Cycling Scalby to Middlesbrough, UK: Back in the Big Hills
25 - 28 May 2019
Scalby to North York Moors National Park (25 May 2019, 59.1 km, 36.7 mi)
We had another difficult night in a campground. The night before last, it was the sheep that kept us awake. Last night it was people. Two guys arrived in the tent camping area in the evening, and instead of spreading out to give us all some space, they put up their tent right next to ours. It was literally only a step or two from our tent to theirs. When we asked why they didn’t choose a spot a little further away, they said that they were told by the campground managers that each tent was only allowed a certain amount of space (implying we wanted too much space). But really, they could have taken that amount of space anywhere in the big field. No one else showed up that night, and here we were, two tents right next to each other in a rather large camping area. They sat around a fire and talked late into the evening. Then, one of them had a bad cold, and had terrible coughing fit in the night that lasted more than an hour. I wanted to feel bad for him, but I was just annoyed that he wasn’t having his coughing fit on the other side of the field.
On the way out of the campground, PedalingGuy realized that his back tire was soft. Darn. We haven’t had any flats since the spate of flat tires we had in Spain, from those thorns. The tire wasn’t completely flat, so we hoped it was a very slow leak. He decided to just pump up the tire and see how well it held air going forward.
For the first 30+ km (19 mi), we rode on the Cinder Trail, a rail trail that never strays more than a mile or so from the coast of the North Sea. Most of the trail is within the coastal portion of the North York Moors National Park, which is incredibly hilly. So it was really wonderful to glide along on long stretches of trail with very manageable gradients. Even with the smoothed-out slopes, our progress was relatively slow because the surface of the trail was gravel, and there were some very long, uphill stretches.
Chugging along on the Cinder Trail, a rail trail that smooths out most of the ups and downs in the coastal section of the North York Moors National Park. Staintondale, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Just before arriving in the town of Ravenscar, we passed an old WWII radar station. The remains of several of the accommodation buildings for the airmen who manned the station are still there, far out in a field of dandelions, high on a bluff, overlooking the North Sea. The sign at the site talked about the challenges of life in this remote location, and the responsibility the sentries carried as part of the early warning system for cities that were likely to be bombed. But even with life’s difficulties, some of the quotes from the veterans talked about how beautiful the area was, and how it uplifted their spirits.
The area along the coast certainly is very scenic. Woodlots and sheep farms extend down to the edge of the bluffs, with sandy beaches sprinkled in between. Robin Hood’s Bay, a popular tourist destination, was particularly stunning. We stopped several times to just take in the view. The beaches that rim the bay were really crowded, probably because it was a holiday weekend. We also encountered a lot more people using the bike trail, especially within 8-10 kilometers of a trailhead.
Our bikes seemed to enjoy the view of Robin Hood’s Bay just as much as we did. Ravenscar, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Enjoying a quieter section of the Cinder Trail. Hawsker, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
In Hawsker, we stopped at an old railroad station that now hosts a bike rental shop. The sign outside said “refreshments,” so we hoped to buy something to drink. But all they had were a few bottles of full-sugar soda pop. We decided to wait.
On our way out of the shop, we met two really friendly bikers from Middlesbrough who also had stopped there for a rest. They were cycling through the area for the long weekend. They enjoy bike touring, but like many people they keep their rides to a week or less. They were impressed and excited about our trip, and offered a lot of suggestions for where we could go in England and Scotland.
They seemed tickled that we planned to spend a rest day in Middlesbrough, but warned us that it would be crowded because the BBC was hosting a Radio 1 Big Weekend in town. Apparently it’s one of the biggest events the town has ever hosted, including multiple music concerts with shows every day of the weekend. We were very lucky to get a hotel room Sunday night.
As we rolled out of Hawsker, we had no idea that our nice, gentle rail trail was about to come to an end. Near the town of Whitby we left the Cinder Trail, and turned west into the heart of the North York Moors. This is the only part of England where national cycle route 1 is not complete. So, by leaving the Cinder Trail, we also left route 1, and struck off across the moors on national cycle route 165. The fact that this route has a triple-digit number is an indicator that it’s a sub-branch of a branch of the main route 1, and it goes through some pretty rugged country. Suddenly, without much warning, we were facing impossibly steep ascents and descents.
Just past the town of Briggswath, the route turned onto a bridle trail (that is, it’s really meant for horses, not bikes). It seemed to head straight up into the air. Adding to the fun, the surface was a mix of loose gravel and lumpy grass. So we slowly pushed our bikes up the 150 m (500 ft) to the top. It was one of the most difficult climbs we’ve had since the day we left Palencia, Spain, back in mid-March.
National Cycle Route 165 doesn’t pull any punches. We “cycled” up this very steep bridle trail in the North York Moors just a few kilometers after leaving national route 1. Aislaby, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
At the top of the hill, we were rewarded with panoramic views, and a pleasant ride through the quaint town of Aislaby (pop. 243).
Aislaby’s claim to fame is its stone quarry. Starting in the 1600s, tons of stone from the Aislaby area were hauled by oxen down to Whitlaby, where they were used to build the town’s harbor. From there, Aislaby stone was also shipped as far away as London for the construction of harbors and bridges. A block of the stone by the side of the cycle trail commemorates the area’s contribution to the building of Britain’s industrial infrastructure.
The Aislaby Stone tells the story of the town’s proud history as a supplier of rock for England’s harbors and bridges. Aislaby, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
The terrain of the North York Moors is incredibly rugged, but that also gives it a stunning beauty. This stretch of the route was one of the most scenic areas we’ve ridden through, right up there with the descent out of the Pyrenees Mountains. The steep hills rise and fall all the way to the horizon, dotted with a colorful mosaic of sheep fields (of course), hay fields, woodlots, farm buildings, and a variety of natural grassland types. In fact, the North York Moors had more natural moorland vegetation, in bigger patches, than any of the other UK national parks we’ve ridden through.
After we reached the top of the big hill in Aislaby, the views of North York Moors National Park were some of the best we’ve seen on our trip. Egton, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
As evening approached, we were delighted to witness a show being put on by a group of Eurasian Curlews. They were flying around over the hay fields, calling and displaying. It was reminiscent of the show we had seen last June in Kansas, by a group of Upland Sandpipers. They seemed completely unfazed by the brisk wind and steady rain that had settled on the moors in the afternoon.
We figured we would have to wild camp for the night, because we had been unable to secure a hotel reservation. So around 5pm we started seriously looking for an out-of-the-way place to camp. Unfortunately, although we had passed by some nice spots earlier in the day, we had now reached the highest plateaus in the park, and there was nothing around but heathland - no trees. This was not good, because by now it was raining pretty steadily, and the wind was picking up to serious levels (around 20 mph).
We got some advice from a local about heading out a pathway onto the open moors, saying that if we crossed a low ridge, there were trees on the other side where we could camp. But after pushing our bikes along the rough gravel for almost a kilometer, we still couldn’t see any trees. So we headed back to the main road.
While we were looking for a campsite, we went through an area that had tons of Eurasian Curlews and Northern Lapwings. In fact, some of the lapwings we passed were the closest we’d ever been to the species. And one field hosted a group of at least 20 curlews. But unfortunately, with the wind and rain, and the need to find a campsite, we weren’t able to stop and enjoy watching them for very long.
We investigated two more places that didn’t work out, before we finally found an accessible woodlot that was near the road, but behind a stone fence. By then it was past 7pm. It had rained quite hard in spells, and was very windy. We were thrilled that the spot we found was sheltered from the wind, and even somewhat from the rain.
It was amazing luck that the rain let up shortly before we pitched our tent. We set it up quickly, and got our gear into the vestibules to protect it from further rain. As we slowly dried out, we had dinner in the tent. We turned in early, quite tired from the two previous nights of poor sleep, plus a long and physically demanding day.
North York Moors National Park to Middlesbrough (26 May 2019, 56.6 km, 35.2 mi)
We both slept soundly, and thoroughly enjoyed our peaceful campsite on the North York Moors.
In the morning when we awoke, there were light, intermittent rain showers. We got up and quickly packed up our things during one of the breaks in the rain. Some good news was that PedalingGuy’s back tire was still pretty full. It feels like it might have lost a little bit of air, but not much. He should be able to get another day of riding out of it, without having to change the tire tube.
While we were taking down the tent, the cows in the next field came over to investigate. They were incredibly curious, with every single cow in the group jostling for a place along the stone fence to watch us pack up our things. It was hilarious how enthralled they were. It was like they had never, ever seen anything so fascinating.
When we emerged from the woodlot, we were greeted with a fantastic view of the River Esk valley, with its patchwork of pastures and fields, fringed with natural moorlands on the hilltops. It was like we were seeing it for the first time, because yesterday evening the valley was shrouded in rain and we were in a hurry to set up our camp. Now, we could relax and enjoy the moment. What a motivating way to start the day.
The view from our campsite in North York Moors National Park. Houlsyke, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Throughout the morning, the scenery just kept getting more beautiful. The stormy skies added to the rugged grandeur of the landscape.
North York Moors National Park, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
But the morning’s weather did not cooperate. Within the first six kilometers, we had to contend with increasingly steady rain, plus a nasty headwind.
When we reached the town of Castleton, we stopped in a grocery store to buy some breakfast, and get a break from the wind and rain. Unfortunately, when we’d finished eating, it was raining even harder than when we had arrived. We asked the cashier in the store if there were any restaurants in the area that would be open for breakfast, where we could wait out the storm. She wasn’t sure, but she suggested that we try a B&B that was just a block away.
We headed over to the Downe Arms B&B. At first the hostess told us that their breakfast was only for hotel guests. But then the manager took a look at us - wet and cold - and had sympathy for our plight. She offered to let us sit in the bar (which was closed) and brought us a big pot of steaming hot tea. It was a wonderful development. We sat by a window and sipped the hot tea, slowly drying out and warming up. After 3 cups of tea each, the clouds lifted. When we headed back out on the trail, it was not raining at all.
Warming up with a cup of tea at the Downe Arms B&B. Castleton, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Throughout the rest of the morning we stopped often, sometimes to catch our breath after climbing a particularly steep hill, and sometimes just to marvel at the scenery.
We saw some more lapwings and curlews, but none as close to the road as they had been yesterday. On the other hand, we saw some unusual breeds of sheep, and even some highland cattle (the long-haired ones from Scotland). A lot of the area is covered by open range, with sheep grazing right next to the road and crossing the road in front of us. There were even a few sheep grazing in people’s front yards in Castleton.
Highland cattle always steal your heart, with their shaggy hair hanging in their eyes. Commondale, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Commondale, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
The hills were a key reason that the landscape was so lovely. But anyone considering a ride along national route 165 through the North York Moors National Park should be forewarned that the trail goes over a lot of them, with some seriously steep gradients.
A typical hill in the North York Moors. PedalingGuy is smiling because this one is going down. On the uphills, the smiles don’t come until you’ve reached the top. Between Commondale and Kildale, England, UK. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Once we left the national park (about 20 km), the riding was immediately much easier. The road gradients were very reasonable, and the road surfaces were mostly smooth. Suddenly we were making good time again.
What are you looking at? These deer, on a farm just outside North Yorkshire Moors National Park, were almost as interested in us as the cows that watched us this morning. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
Just as we were approaching Middlesbrough, PedalingGuy had another flat tire. This time it was his front tire. It was really flat. So we stopped along the bike trail and changed the tube. Inspecting the tire, we found a small, sharp piece of glass that had worked its way through the tire into the tube. We removed the shard of glass, so hopefully that will be it for problems with the front tire. We’ll patch the tube on our rest day in Middlesbrough.
In our hotel room, we spread out the tent to dry and had a proper shower. It felt wonderful to be all clean and dry again.
Rain Days in Middlesbrough (27-28 May 2019)
We spent two days in Middlesbrough. The first was a rainy rest day. When we saw that the forecast was for continued rain on the second day, we booked another night in the hotel.
The extra time gave PedalingGuy a chance to take his bike to a shop to have them investigate a clicking noise that it’s been making intermittently. He thought it might be the chain. But the guys at the bike shop couldn’t get the noise to happen, and didn’t see anything wrong with the chain. So they didn’t do any work on the bike. The mechanic also told PedalingGuy it was fine to ride the bike with two master links (which PedalingGuy has, because of the chain repair we did out on the road). According to the mechanic, he rides his mountain bike with multiple master links in the chain all the time.
We stayed a few blocks away from the Middlesbrough Town Hall, which has both municipal offices and a grand concert hall. Copyright © 2018-2019 Pedals and Puffins.
On our second day in town, we walked over to a local cinema to see a movie. It was one of those action movies that looks better in the trailer than it actually is when you see the whole movie. This will be hard to fathom for anyone from America, but when you go up to the counter to order popcorn in a crowded UK theater, don’t ask for butter, since you will get a confused look that says, “where are you from?” and be told that your choices are only sweet or salty. So we went with sweet, and quietly made our way to our seats, hoping not too many people heard that we had asked for butter, on popcorn, how unimaginable.
