Wow what a ride! Take one perfect, hot sunny day in May and combine it with some Yorkshire dales limestone scenery and excellent singletrack, and the results is one unforgettable day out. This is one ride where I really regret not taking my camera along; the conditions were perfect and the geology around Malham and Sulber has an almost extraterrestrial appearance.
I have long attempted to combine a crossing of Sulber, which often appears as an 'easy' route in guidebooks, into a longer circuit, and this is the very satisfying result. The highlight of the circuit is the final downhill blast from High Mark to Street Gate. Trying to keep the bike on the rolling grassy singletrack, rather than slightly above it, is a major challenge. The lowlight of the circuit is the tedious trudge across Foxup moor, ruined by illegal motorbike usage.
Take note that although (as reported by another route guide) "limestone drains well", you should try to avoid limestone after heavy rain. Imagine riding across soap, and you get the idea! The section across Foxup moor is not across limestone, so it doesn't suffer from this problem, it is waterlogged all year round instead!
Most of the tracks used in this route are indistinct, so make sure you can navigate well, especially if there is any possibility of low cloud.
| Physical | Technical | Fun | Scenery | Singletrack | Rideability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *** | ** | **** | **** | **** | **** |
The circuit starts and finishes at Malham, where there is an enormous (pay) car park. In this way you can finish with the fantastic descent to Street Gate. The circuit is described in a clockwise direction, but there is almost nothing in it. Stockdale lane and Sulber are classic limestone rides, and the crossing from Arncliffe Cote is indescribably superb. Foxup moor is less fun, being a standard north of England bog, so you may prefer the route passing south of Pen-y-Ghent instead; via Churn Milk Hole and the Cow Close track.
There are some unavoidable road sections between Settle and Wharfe, and in Littondale, but as the remainder is predominantly singletrack, this is forgivable. The best eating house en route was just on the outskirts of Horton, an "old dear's" tea room, where you can also stock up on superb homemade fudge and biscuits for the remainder of the day.
It is seriously recommended that you avoid wet days, as limestone mutates instantly from super-fast fun to friction-free hell. You may also drown somewhere on Foxup moor.
Even those who measure their enjoyment by "time spent in the aerobic zone", cannot fail to be impressed by the scenery along this route. Highlights include Malham cove, the tiny village of Wharfe, the clapper bridge near Crummack, the Sulber pavement and Hull Pot. For God's sake, don't ride into Hull Pot.
Get out a highlighter, and Landranger no.98, and mark out the following waypoints. As far as I know, this route has not appeared in a mag or book before.
| Location | Grid Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Malham | 901628 | ||
| BW lane out of Malham | 900630 | ||
| Rejoin road | 893637 | ||
| Start of Stockdale lane | 892640 | ||
| End of Stockdale lane | 854638 | ||
| Start of Lambert lane | 835630 | ||
| Back road into Settle | 828625 | ||
| Settle | 820635 | ||
| Road from Giggleswick | 814641 | ||
| Road junction by quarry | 804691 | ||
| Wharfe | 784695 | ||
| Crummack | 772714 | ||
| Borrins road end | 788746 | ||
| Tea & cake stop | 803730 | ||
| Horton, BW start | 809724 | ||
| Hull Pot | 824746 | ||
| Foxup | 872768 | ||
| Arncliffe | 932718 | ||
| Arncliffe Cote | 947705 | ||
| Street Gate | 905656 | ||
| Water Sinks | 894658 | ||
| Rejoin Malham road | 888648 | ||
| Malham | 901628 | ||
| Total distance 40 miles | Riding time 6 hours (that's more like it!) | ||
Malham can be extremely busy at weekends, and therefore you won't have a cat in hell's chance of finding a free parking place. Simply take your place on the huge National Park car park, and feed the meter.
Ride into the village, taking the road toward the cove (not over the bridge). Go slowly past the outdoor shop, so as not to miss the tiny, rocky BW up to the left. This thin walled track is very rough, it soon joins a better track; go left then right at a staggered junction. Follow the improved walled track up the hill, past a couple of waterboard buildings. The view of the cove is better from here than the road.
You will soon rejoin the road, which climbs at 1in4, and leave it again at the second gate signposted "Settle". This is Stockdale lane, a grassy track used by off-road vehicles, but barely eroded. The limestone moor is bone dry and alive with rabbits. The track stays up high for 2kms, before dropping down, with a couple of rocky stints to Stockdale Farm.
The fun ain't over once you reach the tarmac farm lane. 40mph straights interspersed with right angle bends equals fun. There are bizarre limestone spires on the right here at Attermire Scar. When you reach the public road, delay the descent to Settle for a moment by turning right then left, onto Lambert lane. This shortly joins another tarmac back lane into Settle.
Burn your brakes out on the cobbles into Settle, (no seriously, mine did!). Ride north through the town, past "Ye Olde Naked Man", under the railway and over the river (don't take the 'B' road north up Ribblesdale). Just across the river, and past the school, turn right onto the back road toward Little Stainforth. Follow this road for 5km to the road junction just by the quarry. Turn left for another 2km until you reach the small village of Wharfe.
Wharfe is identifiable by a 'Private Road' sign. In fact there are no public roads into Wharfe at all, only bridleways. Wharfe is one of the most beautiful villages I have ever seen, with only locals' cars allowed. Bear right at the first BW junction, then left. The BW now, unbelievably goes up a gravel drive, across someone's garden, and right past their front door. It seems totally intrusive to do this, so please behave yourself! The bridleway is now a grassy singletrack between walls. It soon joins a rockier bridleway, but still only footpath width.
At a junction, take the BW left instead of the walled footpath heading north. You soon reach the famed clapper bridge and ford. This clapper bridge was built 400 years ago exclusively for photo-opportunities involving mountain bikes. Just after the clapper bridge is a perfect section of Yorkshire slickrock.
At the track junction, turn right by the potholers, toward Crummack farm.
The BW passes through some sheep pens just before Crummack farm, to reach the open fellside. The track is very faint here, so follow the stumpy marker posts carefully. Essentially the bridleway goes (from the pens) straight ahead, then sharp left, steeply up the fellside, then right, upon attaining the limestone plateau.
The extensive limestone pavement plateau of Sulber and Moughton is unearthly. I have never seen scenery like this outside the dolomites, only thin strips of green separate the grey-white bedrock. There is about 2km of level riding, with excellent vistas of all three peaks.
Eventually the track drops across rough pasture toward Borrins farms. In order to distinguish which of the myriad tracks is the legal one, again keep an eagle-eye out for those stubby marker posts. You will eventually reach the 'B' road just above Horton. Turn right toward Horton, and shortly after passing under the Settle-Carlisle railway line (that bridge you nearly hit!), there is a wonderful tea-room on your left. Don't forget to stock up on those home-made biscuits and fudge for later in the day.
After lunch, take the road into Horton. Go through the right angle bend and humpback bridges where the February epic began, and a little further on, opposite the Pen-y-Ghent café, Horton Scar lane climbs up on the right, signposted "Pennine Way". This walled lane has a hardpacked surface and climbs at a reasonable gradient toward Pen-y-Ghent.
At end of the walled track, where the Pennine Way and Three Peaks walkers descend from Pen-y-Ghent, you must carry straight on into the dry valley ahead. There is no track here so ride straight and level until you reach the pot. Hull Pot is the largest natural 'hole' in Britain and almost straddles the valley, be careful that you don't ride into it, as it is hidden until the last moment. In wet weather a huge waterfall plunges into the Pot.
The Pot is slightly off the route of the bridleway, so backtrack slightly and cross the wall to your right via the ladder stile or gate. After crossing the wall a semi-distinct track is picked up. Follow this track careful across the moor, or more accurately, follow the motorbike tyre tracks, as the route is well used by motorbikes, who don't even have a legal right to be here. At one point, bear sharp right by a wall, as another 'three-peaks' path descending from Pen-y-Ghent crosses and overwhelms the bridleway. From this point onwards the track is indistinct, but conversely easy to follow, due to the motorbike tracks.
Most of Foxup Moor is wet, with some section of BW lost in the mire completely, and one section even duckboarded. In the later stages the underlying limestone occasionally breaks through to the surface giving easy and pleasant riding.
The motorbike ruts are ever present, and in the worst sections it seems as if each bike has taken a different route, with 100 metre wide stretches of bog comprising of parallel ruts, giving the appearance of the moor having been ploughed. The fact that a single bike on power can cut a groove 8 inches wide by 6 inches deep, makes it all the more remarkable that very little seems to have been done to stop the bikes. The areas around the gates, where all the bikes must pass through together are indescribably gloopy.
Don't let this doom and gloom put you off, as the riding is far from ruined, especially in dryer weather. As you near Foxup farm, there are a couple of steep descents, the final descent to the farm being over dry pasture, very fast and very fun.
At the farm gate, you'll see notices dissuading motorcyclists from using the crossing. It seems as if the authorities are scared of the bikers, as mountain bikers using an illegal track, whether or not it caused erosion would be greeted by a simple "no bikes" sign, not a notice "asking" them to "consider" not riding the track! "On your bike" readers (a magazine which insists on referring to mountain bikes and mountain biking as trail bikes and trail biking) should note that the expression "trail bikers", in this country at least, most definitely refers to the motorised variety, as it appears all over these notices!
There now follows a delightful road ride down Littondale, via Halton Gill and Arncliffe to Arncliffe Cote, in total, around 6 miles.
If you reach the caravan park at Arncliffe Cote, then you have already passed the turn off for the crossing back to Malham. You will need to know exactly where this turn off is as the farmer removes all official signing, in an attempt to prevent its use. Just before a sharp bend in the road, before the caravan park, is a tarmaced farm driveway (often with a closed wooden gate across it). Despite the lack of signs, cycle up this lane, through the farmyard and up the rocky continuation track. If you find a sign saying 'footpath only, no bikes or vehicles' then you are on the correct route (the sign is lying!) After passing through a rickety sheep pen, with non-opening gates you reach the open fell, and leave all the farmer's politics behind.
An almost indistinguishable track climbs up through the rough pasture, ignore the myriad side tracks, as the correct route is almost straight ahead at all times. The underlying limestone gives a very fast and dry surface, and you should be able to cycle almost to the high point of the moor. On my ascent I met 3 full-sus guys descending at about 30+mph shortly followed by a group of elderly cyclists on touring bikes, the full cotton saddle-bag brigade, good on them! Both groups seemed to be enjoying themselves in equal measures.
At the high point of the moor, the track passes through a narrow gap in a tall limestone wall, and the repayment of all the effort begins. The indistinct grassy track allows unrealistic speed for little effort. In fact the grass is so short and fast that the track can be ignored altogether, without much loss in speed. The smooth pasture takes on a very lumpy appearance at around 30mph, and you will have great difficulty keeping the bike on the ground out of the compressions.
This is perhaps the third best descent in the dales, the second best being Mastilles lane, and the best being the same track in the reverse direction! Be careful when you reach the extended ford / stream, as the submerged limestone bed offers the slipperiest surface ever encountered. Climb a small rise and re-attain some speed on the downside, suddenly as you rush downhill at 20mph you will be confronted by the cars, kids and ice-cream vans at Street Gate. The sudden appearance of so many people after such a remote crossing is almost a culture shock.
Pass through the gate, onto the surfaced road . Take the road west toward Malham Tarn outflow. Where the road crosses the stream (a usual ice-cream van position), go through the gate onto a bridleway (not signposted as such). Pass close to watersinks (where the stream disappears into the ground, but climb the slope above it to your right. A thin track takes you across the moor, and back onto the road just above a cattle grid. The views of the limestone 'dry valley' leading to the cove are excellent.
End the day with a brain-out road descent into Malham. Watch out for the sharp bends and the inevitable thousands of tourist returning from the cove.
I hope you enjoy this ride. It replaced the promised Black Mountains ride, due to the fickle nature of the British weather. I apologise to the more southerly readership about the northern bias to these epics (2 rides now in the Yorkshire Dales, 2 in Cumbria), and I hope soon to include some Welsh epics to redress the balance. However, you must remember that I actually ride (or re-ride) these routes shortly before writing them, so as to be absolutely certain of the details of the route and surfaces.
This article is also published in Bikemagic, the ultimate cycling resource.
Last Updated 05-09-2000
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