Day 2 of the River Swale ride featured a lot of quiet back lanes, waterside bridleways, and a bridge to nowhere by the final confluence with the Ouse. I was at home last night, and got the morning train back to Northallerton to resume. It was market day, and the centre was mildly lively with…
Author: Rob Ainsley
Swale 1: Keld to Northallerton
River Swale Source Birkdale Beck and Great Sleddale Beck, Birkdale Mouth River Ouse, Myton on Swale Length 73 miles Towns Richmond The seventh of my Rivers Rides was a spectacular two-day, 90-mile trip from remote moortop to vale farmland along the River Swale. Day 1 featured potentially illegal trousers, fjords, castles, upside-down pub signs and…
Yorkshire Dales: Caution, cycling writers at work
A delightful couple of days researching routes round Wharfedale and Wensleydale with Andrew P Sykes (of CyclingEurope.org), who’s en route to Edinburgh. As we’re both cycling writers, we spent much of the trip doing what we know and like best: sitting in a pub, talking. Professionally, of course: it was for a podcast.
Cornwall: Problems looming
Challenging three days researching cycle routes in Cornwall. Weather forecast lies, train delays, missed ferries, bike mechanicals, looming pandemic. Good beer though, and fab hospitality from the lovely Katy. Ups and downs, then. Rather like the geography.
Nidd 2: Knaresborough to Nun Monkton
Day 2 of the River Nidd ride featured the world’s first unicycle, Yorkshire trompe l’œuil, my namesake’s cave home, the UK’s tallest maypole, and the slightly flooded end of the ride at the mouth into the Ouse. Resuming at Knaresborough railway station, I made my way into the main square. A monument there (pic) celebrates…
Nidd 1: Scar House to Knaresborough
River Nidd Source Nidd Head, Great Whernside Mouth River Ouse, Nun Monkton Length 59 miles Towns Pateley Bridge, Knaresborough The sixth of my Rivers Rides was a varied two-day, 80-mile trip from remote moortop to muddy estuary along the River Nidd. Day 1 featured monster chess pieces, alpine views, snow and sun, unusual pork pies,…
Bury St Edmunds: Who was Clare Castle?
Splendid day researching cycle routes with Nigel in friendly Suffolk. Definitely not Home Counties here. Everyone smiles and says hello to you.
York: Floody but unbowed
I’ve lived in York since 2011, so it’s about time I blogged about it. It’s a tourist Mecca of course, with a large and important religious building – the Minster – like Mecca. Though unlike Mecca, it has 365 pubs. (Actually the figure is more like 200, but it’s nice to think that a year’s…
Oxford 2: Time travel
More cycle route research in and around Oxford, my alma mater. It seems like only yesterday I was here, naive, foolish, and barely engaged with the real world. That’s because it was yesterday, on my first day of research.
Oxford 1: Cotswolds
Day researching cycle routes west of Oxford. Bright and breezy but cold and wet, and only a little lumpy. But that’s enough about me.