Day 3 of the River Ure ride was the climax of the whole project, finishing at the point where all the rivers become the Humber Estuary. It featured a dog weeing on a bike, a 1980s Iron Curtain border, fish and chips, the Ouse Riviera – and it was a scorcher. After a couple of…
Category: River Rides
Ure 2: Ripon to York
Day 2 of the River Ure ride featured a pig playing bagpipes, a mysterious automatic hand, devilish darts, Roman mosaics, ice-cream at a lock, and a celebration riverside pint in York. An easy day today, following the river down the flat Vale of York from Ripon’s market square (pic) to York itself. We were in…
Ure 1: Garsdale to Ripon
River Ure Source Ure Head, GarsdaleMouth (as River Ouse*) Trent Falls, FaxfleetLength (inc Ouse*) 129 milesTowns Hawes, Masham, Ripon, Boroughbridge; (as Ouse*) York, Selby, Goole The eighth and last of my Rivers Rides was a splendid three-day, 130-mile trip from lofty moors to vast estuary along the River Ure. Day 1 featured Yorkshire’s Niagara, someone…
Swale 2: Northallerton to Myton
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…
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…
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,…
Derwent 3: Kexby to Barmby
Day 3 of the River Derwent ride featured a lot of flooding, and… well, that was it, really. Flooding. But also a fascinating end, with an unexpected tour of a tidal barrage opposite a mighty power station. Now having switched to my touring bike, anticipating a day of tarmac on-road cycling, I resumed. The first…
Derwent 2: Malton to Kexby
Day 2 of the River Derwent ride featured the world’s biggest Yorkshire Pudding recipe, kamikaze hedgehogs, a fine old ruined abbey, and a satnav-cockup legend. Malton doesn’t make much of its position on the Derwent: no riverside cafes, promenades or costanera tapas bars. It’s equally uninterested in encouraging cyclists, to judge by the total absence…
Derwent 1: Lilla Rig to Malton
River Derwent Source Lilla Rig, North York Moors Mouth River Ouse, Barmby Length 72 miles Towns Malton, Stamford Bridge The fifth of my Rivers Rides was a varied three-day, 120-mile trip from remote moortop to muddy estuary along the River Derwent. Day 1 featured full-size plastic cows, a Dark Ages assassination, Cold War espionage, white…