Lockwood Beck circuit 5/11/17
Distance 34.6 miles
Total ascent 2373 ft
Weather Bright 'n' breezy but cold
Difficulty Moderate. Some off road sections a little uncomfortable & a few hills to contend with.
Total ascent 2373 ft
Weather Bright 'n' breezy but cold
Difficulty Moderate. Some off road sections a little uncomfortable & a few hills to contend with.
This was a solo ride using mostly quiet lanes with a few miles along rough tracks, but also along some major roads which were fortunately only carrying light traffic. I followed my usual Sunday morning route as far as Egton before heading for Danby Cross. From there I made for White Cross on the Castleton, Lockwood beck road by way of a rough track which I had not used since my late teens and it is as rough now as it was then. Once on the main road I headed directly for Whitby taking advantage of the fact that the traffic was very light.
Glaisdale Moor circuit 15/10/17
Distance 30.5 miles
Total ascent 2,947 ft
Weather Overcast with brighter intervals. Stiff SW breeze.
Difficulty Moderate to hard
My intentions today were to capture some autumn colours before the strong winds forecast for later in the week strip the trees of their leaves. As it turned out though I was a week or so too early but nevertheless, I enjoyed the ride even though I was making hard work of some of the uphill sections where
I was faced with a head wind.
My Route took me towards Egton via Aislabyside dropping down the hill to Priory Park, I then followed Barnards Road to Egton and on to Beggars Bridge & Glaisdale. From Glaisdale I made my way along Low Wood lane to Busco Beck Farm and then tackled the 3 mile climb to Glaisdale High Moor before descending Caper Hill into the dale and returning home via Limber Hill, Egton & Aislaby.
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Total ascent 2,947 ft
Weather Overcast with brighter intervals. Stiff SW breeze.
Difficulty Moderate to hard
My intentions today were to capture some autumn colours before the strong winds forecast for later in the week strip the trees of their leaves. As it turned out though I was a week or so too early but nevertheless, I enjoyed the ride even though I was making hard work of some of the uphill sections where
I was faced with a head wind.
My Route took me towards Egton via Aislabyside dropping down the hill to Priory Park, I then followed Barnards Road to Egton and on to Beggars Bridge & Glaisdale. From Glaisdale I made my way along Low Wood lane to Busco Beck Farm and then tackled the 3 mile climb to Glaisdale High Moor before descending Caper Hill into the dale and returning home via Limber Hill, Egton & Aislaby.
Please click on images to expand.
Scarborough 08/10/17
Distance 44.2
Total Ascent 2,705
Weather Mild but overcast. Breezy
Difficulty Easy to moderate.
Total Ascent 2,705
Weather Mild but overcast. Breezy
Difficulty Easy to moderate.
For a little while now I have been fancying a ride to Scarborough, partly to get in a few extra miles and partly for a change in scenery. I actually started out today with a totally different destination in mind but changed my mind within minutes of leaving home. I decided that because it was quite early and there would not be a lot of traffic I would take the main road. This worked quite well, there was some traffic of course but not enough to make it too uncomfortable for me. On arriving at Scarborough I called in at the station and had a chat with one of my old taxi driver buddies before continuing my ride around the foreshore to Peasholme Gap and then making my way inland to Burniston where I joined the Cinder Track to return to Whitby.
Castleton Rosedale circuit 09/09/2017
Distance 42.2 miles
Total ascent 4288 ft
Weather Mostly bright but occasional threat of rain.
Difficulty Moderate, some hard climbs.
This was a longer ride that I have been doing for some time, both my usual bike buddies were away so I packed a sandwich and set off to do the 40 miles or so to Rosedale and back by way of Danby Beacon, Danby Dale and Blakey Ridge.
Total ascent 4288 ft
Weather Mostly bright but occasional threat of rain.
Difficulty Moderate, some hard climbs.
This was a longer ride that I have been doing for some time, both my usual bike buddies were away so I packed a sandwich and set off to do the 40 miles or so to Rosedale and back by way of Danby Beacon, Danby Dale and Blakey Ridge.
8 Bridges Circuit 13/07/2017
Distance 26.6 miles
Total ascent 99ft
Weather Bright & sunny with a light North Westerly breeze
Difficulty Easy
This is a ride that I have been wanting to do for some time now and for me it was to be a trip down memory lane. I spent my early years in and around Teesside but with the passage of time almost everything I knew has changed or gone forever. Even Haverton Hill, the village where I spent most of my childhood has all but vanished. All that is left from my day is what was the butchers shop where we pinched pork pies when we were kids, and the Haverton Hill Hotel, better known as 'The Top House' Everything else has reverted to fields or been built over with industrial units. I think the thing that surprised me most was how what was open space is now woodland. Places that were dirty and full of litter are now pleasant places to walk. In my childhood, the sound of riveters working in the shipyard was always there, but now the yard and many other industries are no more. Even the ICI, although still working, is a shadow of its former self with many open spaces where chemicals and fertilisers were once produced.
We started our trip with a visit to the Transporter bridge and were lucky enough to be able to tag on to a party that that had booked a visit in advance and as a result were able to go up to the catwalk almost 200 ft above the water. Quite often in the winter months, If the transporter was not working for any reason, men on their way to work had to climb the access stairs to the catwalk in order to cross the bridge. I did it myself on a number of occasions and I can tell you when the wind is blowing sleet and snow in from the sea, it is not a pleasant place to be.
From the bridge we cycled on to Seaton Carew, once a thriving little seaside town but sadly, now looking a little seedy. We did not linger, after a spot of lunch we carried on to Greatham and then to our old swimming hole at Cloffy (Cloff Bridge) only to find it badly overgrown. No use for swimming now but a lovely place to walk.
From Cloffy it was back to Haverton where we joined the 8 Bridges cycle circuit and to be perfectly honest, I recognised only a fraction of the route, it had changed so much. We ended our day back at the transporter bridge after a thoroughly enjoyable outing.
Total ascent 99ft
Weather Bright & sunny with a light North Westerly breeze
Difficulty Easy
This is a ride that I have been wanting to do for some time now and for me it was to be a trip down memory lane. I spent my early years in and around Teesside but with the passage of time almost everything I knew has changed or gone forever. Even Haverton Hill, the village where I spent most of my childhood has all but vanished. All that is left from my day is what was the butchers shop where we pinched pork pies when we were kids, and the Haverton Hill Hotel, better known as 'The Top House' Everything else has reverted to fields or been built over with industrial units. I think the thing that surprised me most was how what was open space is now woodland. Places that were dirty and full of litter are now pleasant places to walk. In my childhood, the sound of riveters working in the shipyard was always there, but now the yard and many other industries are no more. Even the ICI, although still working, is a shadow of its former self with many open spaces where chemicals and fertilisers were once produced.
We started our trip with a visit to the Transporter bridge and were lucky enough to be able to tag on to a party that that had booked a visit in advance and as a result were able to go up to the catwalk almost 200 ft above the water. Quite often in the winter months, If the transporter was not working for any reason, men on their way to work had to climb the access stairs to the catwalk in order to cross the bridge. I did it myself on a number of occasions and I can tell you when the wind is blowing sleet and snow in from the sea, it is not a pleasant place to be.
From the bridge we cycled on to Seaton Carew, once a thriving little seaside town but sadly, now looking a little seedy. We did not linger, after a spot of lunch we carried on to Greatham and then to our old swimming hole at Cloffy (Cloff Bridge) only to find it badly overgrown. No use for swimming now but a lovely place to walk.
From Cloffy it was back to Haverton where we joined the 8 Bridges cycle circuit and to be perfectly honest, I recognised only a fraction of the route, it had changed so much. We ended our day back at the transporter bridge after a thoroughly enjoyable outing.
Please click on image to view.