Nidderdale in Autumn

Contents.

• October Trip and Map
• Pateley Bridge to Wath Circuit
• Pateley Bridge to Coldstone Cuts via Peat Lane
• Coldstone Cuts to Pateley Bridge via Eagle Hall
• Pateley Bridge to Ramsgill via Silver Hill
• Ramsgill to Pateley Bridge via Heathfield

I have the fortune of regularly visiting Nidderdale in North Yorkshire and have posted a number of blogs about it to date, including multiple cycle route videos and an attempt at a fuller guide. There are lots of photos of the stunning scenery along the way as well as the videos and mapping.

This October I revisted with the aim of getting a much higher quality video of a variety of routes I'd not yet tried. I've also included the new Nidderdale Greenway starting in Ripley and trying the routes to Knaresborough and riding in the town itself. This I've written up separately.

I was rewarded the day I arrived with glorious sunshine. Sadly, I didn't have time to get much riding in and just did a short Pateley Bridge to Wath circuit, passing The Sportsman at the most northerly point (yellow on the map). After that, with more inclement weather, it was a trip up to Coldstone Cuts beating a couple of 20% inclines and some rough downhilling (red and purple on the map). And a final trip up to Ramsgill, home of The Yorke Arms, to show even travelling along the valley can have some challenges (blue and orange on the map).

Note that riding in wet weather is far from unpleasant. If your only experience of wet weather is from the inside of a car or house, you lack any knowledge of how easy and fun it is to be out in it. When riding, walking, or just being out in it, your activity becomes your central heating (without the quarterly bill), and the endorphins created ensure you remain happy (without the presciption costs). If you take outdoors activity as something to be moped about, you'll do the same indoors. Also, after being outdoors you CAN eat cake.


View Nidderdale Oct 2014 in a larger map

A Quick Guide to the Icons on the Map.

• Pateley Bridge High Street: A thriving small town with many independent shops supplying great locally sourced food and including the oldest sweet shop!
• Toft Gate Café: on Trip Advisor with reviews including "service has been excellent", "food was excellent", and "scenery is breathtaking"
• The Yorke Arms: it's website describes it as "Michelin starred Yorke Arms is one of the UK's leading Restaurant with Rooms."
• The Sportsman: It's website has quoted "The continuing popularity of The Sportsman’s Arms is proof that a personal recommendation is worth any number of stars or rosettes in a guide book."
• Coldstone Cuts: it's website has quoted "Stimulate your senses and explore your wilder self at Yorkshires biggest and highest public artwork."

The Cycle Routes.

The videos are all now HD and most have rear windows as well. A combination of a new GoPro 3+ and my old Canon Ixus 105 using Adobe Premiere Elements to combine (although if anyone knows of a more intuitive piece of software, please let me know!). If you don't like the soundtrack (I like upbeat & energetic!), turn it down and switch on the radio/internet/media player track of your choice. Skip forward if you want, there are some good bits and some less good. It is worth making these clips fullscreen to get all the detail they show.

Pateley Bridge to Wath Circuit (yellow).

Click on the square box bottom right to get full screen, well worth it!

This starts down Pateley Bridge High Street showing this small town is just so vibrant. Whether this is due to the lack of any big chain supermarkets anywhere nearby is up to your imagination. Crossing the Nidd at the bottom end and you move into Bridgehouse Gate in the Beweley parish (from Low and High Bishopside parish) and the showground and the recreation ground. Turning up the valley starts to show some of the Autumn colours in the leaves. Passing the school and we're getting out of town.

At 1:22, The Bridge Inn appears on the left next to the bridge over Foster Beck (Or Ashfold Side Beck). Just after this the turn up to Heathfield appears on the left which I come down on the "Ramsgill to Pateley Bridge via Heathfield" clip below.

As a side note, see what road position I'm using here. This is a narrow two-lane road where there is no space to overtake me if there is oncoming traffic. I take Control (or Primary) position as a result. This means I'm helping people driving to understand there isn't space to squeeze through, they need all of the other side of the road. Note that at 1:33 a Landrover appears behind me, waits for a space and then passes when it's clear. I help by indicating I'm slowing down and pulling a bit over as the road becomes clear with full visibility. You don't have to do this, but being pragmatic, it's always good to be polite to others!

After a few bends and dropping back down to the river, at 2:19 it's a right turn up and over the Nidd again. Almost immediately the village of Wath, with The Sportsman, appears ahead. The road has become a narrow single lane road, cosily nestling between two stone walls. Houses and cottages are clothed in the same stone, juxaposing the yellow, red, and green of the nearby oaks and lush grass.


Wath in warmer times

At 3:00 the first real hill challenge of Pie Gill Green Hill starts. It's not very far but does get me down to my lowest gears. At the top there's a left which heads up to High Bishopside Moor which has some very challenging water drain crossings, even for a car. Still, got to get the water off the road somehow!


Wath Lane View in warmer times

The leavy lane flattens out giving majestic views across the valley, sadly not visible from my camera position even with the reverse view taken out. After a speedy slight drop at 3:58 the bottom of the bottom half of Silver Hill comes into view. This is registered on Ordnance Survey maps as being over 14% and does really challenge. Again not for too long and at the top there's a left to the top part of Silver Hill. This is much more challenging going up to nearly 20% for quite some time! Missing it this time and slowly descending, again through yet more stunning views, the start of north east Pateley Bridge looms into view.

Just in town, at 4:55, Bishops Garth goes to the left allowing a route through the estates to get to the bottom of Old Church Lane Hill and allow a full run back through the High Street.

At 5:08 I go along a path connecting estates. Please note that it's illegal to ride along footways (as per the 1835 Highways Act). A footway is what we call pavements nowadays. Paths between roads are not included in this law. It's perfectly possible that this path is covered in local bylaws but it needs signing if so. Whatever, if riding please always take great care around people walking and when emerging back onto roadways. (Also note that almost certainly all the cars parked on the pavement just after here have broken the 1835 Highways Act.)

At 5:16 turning right onto the bottom of Old Church Lane Hill will allow a full run back through the High Street. Just after there's the left turn into the estate opposite with access to the path up to Panorama Walk.

And finally back into town with the thoughts turning to the variety of outlets to get restoration of the calorific burn just made, cafés and pubs to mind.

Pateley Bridge to Coldstone Cuts via Peat Lane (red).

Click on the square box bottom right to get full screen, well worth it!

This starts down Pateley Bridge High Street showing this small town is just so vibrant. Hmm, again, lack of any big chain supermarkets? Crossing the Nidd at the bottom end and you move into Bridgehouse Gate in the Bewerley parish (from Low and High Bishopside parish) and the showground and the recreation ground. Keeping on going up the road and the bottom of Greenhow Hill looms.

Greenhow Hill consists of 2.5 miles of narrow winding B-road climbing just short of 300 metres with 4 sections over 14%. This sounds like a great challenge until the mix of a good smattering of medium to heavy lorries, fast cars, tractors are thrown in. Then it's just somewhere to avoid to me. Both up and down.

Turning left towards the centre of Bewerley village makes for a much more pleasant ride. Well, a lot less traffic at least, there's still 300 metres to climb!

Although the climbing is essentially always there, it begins in earnest at 0:40 just before the centre of Bewerley. Slightly depressingly, there's a short drop through the village and just after before the main climb of Peat Lane begins at 1:16. Great views up to Two Stoops up the Fosse Gill valley to the left. This is where you offer thanks that you are not going up Two Stoops (or Yorke's Folly), mainly as that's walking for me. And then there's that, again slightly dispiriting, drop down to false teeth bridge (there's some buried in the road surface!).


Peat Lane

Now is when your metal is tested. If you look at the houses on the right, you can get some idea how steep the road is right here. Then a couple of corners with crunchy acorn shells underneath to really take your grip away. And it's getting steeper. Finally, at 2:27, there's the sweet relief of just 12%. The corners section has been challenging you up to 20% so this seems easy in comparison, even if your lungs are still bursting.

Trying to catch all of your breath back, you meander along for a short while, turn a slight corner and a wall confronts you. Again, it's pedal to the metal with an all out push up to the top of the visible route, again up to 20%. Unfortunately as you get to that corner, there's more road stretched out before you in a more vertical manner than appreciated. If you can't see the incline, look at the gate to the left at 3:29.

Finally, at 3:55, the route relents. Looking back you realise the last 400 metres have been at 17.5% average and has taken you up 25% of the total climb in just 7% of the total journey. Of course you would think you'd think that, but no, you are thinking "must ..... keep ..... breathing ..... heart ..... about ..... to ..... burst". After a little while the 10% incline gets nearer 5% and other brain functions kick in.

The first section of the top includes a series of shorter trees interspersed with farm buildings balanced next to upper gills running with peaty moor water. Then these give way to the true moor. Views across to Coldstone Cuts start to appear and, at over a mile away it seems small but slowly it registered that it must be enormous. To the right is the building that must be the Toft Gate Café with it's obvious great views all the way down Nidderdale.


Coldstone Cuts Skyline


There is a last push to get to the Coldstone Cuts entrance but by now it's seems like riding up anything is possible.


Coldstone Cuts

Coldstone Cuts to Pateley Bridge via Eagle Hall (purple).

Click on the square box bottom right to get full screen, well worth it!

Leaving Coldstone Cuts and heading up towards Greenhow seems a little foolish given earler statements. However, once on the main road, it's clear that the road is now wide, straight and with plenty of visibility. Even with lorries and cars passing they have enough space to give a wide berth.

After doing the final 30 metre climb, turning right at 1:12 in the Coldstone Fold valley is a small relief. The road drops away sharply and a strong stop is required not to miss the bridleway turn to the right. I suspect this is gated not just to stop wandering livestock but as a disincentive to use this route back into Pateley Bridge. I note that the route is rough for a little while, then gets back to good ole tarmac.

There's plenty of great view from here, good in this weather and stunning in sunshine. A few rainwater drain culverts need special attention. Avoiding going over the highest part of these very important on a bike! By the time the tarmac runs out again at 1:58, a descent of 100 metres has already happened since the top turn.


View down Foster Beck valley

The track gets pretty thin here, more resembling a path and giving a reason to not come up this way. A final gate leads to a more substantial track and back onto tarmac. With the tarmac returns the bigger drain culverts as rainwater cannot penetrate it to leave and runs down it much more than the previous track.

Whilst meandering around at 2:43 it becomes clear that it's not so much a hill but a fairly flat area on the top of a ridge. This rises slightly before descending all the way through Ladies Riggs. Strangely there seem to be a lot of added speed bumps. There isn't anything but local farms here, so it's purely local traffic. A bit odd that neighbours need to tell each other to slow down in this way. The last part of this ridge descent goes through the woods near Eagle Hall.

Finally at 4:09, the left turn back onto the B-road just above Bridgehouse Gate appears. As it's quite twisty still but not far into town, I stick to the road but again use Control (or Primary) position. A car does appear behind me, but soon can't keep up with a much more manoeuvrable and smaller bike in the roadspaces available.

Coming back into town at 4:25, turn left up King Street leading past yet more businesses and up past the police station and the offices of Nidderdale Plus and towards the back lane to Wath. This route can be used as an alternative start to the Pateley Bridge to Ramsgill via Silver Hill (blue) below.

Pateley Bridge to Ramsgill via Silver Hill (blue).

Click on the square box bottom right to get full screen, well worth it!

This starts going up Pateley Bridge High Street, looking busy, even in the rain. The High Street is steep but not too bad. Then Old Church Lane Hill does make it a mite tougher (coming down is fun, though). Turning into Springfield Way gives a route through to the back road to Wath.

At 1:06 I go along a path connecting estates. Please note that it's illegal to ride along footways (as per the 1835 Highways Act). A footway is what we call pavements nowadays. Paths between roads are not included in this law. It's perfectly possible that this path is covered in local bylaws but it needs signing if so. Whatever, if riding please always take great care around people walking and when emerging back onto roadways. (Also note that almost certainly all the cars parked on the pavement just after here have broken the 1835 Highways Act.)

At 1:17 turn right out of Bishops Garth onto the back road to Wath. As an alternative start to this route use the last 55 seconds of the Coldstone Cuts to Pateley Bridge via Eagle Hall (purple) clip which joins up with this part of the this video.

The first 3:29 of this clip is the reverse of the last 3:26 of the Pateley Bridge to Wath Circuit (yellow) which makes an interesting comparison for direction and weather, leading to a very similar journey time. So all those ups and downs seem to even out. I'd guess I ride a bit more slowly in the wet, but how much is difficult to say. If I just don't push the peak speeds quite as much it may not make much difference over a longer distance. Whatever the case, even in the grey there are some great views from this lane.

At 2:14 a right turn up the top half of Silver Hill appears, which heads up to High Bishopside Moor with a very challenging nearly 20% for quite some time! Missing it this time and descending the bottom half of Silver Hill seems quite appealing.


Wath Lane View in warmer times

At 3:09 the descent of Pie Gill Green Hill into the little village of Wath eases the legs towards the The Sportsman and the crossing of the Nidd. Once crossed the road ascends to get to the height of the water behind Gouthewaite Reservoir dam. This piece of water has some fame as it appeared in the opening credits of Emmerdale. From 4:08 the views across the water are fantastic.

The road alongside the reservoir is quite twisty and narrow. In my experience people do drive at a reasonable speed along here. Not to fast and don't try to pass on bends. I'd suggest anyone who regularly uses this road knows that oncoming traffic appears out of nowhere so don't behave riskily as a result. Again, I adopt Control (or Primary) position at times and try to help people pass of they get stuck behind me.


Gouthwaite in warmer times

The road itself is quite rough and feels like going uphill either way along the waterside. Of course the clue is that the water is flat and the road follows that, so the road isn't gaining height either way!


Ramsgill Church

Finally at 6:39, the church at the top of the water appears signalling the beginning of Ramsgill with The Yorke Arms. I stop and look at the Ramsgill brook which is one of the main tributaries of the upper Nidd. Again, stunning scenery throughout.


Ramsgill Stream


Ramsgill Stream


The Yorke Arms in warmer times

Ramsgill to Pateley Bridge via Heathfield (orange).

Click on the square box bottom right to get full screen, well worth it!

Starting at the Ramsgill brook, which is one of the main tributaries of the upper Nidd, and almost immediately passing The Yorke Arms on the left.


The Yorke Arms

After the village at 0:35, Gouthewaite Reservoir appears on the left. This piece of water has some fame as it appeared in the opening credits of Emmerdale. The views across the water are fantastic.

The road alongside the reservoir is quite twisty and narrow. In my experience people do drive at a reasonable speed along here. Not to fast and don't try to pass on bends. I'd suggest anyone who regularly uses this road knows that oncoming traffic appears out of nowhere so don't behave riskily as a result. Again, I adopt Control (or Primary) position at times and try to help people pass of they get stuck behind me.


A Lonely Tree at the Top of Gouthwaite

The road itself is quite rough and feels like going uphill either way along the waterside. Of course the clue is that the water is flat and the road follows that, so the road isn't gaining height either way!


Gouthwaite in warmer times

At 2:32, turning right is an unclassified track. It's not obvious on the Ordnance Survey and heads up to a small hamlet of Heathfield, which also lends it's name to the caravan park at the other side of the hill. It's interesting that the county sees fit to fix this track and I approve! This is a challenging incline that exceeds 15% at times (around 3:05). It seems quite different going the other direction! However the more height, the more the views across the water gets better and better!


Gouthwaite from West Wood House


Gouthwaite from West Wood House in warmer times

At 3:35 entering the woods and the incline relents a little bit. And this is certainly over half way up the hill vertically with a bit more than half distance still to cover.

At 4:22 there's a slightly strange cut through the wall between fields and a long line of pines. It feels very remote up here and pleasantly airy. And not long after glorious views all the way down Nidderdale appear.

Just after the top at 5:05, the descent starts by going through the few houses and farm that makes up Heathfield. Despite appearances, I descend really carefully covering the brakes all the way. It's wet, narrow, and every chance of oncoming tractors! Again, this seemed very different from the other direction.


Heathfield in warmer times

At 5:43 turning right back onto the valley road just before crossing Foster Beck (Or Ashfold Side Beck) and passing the Bridge Inn. Then I drop my hat! A quick retreival, whilst signalling my intentions all the way.

At 6:26 the first signs of Pateley Bridge whilst passing the school. At 6:53 the bandstand is the centre of the recreation ground.

Up Valley from Pateley Bridge to Scar House Reservoir and Return

Another route up Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales. For more routes around Pateley Bridge look on this map and here for more descriptions of Nidderdale.



And here's an interactive Google Map.

View Pateley Bridge, Lower Wath, Heathfield, Gouthwaite, Ramsgill, Lofthouse, Scar House, and Return via Upper Wath in a larger map

And finally, the video footage...

Or link to it here.

Or to parts of the clip with special highlights.
00:18 Descent through Pateley Bridge High Street and normal speed footage.
01:35 Heading up to Heathfield
04:20 Top view from Heathfield


04:45 Descent towards Gouthwaite
05:05 View over Gouthwaite


06:20 Gouthwaite Reservoir



07:45 Yorke Arms, Ramsgill


10:00 Descent towards Lofthouse
10:57 Waterfall near Manchester Hole



15:35 View across to Little Haw


16:39 First view of Scar House Dam


19:14 Scar House Reservoir



19:43 Descent from Scar House and links to other times.
22:11 Lofthouse Jam
23:01 Catching and Keeping up with Cars
23:55 Ramsgill Beck Cottages


25:15 View south towards Gouthwaite dam


27:06 Wath
27:29 Cows at Wath


28:20 View north towards Gouthwaite dam


29:06 Silver Hill, steepest bit at 15.4%
29:44 View across upper Nidderdale


30:09 Back into Pateley Bridge

Nidderdale Routes

One of the places I'm lucky to be able to spend time in is the town of Pateley Bridge in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire. I'm fortunate in having friends who live there, have a spare room, always seem happy to see me, and know I can entertain myself on a bike around there for hours.

I've posted several other times about the town, so feel free to scan through for the Nidderdale label or pick things up from this map below.

Anyway, that aside I've managed to explore and record cycling around the area quite extensively. One of the slight disadvantages of the routes around these parts is it's quite difficult to tell if the route is navigable by bike. The map may well say bridlepath along a track but when faced with overgrown path, 6 inches deep in mud which is sometimes a stream bed, it makes it diffcult to plan a decent ride. On the other hand, when the map shows a permissive footpath and the reality is a wide, hardcore track with plenty of smiling faces, things are just peachy!

This map is the result of that exploration. There's plenty to see here and I've no doubt I'll add to it. Just as an aside, I find this much better loaded into Google Earth as you can do all kinds of things in 3D in it and Google Maps seems to only allow 10 icons at a time to be displayed. Download it for free and then download my KML from the map page.

There are masses of links in this map including to a lot of video footage of routes. This makes it possible to see what a route is like before using it. Also, it gives some kind of idea what delights are in store, and there are quite a few.

View Pateley Bridge in a larger map


Icons used from nicolasmollet.com

Easy Cycling Hard Cycling Quiet Cycling
Offroad Cycling Not Suitable for Cycling      No Cycling

Uphill Busy Road General Hazard
Windy Road Water Barrier

View Walking Food/Drink Video Clip Photo


Video Clips

I've included a lot of video clips, mostly of riding around which is useful for working out exactly what the conditions on the ground are like. Here's a (probably incomplete) list of them. As always, these can be seen small in the map bubbles or opened up into full screen versions on YouTube. Fullscreen and putting you head right up ot a big screen and you'll feel you are there doing it all, without the leg pain!

Losing a Spoke. A short clip, when a lost a spoke. There's a clear clang and jerk at 9 seconds just before the corner. I stopped, adjusted the spokes around it to compensate, and rode on. I really ought to get that fixed at some point!

Pateley Bridge to Lofthouse. A winter ride up  the valley, first along the quiet Wath Road, then onto the slightly busier road round Gouthewaite Reservoir to Ramsgill and on the Lofthouse where there's a rather pretty waterfall. After doing this I usually head further up the valley along the Yorkshire Water road to Scar House Reservoir. Then do the Descent from Scar House Reservoir to Lofthouse listed below.

Over Kirkby Malzeard Moor to Pateley Bridge. A long summer route. This runs out of Pateley along the quiet Wath Road, then up Silver Hill. This is unfeasibly steep, hitting over 23% at one point. Then up High Bishopside and over Skell Gill to the Dallow valley. An off road descent to the river and back out the other side. Climbing up Dallow Moor to Kirkby Malzeard Moor and over the top. This is a permissive way which is a large track. Unfortunately on the downside it was just a bit too rough and gated to make it feel like it was worth the height gain. Finally back down the Ramsgill road passed Gouthewaite Water and up Wath Road.

Descent from Scar House Reservoir to Lofthouse. A winter ride again, this time with less hard pedalling. The top is very quick usually topping out at 30-35mph (which for a offroad bike with semi-slick tyres is pretty fast!). I'm not pushing it hard as the conditions aren't great. And that's borne out by the car and mud at around 1:00. The turn at around 1:20 signals the end of the fast section and is the "elbow" in the valley. The remains of the journey are done at around 25mph and does require a level of pedalling. I did signal the van to pass at 1:30. They had been patient and were going just a bit quicker (but not much!). The lower section is quite full of potholes, so the slower speed is a bit better. Finally I end up at the waterfall, also at the end of Pateley Bridge to Lofthouse above.

Wath to Pateley Bridge Along Back Road. Another winter ride coming back along the quiet Wath Road. Starting coming over the Nidd and past The Sportsman hotel. A couple of steep ascents along the back give great views across the valley. Some decents as well to even up the pain versus speed balance. A nice snow/ice traverse followed by the descent into Pateley, although I turn off the main descent into the centre. This can be preceded by Gouthwaite Reservoir from Pateley Bridge via Heathfield.

Pateley Bridge High Street. Coming down the bottom of Bedlam Hill (or Old Church Lane) and onto the High Street. It's a narrow street so things tend to be slow. Even so, it feels like you need your wits about you when walking on the pavement. I cross over the river and pass the showground on the left, and the park with bandstand on the right before getting on towards the Bewerley side of town.

Silver Hill, Wath, Pateley Bridge. This hill is just so awesome as to require a clip all by itself. It also appears on Over Kirkby Malzeard Moor to Pateley Bridge. I start with a picture of the hill itself, clearly visible from Stonecut, around 3 miles away. The hectic slope is the diagonal going up from right to left. The top section (from left to right) is still a climb but isn't as severe. Then a Google Earth analysis of the slope showing the peak slope at 23% which is just like pedalling up a wall, every pedal-stroke stopping at it's end and trying to roll back. At the start of the action, the slope is quite clearly visible on the houses on the right. That's not the hard bit. Just after the blue/black car at about 1:00 it's steepest. Of course, this is where I let a car pass and have to get going again. Uggg! The slope steadily eases but never gets much below 10%, which is hidden by the lack of reference on this clip. At the end I show the view, including Gouthewaite Reservoir.

Skell Gill. Halfway between High Bishopside (above Pateley Bridge) and Dallow, Skell Gill cuts through the moor. The water coming down here goes on to feed the flow through Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. It's a nice break from the relentless flat moor road, although doesn't allow for any quick downhilling as the corner over the bridge is covered in gravel and water. Not a surface for a high speed turn, even if the road is clear. Just to be clear, both directions are fun!

Rowel Walk and Belford Lane, Kirkby Malzeard. This was one of those exploratory times. I wanted to find out what this permissive path was like (note that I'm not assuming that cycling has a right of way or that it doesn't). The Ordnance Survey map suggests it's a track and Google Maps suggest the north section is driveable. Coming down Belford Lane at the beginning is fine, it's mostly tarmac and disappears to gravel at the end. Then the first barrier, a bridge across the stream, definitely designed for walkers only. Followed by a gate. I cut the clip hear and take longer than shown to get through this. The track continues and is perfectly fine if a little hard going. Then another gate. This is hte bit that is shown as driveable. Hmm, I'd suggest only for the most extreme vehicles. And another gate. Then another (cut clip) footbridge, and a very overgrown path. This is no chance for any driving, which is a good thing, but Google ought to change their map! I think this last section is possibly the hardest on a bike. A strong offroader with a completely kitted out bike might ride it, but I had to stop several times. No, this is good for a walk but not riding.

Descent through Dallow. After finding Kirkby Malzeard Moor closed for shooting, I came back this way. The disappointment of not getting right up on the moor (well, not reading a sign I passed 4 miles and a lot of climbing earlier!) was compensated by this descent. A nice open route albeit with lots of cornering through walled lanes (seeing any cars over the top!). Plenty of good views down the valley at the start changed to wooded lanes and streams at the bottom. I go all the way through to the Pateley Bridge to Kirkby Malzeard road, where I hobbled back over the top towards Brigham Rocks for some further compensation.

Descent from Brigham Rocks to Smelthouses. At the junction just at the south side of Brigham Rocks, there is a great route into upper Nidderdale. I often drive into the valley this way rather than using the main road that goes a long way south through Summerbridge and slower road sections through villages. The opening shots show why. A great view of the whole valley before the descent takes control. Some great drops and good places for hard pedalling to maintain a good speed. After a couple of dips a short flat section done at 25mph+ before the final drop into Smelthouses. This can be preceded by the Descent through Brigham Rocks.

Descent through Brigham Rocks. The tourist destination is very spectacular but also is the road through the set-aside moor land. It's not entirely descending having lots of little ups and downs. Generally it is down but not without some work on the way. Going onto the Descent from Brigham Rocks to Smelthouses or Descent from Brigham Rocks to Summerbridge.

Coming down Panorama Walk to North East Pateley Bridge. One of the awkward things about getting into Pateley Bridge is the lack of quiet routes in. I've found a way of avoiding the main road in, although it's only really any use if going to the north east side of the town (or onto the quiet Wath Road). I use a path, although I've no idea about the right of way here. The signage at 0:35 does specifically ban cars and motor-bikes but not bicycles. I wouldn't go fast here though. It is far too narrow with lots of pedestrian entrances. Also, there are plenty of drainage guides (mounds of tarmac taking water off the path). A short section of steps allows access to the estates and a straight-ish route through along residential roads and estate paths to the quiet Wath Road to go further up the valley.

Crossing the Nidd at Hartwith Mill. On the face of it there are not a lot of places to cross the river Nidd other than the busy car-dominated routes of the Summerbridge and Birstwith bridges. This little road is a convenient little crossing, thankfully mostly free of cars. Because it's single lane, looks like a private drive, and is a toll-bridge, many cars don't come this way. It's one of those traditional toll bridges that has a fee of 10p for cars which probably goes nowhere to fixing the bridge itself. It's free for bicycles! The turn in is a bit awkward but soon picks up speed again. Then it does get pretty rough before the smooth road across the narrow bridge. From the end the routes open up the other side of the valley.

Climb into Ripley from the Lake. From Clint Bank through Hollybank Wood there's a great little off-road route which deposits you at the back of Ripley Castle. This is the climb back up from there to the centre of Ripley. Rather pretty and a really good surface underwheel. Can't help but feel that the centre of the village is rather spoilt by all those parked cars.

Descent from Brigham Rocks to Summerbridge. Done after the Descent through Brigham Rocks, this caps off the route down into the valley. It starts open with fields just below moorland but soon the pace goes up as the slope increases. I quickly get up to speed and shoot on down the hill. As soon as the woods appear the corners get sharp, scary, and exhilerating! It's not long before the town of Summerbridge arrives and sharp on the brakes to stop by the junction at the bottom.

Gouthwaite Reservoir from Pateley Bridge via Heathfield. Starting in Pateley Bridge High Street, this travels up the south side of Nidderdale. As usual is quicker on a bike through the High Street. Then the motorbikes stop in  hte middle of the road and start talking about which way to go. I nip through and quickly get on the Low Wath Road. This starts off busy, but soon quietens down. Just after The Bridge Inn, the route goes left up the valley side towards Heathfield. The view steadily builds behind me as I get up to the same height as the top of Silver Hill on the opposite side. There are a few farm cottages up here before the route tops out and I head back down to Gouthewaite Reservoir through the trees. This can be followed by Wath to Pateley Bridge Along Back Road.

Descent of Bedlam Hill. Yes. Hmm. Probably best to say this is not a sensible way to go downhill. Right at the beginning of the clip I pull out into the main road a bit ahead of a car. I probably should have stopped, waited a few minutes, then started again. Going downhill behind a car can be very frustrating as it can be down much quicker on a bike. However, having said this, I was feeling guilty  about pulling out (it was far enough ahead to not be dangerous I might add) so I pushed on far too hard down hill. The top sections should have warned me about it as I had a couple of close shaves on the road edge, but then I went far too fast down through the narrow section to be confronted by a van coming the other way. I locked up the back wheel getting the bike into the side and gave myself the willies.

Exploring Nidderdale Way. One of the issues of cycling out from Pateley Bridge is the lack of quiet routes out of town. This was a little explore to see if there was a quiet way along the north side going down valley. The first bit I did already know. It's quite a climb up Panorama Walk and then Panorama Way. Hmm, think there's a clue in that name? Yep, from about 1:10 there are some great views across the valley. Incidentally, the signage for Panorama Way does not ban cars just says it's 5 foot 6 wide. At the top is a place called The Knott which has access back down to the main road (right at 2:15), but I'm exploring the route onwards. The surface degrades steadily until the path looks more like a stream bed from 2:33 on. Coming out onto the Ripon road on Blazefield Bank is a relief, although that route is probably still good enough to use in summer I think. The track in front of Blazefield houses is fine and the next section of road (not marked as such on the OS map!) is likewise. But then, the section from 3:26 is meant to be a bridleway. Not navigable by bicycle though. It would work for horses (and the local llamas/alpacas) but is far to muddy and overgrown at pedal height. Eventually I push ot the end at 4:04 where there is a pretty stream. Well, pretty but also very slippery and really difficult to cross with a bike. I descend through the Raikes to get to a path to see if the Nidderdale Way is passable. The track to the farm is great. I slow down with all the animal warnings. Then I'm on the path. This is a bit better than the previous section but still has difficult bits, and is ended at 5:55 by a gate. The last bit up the track is fine, but generally I'd would use the Ripon road from after Blazefield houses.


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View (sun) Downhill (not transparent)