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)

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.]

Just before we reached the junction at the top of the Kiplingcotes Racecourse drag no fewer than three cars in a line pulled over on to the verge to let us pass. I despair of the stories I read on Twitter and elsewhere of motorist v cyclist. Perhaps I’m lucky – or just choose my routes carefully – but I very rarely encounter any aggravation on the Yorkshire Wolds. The last car was more off the road than on it. “Hey, I’m not that fat”, I quipped. Chuckles all round. It’s like another world.

After refreshments at the Coach House Cafe at Sledmere there is a little ramp out before wonderful views on the well-deserved, mostly downhill, easy miles to the A614 near Kirkburn via Garton on the Wolds. Rob hadn’t ridden this way back from Sledmere (apart from part of it when he got lost on the Heart of the Wold Centurion Sportive) and seemed to like it. This loop then picks up the National Cycle Network Route 1 through to Bracken and the villages nearer to home.

(Just a note on the way to Etton. I planned a course in Garmin Connect to go via Mere Lane then through South Dalton, but on the day we bypassed Dalton and took the right turn off the B1248 to Etton. My planned course is probably more advisable for those newer to cycling or not sure of the route – especially at busier times.)

More refreshments, this time in the Black Horse in Little Weighton before Rob and I went our separate ways. A decent lumpy loosener with 2350 feet of climbing in a little over 50 very pleasant miles.

View ‘Skinny loop to Sledmere from Little Weighton’ in Garmin Connect or Strava.