Cycling in the Yorkshire Wolds

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Day 1: Arrival Beverley

Arrive in Beverley which, in medieval times was one of the most important towns in England. It was a place of pilgrimage to Beverly Minster on the site of an early church built by John of Beverley, Archbishop of York. Today you should have time to visit the Minster, a huge church dating back to 1404. Visit St Mary’s, the 12th-century sister church of the Minster that was built to serve the town’s trading community. Beverly has a lively outdoor market and Guildhall, both worth visiting.

• Accommodation: Trinity Guest House or similar in Beverley

Day 2: Beverley to Pocklington | 42km

Cycle out of Beverley in the morning and then through idyllic rural landscapes, peppered with small strips of forests. You then have a good run into Market Weighton, perhaps for lunch. Once the location of Britain’s largest sheep market, it is now well known for its quintessentially English farmers’ market, duck pond and red tiled roofs. From here, there are a few mild climbs and descents passing Londesborough Park and Gardens and Cleaving Coombe valley to bring you into Pocklington – a historic market town with an array of charming, independent shops and boutiques. The beautiful church dates back to before the 15th century, and the illustrious Pocklington School has produced luminaries such as William Wilberforce, the slave abolitionist who began his anti-slavery campaign whilst boarding here. Take some quiet time out in the gardens at Burnby Hall.

• Cycling for the day: 42km
• Accommodation: The Feathers Hotel or similar in Pocklington

Day 3: Pocklington to Malton | 51km

A series of climbs and the valley of Pasturdale bring you up to Huggate, with its duck pond and small inn where Hockney once stayed. In his youth, Hockney spent two summers stacking corn, cycling and “falling in love with this part of the world“. Heading on, cycle along the top of the Wolds before descending into Thixendale. Nearby is Robert Fuller Gallery, the work of an artist who paints wildlife at his estate, with cameras set up in several places. An undulating ride brings you to Kirkham on a point above the River Rye before heading north-east into Malton. This is a market town that has provided a welcome for travellers as far back as Roman times and is now claimed to be Yorkshire’s food capital, busy with local stores, bakeries, butchers, microbreweries and restaurants. If you have time, or if you want to take an extra day here, Castle Howard is 11km away – an 18th-century stately home set on landscaped grounds with fountains, trails and lakes. Even closer to Malton is Eden Camp Museum, formerly a World War II prison camp.

• Cycling for the day: 51km
• Accommodation: The Wentworth Arms or similar in Malton

Day 4: Malton to Hunmanby | 50km

Start your day off with a climb up Fizgig Hill, after Settring Village. The cycling then goes back to more gentle undulations through the fertile farmland and hills of the Wolds, by now a familiar pattern. Finally, you descend into Cans Dale and over South Dale to arrive in Hunmanby. This ancient village is nestled between the coast and Yorkshire Wolds. Stroll around the village where highlights include All Saints Church’s unusual Admirals Arch.

• Cycling for the day: 50km
• Accommodation: The Southgate B&B or similar in Hunmanby

Day 5: Hunmanby to Driffield | 62km

Today is quite a long day, but it’s mostly gentle cycling. Although it adds a few kilometres, you can take a ride off route to the RSPB sanctuary of Bempton Cliffs. The site is an important one for for breeding seabirds, including puffins and razorbills (April to July). More than 200,000 seabirds live on these 100m-high chalk precipices.
The next place of note is the seaside town of Bridlington, always good for a paddle and an ice cream. Just before the town is Sewerby Hall, a Grade I listed Georgian country house set in 20 hectares of landscaped gardens, recently restored to its Edwardian elegance. Then head back inland, gently climbing up Rudston Beacon and descending into Burton Agnes. Visit the Elizabethan manor house, with its haunted hall. At the end of the day, drift into the market town of Driffield, known locally as the capital of the Wolds. From here, Wolds produce was historically shipped down the canal to Hull and out to the rest of the world. You have lots of choices of pubs and restaurants here.

• Cycling for the day: 62km
• Accommodation: Best Western Bell Hotel (Driffield)

Day 6: Driffield to Beverley | 32km

Leaving Driffield, your cycle holiday concludes with a shorter day in typical Wolds style. Wind around the roads that connect farms with small Yorkshire villages such as Etton and Cherry Burton before completing your circuit of the Yorkshire Wolds in Beverley.

• Cycling for the day: 32km
• Accommodation: Trinity Guest House (Beverley)

Day 7: Departure

Depart from Beverley after breakfast.

Click to view default hotels

• Trinity Guest House (Beverley)
• The Feathers Hotel (Pocklington)
• The Wentworth Arms (Malton)
• The Southgate B&B (Hunmanby)
• Best Western Bell Hotel (Driffield)

*Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.