stoats, kestrels and owls etc. The gallery is an impressive setup.

Fuller Gallery, Fotherdale, Yorkshire Wolds

At the bottom of the gallery’s road take the sharp right uphill towards Huggate. The trailer for Bruno Wollheim’s ‘David Hockney: A Bigger Picture’ documentary shows the artist and his assistant struggling with the wind as they wrestle with an easel and the quickly changing light.

The painting shown in this Huggate Road scene from the trailer is not specifically referred to as ‘A Bigger Picture’ exhibited work – perhaps it was never completed – but the view is over to Fotherdale and the Fuller Gallery

(As we near the layby on the left of Huggate Road we see where Hockney pulled over to set up on the opposite side of the single track road. Further along is where ‘Wheat Field near Fridaythorpe‘ (Grid SE 84462 60096) was painted. It featured on the August 2020 cover of British Vogue.)

Over the A166 – a very busy road – I don’t go as far as Huggate just yet, instead picking up the clockwise Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route in the direction of ‘Garrowby Hill‘. However, rather than revisiting that main road at the staggered crossing of the A166 – detour if you must be faithful to all of the Hockney locations – I stay on the road, bearing left, and drop down the hill in the direction of Givendale. Watch out for a tight left turn towards Millington that you’ll need to take, though.

On this route I don’t go in to the village itself, but the attractions there include the Gait Inn, Ramblers’ Rest tearoom and a repurposed phone box converted to provide spares and tools for passing cyclists.

Millington Dale is a beautiful and rewarding valley to pass through on any cycle ride. It brings us towards Huggate.

‘Wider Valley, Millington‘ (Grid: SE 84790 53949) on both the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route and Way of the Roses

NB The Garmin/Strava routes don’t show a diversion immediately before Huggate, but those wishing to visit the location for ‘Huggate’s St Mary’s Church Spire‘ can follow the blue cycle route signs pointing in the direction of the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route. After a few hundred metres look for a layby on the opposite side of the road from which the church can be seen.

‘Huggate’s St Mary’s Church Spire‘ (Grid: SE 87336 55336) on a drizzly day. Note that you will need to detour slightly from the Garmin/Strava course to view this scene

If you have taken the short out-and-back to view St Mary’s Church spire, Hugggate from the York Road, return to enter the village then take the right turn before the Wolds Inn and continue on to Warter. A right turn at the B1246 T junction and a left turn opposite the village pond will take you to Bailey Dale and the climb of Bailey Lane to ‘Warter Vista‘ (Grid: SE 87765 49310), which can’t really be viewed without stopping at the roadside and taking a look back down the dale.

At the end of this road there is an unremarkable clump of trees over on the right. They were planted to replace those chopped down before Hockney could finish painting them for the third and fourth seasons – ‘Bigger Trees Nearer Warter, 2008‘ (Grid: SE 88432 48763) – see this Hockney Foundation video (not to be confused with the final location on this tour). Instead, we have ‘Less Trees near Warter‘, which would appear to have been created not long after the trees were felled.

The last painting on this Hockney Trail was one I found particularly difficult to photograph for inclusion here. I actually went to see ‘Bigger Trees near Warter‘ (Grid: SE 89487 50188) at Ferens Art Gallery, Hull some years ago. The fifty panels were curved at the sides. Was it to suggest the way that nature envelops us as we are inexorably drawn in to it? Or something. No, there simply wasn’t enough space to display the full installation, and so they had to curl the edges round to fit it all in the room. Similarly, I couldn’t get far enough back to photograph the full view of it in the flesh, as Hockney himself admits:

Bruno Wollheim: “The view you’ve got must be way back there.”

David Hockney: “Yes, it is, yeah. Well, in your head you can go anywhere. Didn’t you know that?”

Watch one of the 80 outtakes released on Hockney’s 80th birthday: Outtake 5/80 ‘Sketching Bigger Trees Near Warter, 19th April 2006′ by Bruno Wollheim on YouTube for a view on site.

The ‘Bigger Trees Near Warter’ at spring time

So, all that remains is an enjoyable, long shallow descent to Middleton on the Wolds then the drag out of North Dalton back in the direction of Huggate before returning to the start point of this Hockney Trail: A Cyclist’s Route.

Actually, the final word for now should probably go to the man himself. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the space…

I worked on a farm. I cycled around here for two summers… You get to know it’s hilly if you’re cycling. I was always attracted to it. I always thought it had space. One of the thrills of landscape is that it’s a spatial experience.

Note: this page was amended August 2024 to include the Cowlam climb in order to pass through the scenery depicted in ‘The Road Across the Wolds‘.

Beyond the buildings the road soon opens up a rather lovely view and a very satisfying sense of remoteness. Whenever I write about this hill I am at pains to point out that cows – and, we’re told, a bull – roam the open-gated fields between the cattle grids at the top and bottom of this climb. (The recent judicious use of a partly worn non-scratch scourer on the underside of my brake calipers is a reminder that the road is far from out of bounds for these roaming bovines.)

I’ve actually never turned around having seen loose cattle, but returning to that junction and following the signs to Birdsall – with the prospect of climbing Birdsall Brow – is a pleasant enough alternative, so it’s not the end of the world. One time on a solo descent, having passed the point of no return, I inadvertently triggered something of a stampede reminiscent of a scene from Jurassic Park, and was relieved to reach the sanctuary provided by rolling over the lower cattle grid. But I digress.

On a rainy ride from Sledmere with friends, in the days before the road was resurfaced

Up until quite recently an added challenge on this admittedly shallow climb was the condition of the badly damaged tarmac, but happily this was resurfaced a few years ago and we are freer to admire the view rather than pick our way through rut and pothole. In fact the entire section of road that ultimately leads to the T junction a mile or so further has been repaired and it’s possible to set up a nice tempo – for me invariably leading to the thrilling descent towards Birsdall – after completing this fairly remote climb.

The first time I cycled Luddith Road, as part of the ‘Big Skies Bike Rides: Thixendale from Malton or Norton on Derwent‘

Barely 500 cyclists on Strava have recorded taking on this quietly testing hill set in lovely scenery. If you’re not yet one of them, and you would like a bit of a challenge as part of a longer ride surrounded by wonderful views, I recommend this climb. Just watch out for the you-know-what.

‘Luddith Rd Climb’ ride segment in Strava

Related post: Thixendale and Sledmere from Pocklington

The only criticisms of this route – levelled by one of the group of cyclists who rode with me one day way back in 2012 – concerns the same road: the route over Langton Wold to and from Malton. It’s a fast descent but, unsurprisingly, a correspondingly slow ascent, which isn’t a problem with the other, quieter uphill stretches on this ride. It’s just that this can be a busy road and, for me at least, there is a greater sense of vulnerability as I puff and pant uphill with motor vehicles whizzing past. The other objection on the day was Langton Wold is effectively and ‘out-and-back’; a circular route is generally preferred by the majority of my ride buddies. Still, the same climb forms part of the Pock Pedal, following refreshments in a community centre or similar in Malton/Norton. Perhaps it’s an age thing.

Once over Langton Wold from the start in Malton there is a descent towards Birdsall and pretty views to be had through the estate of Birdsall House, one of an increasing number of Yorkshire country houses now offering its services as a film set.

Birdsall Brow

Maybe one day I will set a good time on the ascent of Birdsall Brow. I’ve never beaten my ride buddies up it, and I find it somehow tougher than similar climbs but, as with this ride, I’m almost always thinking about the freefall in to Thixendale through Water Dale to take my mind off the toil. Water Dale is not so steep as to be tough to climb, or too dangerous to descend and it has understandably featured in many Yorkshire Wolds cycle events. After entering the village – the hall opens only on a Sunday for refreshments – the route points towards Burdale, passing the Three Trees near Thixendale before a left turn and what can be a stiff little climb for the unprepared rider. Here’s what John Woodcock, for the Yorkshire Post, wrote about this part of the ‘Thixendale from Malton or Norton on Derwent’ Big Skies Bike Ride:

A couple of miles on you start pedalling back to Malton. That is you would if you were of Tour de France standard. At this point most average cyclists will have to dismount and push the bike up to the plateau above the remains of the medieval village of Wharram Percy.

That makes it sound tougher than it probably is, but the pleasant view of Fairy Dale affords a distraction from any exertions – just watch out for gravel on the way up. I’ve yet to visit the deserted medieval village at Wharram Percy – from memory the bridleway looks a bit choppy for a road bike – but for those not in a hurry it’s always an option. (Looking at the map I wonder if it is possible to get down the hill to the village from the road then rejoin the route later at the switchback near the ford along the bridleway – just don’t quote me on that.)

Point 7 on the map and the turn-off for the bridleway

There is a part of this route along a bridleway that the excellent map suggests should be taken. I’ve done it once and it was fine. The alternative is to take the main road. I’ve never had a problem – there is soon a 30mph warning sign after the road is reached – and a left turn at the crossroads in Wharram le Street brings us back on course. A lovely, typically quiet, road drops to a ford (I’ve yet to see any water in it) and a short sharp climb before the right turn towards Grimston Brow. I should point out a couple of things, not wanting to put you off or anything, the first being that this is fairly remote now – from memory it’s a struggle to get a phone signal – and the descent of Grimston Brow is through a rarely gated cow field. The road surface is much improved since I caused something of a mini-stampede one time. Other riders have reported trying to shoo away uncooperative bovines before taking Luddith Road as an ascent. Still, on this Big Skies Bike Ride we’re going downhill, so it will all be over that bit quicker.

Luddith Road/Grimston Brow. Arguably best done as a descent, and maybe keep an eye on the weather forecast

Safely over the second and final cattle grid on Luddith Road and it’s a usually quiet road towards Langton Wold and a gentle climb before the pacy drop back down to Malton. I used to like the full English breakfast at the Yorkshire Tea Rooms in the self-styled food capital of North Yorkshire, but it’s been a while…

The PDF maps for the Big Skies Bike Rides are not stored on this web site, but can be downloaded from this page.

Technically, I don’t have this route as a Garmin Connect activity or Strava segment, but for what it’s worth here is the Thixendale from Malton or Norton on Derwent Big Skies Bike Ride on Garmin Connect as part of a longer ride.

Straight over the crossroads on towards Helperthorpe. This is a stretch of the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route, but once in Helperthorpe you’ll be looking out for a left turn signposted “E Heslerton Wold” – there’s also a brown Byways sign on the post – that will take you off the long distance route and on to a road with a heavily shrouded tree-lined summit. It’s almost a relief that you’re not on this road for long – the way ahead at first appears ominously steep – before turning left and passing Haverdale House along a very broken road surface that makes for a quiet route – unless you’re on bike that rattles. This road will find any lurking noise.

The road out of Helperthorpe. If you have time there is a longer ride straight ahead, but on the Sledmere Big Skies Bike Ride it’s a left turn at the bottom of this hill

Along with the ride from Pocklington this a short loop that I first enjoyed when I had lost my cycling mojo somewhat and needed a sort of cycling pick-me-up. (There was a lovely serving of tea and scones back then, which always lifts the mood.)

Although this route is well worth the effort of seeking out in its own right it offers a glimpse of Snainton and Settrington routes which also have much to commend them. On the way back from Haverdale there is a drop in to West Lutton before taking the main road out west through the village and – on a rising bend – taking the right turn signposted ‘High Mowthorpe, Settrington’. Don’t miss it. This is a generally quiet road, but it does seem to have a fair bit of agricultural vehicles with those trailers pulled behind them. On another day you might wish to take in the descent in to Settrington, but a left turn, where the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route is picked up once more for the remainder of the ride – followed by even quieter roads takes you through Duggleby. I should find out more about Duggleby Howe and its nationally important round barrows – the largest in Britain.

There is less than a mile of mostly downhill road to Kirby Grindalythe and its Norman church. Before the long descent in to Sledmere there is the not inconsiderable bump in the road as the route passes over the OS map’s single chevron pointing towards the possibly wearying cyclist. On this and longer rides there is always the temptation of refreshments in Sledmere, and the good news is that the Coach House Café in the grounds of Sledmere House (this side of the turnstiles) has been newly renovated and looks to be rather well done.

I like this ride for the varying scenery and largely quiet, undulating roads. If the stats on Strava are anything to go by it’s not a route that has been ridden a great deal in comparison to some of the other Big Skies Bike Rides. Why not give it a try?

View this ride as a Garmin Connect activity or a Strava segment.

Download the PDF map for Sledmere Country from Sledmere

Related routes in Garmin Connect:

Snainton from Sledmere (30 miles)
Snainton from Hull (100 miles)

The B1246 east out of Pocklington is not the most pleasant way to start a bike ride, but the sightlines are good until the bend just before the turn off to Kilnwick Percy. (I’ll get this bit out of the way now: there is only one downside to this ride – but don’t let it put you off – as the road surface later between Burnby and Pocklington – at the time of writing – is not great.) [edit: the road surface between Burnby and Pocklington was resurfaced summer 2023] With the KP golf course to your left and the Kilnwick Percy Hall meditation centre to your right there is a steady incline before dropping down and then climbing gently to the pretty village of Millington. In normal times the Gait Inn and Ramblers’ Rest are recommended stops, and shared with the Western Wolds from Stamford Bridge Big Skies Bike Ride, a later addition to the series of rides, at this overlapping point.

As the view of the dale opens up after a tree-lined descent there is the satisfying ‘S’ bend to negotiate before reaching the valley floor (you may have seen this and the roads around Thixendale in ITV4′s brilliant Tour de Yorkshire video). I tend to hold out for a tailwind through Millington Dale, described back in 2010 by Cycling Plus as a ‘hidden gem – an intimate valley-floor shimmy through luscious micro-Alps’. The highly photogenic Highland cows only ever seem to come out to play when I have a tailwind. With a headwind I might stop for a rest and take a snap.

On my last ride I heard for the first time the distinctive call made by a pair of Red Kites wheeling about over the valley. Watch out for them – as well as for the on-road walkers who seem to have increased in number just lately. Just as all good things must come to an end the six miles from Kilnwick Percy and the final push through Millington Pastures finishes by ramping up a fair bit and can catch out those who haven’t left anything in reserve. At the ‘T’ junction a left turn and a few more uphill pedal strokes soon lead to a downhill stretch on to Huggate. (Do take care to scrub off your speed as you enter the village. On a ride to Whitby recently my ride buddies and I were delayed whilst waiting for the ambulance to pick up a chap who had come a cropper on the gravelly, right hand band.)

Millington Dale heading west

If you’re not in a rush the Wolds Inn has much to commend it – in these COVID times it currently offers a takeaway service by arrangement – but the route proper doesn’t go quite as far before taking a right turn to the long descent over Warter Wold. I’ve only ever ridden this road once uphill. It was teeming down as torrents of rainwater rushed by my front wheel as I lugged myself upwards. Perhaps that’s why I can’t bear the thought of going up that way again. Interestingly, the Pocklington Cycle Map suggests precisely that; its blue route (Ride 5: Challenging) does the Pocklington Big Skies Bike Ride in reverse. Maybe I’m just a bit set in my ways…

In Warter – watch out for the abrupt end to the road at the junction with the B1246 – it’s a right turn then uphill for a hundred yards or so before bearing left at the memorial and on to Back Lane (there’s also a car park which is suggested in the Millington Dale and Warter from Pocklington guide as an alternative start point).

Back Lane from Warter is a beautiful, undulating, twisting route but it’s fairly narrow so watch out – the school bus passes along it – which ends after a sudden drop at the base of Totterdown (Nunburnholme) Hill. Thankfully, we turn right here rather than going left and upwards as we make our way to Burnby. One day I’ll find out if the impressive two bells in the church tower still work.

This is a lovely ride I first did a decade ago when I picked up the excellent Big Skies Bike Rides guide. Millington Dale is a highlight of both the Way of the Roses and Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route and is well worth the effort of seeking out.

Millington Dale looking east

See also a Strava segment for this route.

Related post:

A wonderful 50-mile loop from Pocklington >>>

On subsequent undertakings of this route I have parked in Goodmanham and ridden from there. Crossing the busy B1248 – twice – and having to spring open the Dalton Park gate at the Pipe and Glass means that the route is not exactly suited to being a time trial course, but when time is short – or fitness levels low – I have used the gently undulating road to test my fitness – or confirm the lack of it. But the main purpose of this and the other Big Skies Bike Rides is to explore the wonderful Yorkshire Wolds by bike – and for the Market Weighton ride there is something of a pub theme going on…

From the car park in Goodmanham – the recommended alternative start point – I roll down the hill before taking the left turn at the outskirts of the village and cycling up and over the little bridge to the crossroads at the top. Market Weighton is to your right, but a left turn here puts you on the route proper and along the Kiplingcotes Valley.

It’s worth checking the weather forecast

Watch out for the pinch point as you pass underneath the impressive structure that once carried the now disused railway line through Lord Hotham’s land – the Hudson Way. A little further on is a crossroads – don’t turn left here yet. (There used to be a cafe to the right, that I can vaguely recollect, called ‘Granny’s Attic’. It is now a private dwelling and furniture store. Much of the old station building remains.)

Carry on along the valley floor and at the next crossroads take the sharp left uphill along the course of the Kiplingcotes Derby, reportedly the longest-running horse race still in existence. All the momentum gathered along the valley will have been lost on the tight bend – almost always sprinkled with gravel. A jab at the pedals gets you over the first few yards and you’ll soon be levelling to the starting point of this 500-year-old horse race.

Taking the next two right turns sends you downhill towards Dalton Park and over the cattle grid through the private estate road and the gate that opens at East Yorkshire’s premier gastro pub.

One day I’ll take up the offer – staked on to little posts around the village – and go inside St Mary’s church, its splendid steeple the inspiration for the Yorkshire Wolds logo.

Watch out for the ducks and their ducklings at Mere Lane, South Dalton when they spill out on to the road

Mere Lane takes you across the B1248 – there are good sight lines, but do take care – and on to Lockington, where you are invited to try fording the narrow waterway – and invitation I have always politely declined.

After Lockington a gentle uphill section brings the thirsty rider to the second of three pubs encountered – not including those in Market Weighton itself – in less than twenty miles. It’s a while since I’ve eaten there, but the Wellington Arms in Lund is particularly well regarded.

Wellington Inn, Lund

Follow the signs through Lund and take care again at your second crossing of the B1248, on to more gentle uphill capers past Lund House farm and up to the left-hand bend that signals a brief descent to the crossroads at the bottom of the hill. Try to stay on the big ring towards the next junction – I never can – and bear right back towards the starting point of your journey.

Once comfortably past the little dink at that last junction I’m back on the big ring and trying to get away with the chain deflection that comes with a 23T rear sprocket. Unless I surrender to a headwind I find that I’m engaged with a slightly unhealthy competition with myself to get to the top of the long and deceptive drag in as quick a time as possible. The summit or thereabouts is a crossing point for the Kiplingcotes Derby, but for us it’s a warm up for the long downhill stretch over Goodmanham Wold. Keep an eye out for the birds of prey often seen circling over the woods to your left and enjoy the views – but hover over your brakes – on the fast descent in to the village.

If, like me, you start in Goodmanham the ride could be over in not much more than an hour, but it’s not a race and you’ve got another potential pit stop in the Goodmanham Arms. If you don’t fancy refreshments in the pub – it has its own microbrewery, apparently – and haven’t tried it yet I recommend the Fiddle Drill – just within the village near the top of the hill and on your right – for a range of delicious food in a very pleasant and spacious barn conversion.

Big Skies Bike Rides: South Dalton, Lockington and Lund from Market Weighton .pdf map, an activity in Garmin Connect and as a Strava segment

Related post:

A 30-mile loop from Goodmanham >>>

Here I take a left turn and a mercifully short few hundred metres of the A614 towards Driffield, but quickly turn left again and head north towards Garton on the Wolds. This generally quiet road (marred only by the presence of a scrap metal merchants to your right – try not to look) leads all the way to Garton and then, just as briefly, another main road – the A166. So a left turn here and a speed limit of 30mph through the village is followed by a careful right turn on to the B1252 – Garton Hill and the shallow ascent on to Sledmere.

It is maybe worth a snack stop/photo op at the Sir Tatton Sykes memorial tower

In Sledmere if you a fancy stop there is the popular Coach House Cafe in the grounds of Sledmere House, (from spring 2023) the Tin Roof Takeaway across the road, or the well-regarded Triton Inn. In any case the turn off for this route is sign-posted ‘The Luttons, Weaverthorpe’ – opposite the pub – and is a mainly downhill breeze to a left turn at the crossroads where a lumpy road leads to a left turn at the T junction. Through West Lutton and then don’t miss the right turn on the bend sign-posted ‘High Mowthorpe’ and ‘Settrington’.

You’re now on a section of the Pock Pedal sportive and a gradual uphill road before the fall away in to Settrington affords very satisfying views in either direction. Do take particular care on this twisting and sometimes gravelly descent, especially in poor weather conditions. At the T junction on the outskirts of Settrington turn left and continue to bear left (signposted Grimston).

At the next T junction with the B1248 you have a choice, perhaps depending on the time of year and your feelings about bulls (stay with me). On the day I last rode this route I turned left towards North Grimston, popped over the little bridge with its 25mph sign, and at the junction on the right left hand bend took the only unsigned road (you can just make out a brick utilities building and cottages further along the road). This road takes you up to Grimston Brow (Luddith Road) – and is easily missed. (If you get to the Middleton Arms you’ve gone too far.)

Approaching Grimston Brow (Luddith Road)

Now, to get the top of this deceptively testing little climb you will pass over two cattle grids. There is a warning that cattle may be in the – only partially fenced – fields. So bear that in mind, eh? With a few miles in the legs this is a surprisingly stiff little climb made easier since being resurfaced quite recently. Just watch out for cow pats. And the bull.

Anyway, once beyond that last cattle grid the road is much improved having also been resurfaced in the past few years. Follow it round to the T junction and turn right – and bear right at the fork – along the rewarding descent towards Birdsall.

(The alternative to the Grimston Brow climb is to turn right at that first junction at the B1248 as though heading towards Malton, and soon after left to Birdsall.)

A Velo Club Beverley cyclist climbs Birdsall Brow

Whenever I pass through Birdsall I seem to slow considerably perhaps subconsciously reserving my energy for the climb that is to follow. Birdsall Brow is one of those hills that defeats me before I’ve even got going. It has featured on the Heart of the Wolds sportive and the longest of the Big G Cyclosportive rides, always preceding, as with our ride described here, the glorious descent in to Thixendale along the Water Dale road. The Village Hall and former Youth Hostel in Thixendale serves refreshments on Sundays.

Water Dale descent in to Thixendale

Climb out of Thixendale along what has come to be known as the ‘Fuller Road’; as you leave the village turn right (follow the brown tourist sign) and stay on this road until you reach Roman Road where you should take a left turn south towards the A166 crossing at Garrowby Hill and the highest point of the Yorkshire Wolds.

I strongly recommend crossing over on to the cycle path which is followed to a right turn at the side road in the direction of Givendale. At the end of the road you will have turned on to is a T junction. A Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route sign points to the left, but a right turn takes you south on to Givendale Hill for payback and big ring fun after all the climbing done as you follow the signs back to Pocklington to complete this rewarding 50-mile Yorkshire Wolds loop – one of my favourites – at a canter.

View this anti-clockwise loop from Pocklington in Garmin Connect (and since this Garmin Activity doesn’t always display correctly I have made the ride a Strava segment so that anyone without a Strava account can still view it).

Some of this route forms part of the ‘Thixendale from Malton or Newton on Derwent Big Skies Bike Ride, which until the Stamford Bridge loop was easily the toughest of the series. However, it seems that the people behind these short day rides no longer promote them on their official web site. I wonder if this is in part due to safety concerns on Grimston Brow, which they suggested should be ridden downhill. I don’t know, but it is worth pointing out that the route is a little bit out of the way. I sent riders up this hill in an event I organised a few years ago. Some of them gleefully reported that they had sent the biggest rider on his own first so that he could flap his arms up and down to wave away the cattle. You have been warned!

[Text amended May 2023 to remove outdated references to COVID-19.]

Burdale is one of those short, punchy climbs you face as the East Riding of Yorkshire gives way to North Yorkshire and one that the producers asked eighty-five-year-old Brian to take on for their TV advertisement. It was also the toughest hill among those encountered on the Big Skies Bike Rides – until Stamford Bridge was given its own ‘ Western Wolds Bike Ride ‘.

Here’s what John Woodcock, for the Yorkshire Post, wrote about this part of ‘Thixendale from Malton or Norton on Derwent’:

A couple of miles on you start pedalling back to Malton. That is you would if you were of Tour de France standard. At this point most average cyclists will have to dismount and push the bike up to the plateau above the remains of the medieval village of Wharram Percy.

I could have sworn that my fastest ascent would have been the time we were chased up the hill by an enormous tractor – its ballooning tyres never far behind the last-placed rider – me – as we made our way to coffee and cake in Sledmere. No, my ‘PR’ for ‘burdale climb’ currently places me at 1167/2447 which I recorded on the way to scrape a ‘Silver’ time on the 150km Big G Cyclosportive back in 2016. (Needless to say the effort meant I blew up on Birdsall Brow when just about everyone overtook me again.)

https://www.strava.com/segments/18272851

It may not be the most testing of climbs, but the views from around Wharram are a delightful reward for getting over the top of this gravelly, twisting ascent. And as you take the big right bend near the top spare a moment to check out where you’ve come from. Such a lovely, unspoilt view.

Francis takes on Burdale during his first 100 mile ride

If, having conquered Burdale, you would prefer to avoid the occasionally busy B1248 there is an off-road route starting at a bend and not long before the main road to which it runs parallel. It is literally sign-posted by a Yorkshire Wolds Way marker (see photograph below). I’ve ridden it once. From memory it’s a bit stony and I would imagine it would be rather squelchy in parts after a downpour, but it’s there as an option. Just keep an eye out for the end of the track and the point at which you will pop out of a hedge and on to the minor road that takes you towards Grimston.

A loop of around 30 miles from Sledmere that includes Burdale:

Check out this ride on Garmin Connect or Strava.

The category ‘ Cycling Climbs ‘ is prompted by the excellent article ‘Hill Climbs on the Yorkshire Wolds’ written by Roger England and first published in the Winter 2010/2011 edition of the ‘Woldsman’ magazine. Five of the climbs that will be detailed are also contained in Simon Warren’s ‘Cycling Climbs of Yorkshire: A Road Cyclist’s Guide‘, which is highly recommended.

Writing in Cycling Active, Maria David rode a variation of the original route that avoided backtracking on Middlehow Road to Walkington instead returning to Beverley along Walkington Heads to make a loop of it.

So, that’s three versions of a ride from Beverley to North Newbald and back. Here’s a fourth – with a twist…

During the summer I rode to Beverley and set off from the street behind Café Velo and went out towards the Westwood. (The official route favours the minster as a start point, but I was feeling a little fragile and needed a caffeinated pick-me-up first.) Cars are usually packed tightly in to the available spaces along these narrow residential streets, although there are gaps to nip in to on the way to the Westwood. Once over the cattle grid at the old gatekeeper’s cottage the road widens and the speed limit increases to 40mph, a rate at which I rarely drive here, especially when there are cyclists about – and cows – as the road is not particularly wide.

A right turn follows at the T junction where there is the option of taking the shared use cycle path (just watch the cattle grid as you leave the Westwood) in to and partly through Walkington where another right turn at the Dog and Duck pub takes you north before a left turn and a back road broadly parallel to the B1230. Middlehowe Road is normally a very pleasant, smoothly surfaced road that rises gradually to the crossroads at Wold Road. (At this stage I should probably mention that the Garmin Connect link at the bottom of this post allows you to press a Start button and follow the route via online mapping in conjunction with my directions.)

Now, the official Big Skies Bike Rides route has you cycling on over the crossroads, but I prefer a right turn – either way caution: the sightlines to the left are not great – then a quick tap to the next T junction. Turn left and enjoy pleasant riding – mostly downhill – and views on the way in to North Newbald along Walkington Heads. Whether or not you can resist either of the pubs here – the route takes you between both – there is a left turn just before the church and on through South Newbald.

Trundlegate is rather hidden away – a left turn on a right-hand bend – and before the houses at the bottom of this hill are behind me I’m dropping down through the gears – hopefully reserving two or three for the steeper bit – as I try, though usually fail, to keep the momentum going on the way to the gradual right-hand bend on this locally infamous ascent.

With Trundlegate – and Whin Lane – now behind I go over the crossroads on to Little Wood Lane and make my way back along the lumpy road to that crossroads with Wold Road again. I’m not normally one for retracing my route, but here I turn left along this occasionally busy road and then when I reach that T junction for the second time turn right towards Beverley along Walkington Heads.

This is another road that carries a fair bit of traffic at the busier times I try to avoid, but I enjoy the swift downhill ride – which I personally prefer to the option of riding the same road uphill – to the crossroads at Coppleflat Lane and on towards Beverley along Newbald Road that takes you over the other side of the Westwood. Nearly back now and a right turn on to the A1174 towards the traffic lights at North Bar Without which I pass through on the way back to the centre of Beverley, specifically Café Velo again in my case for post-ride sustenance.

NB – if you didn’t fancy the sometimes busy roads travelled after reaching the Wolds Road crossroads as you headed east earlier, you could return along Middlehow Road to Walkington picking up that quiet outbound lane and ultimately retracing the original route. But if you feel confident I think my offering is an enjoyable and rewarding figure 8 variation of the ‘Big Skies Bike Rides: North Newbald and back from Beverley’ – with a twist.

Key features of this figure 8-on-its-side variation:

One passing of the gentle uphill, normally quiet road out of Walkington
(and the short-cut option of a right turn at the T junction with Wold Road and Walkington Heads)
Enjoyable descent west in to North Newbald along Walkington Heads
The ascent of Trundlegate
Downhill back in the direction of Walkington along Little Wood Lane
Downhill east along (the occasionally busy) Walkington Heads back to Beverley
Did I mention Café Velo at the end?

Check out this ride on Garmin Connect or Strava.