Beyond The Wall
July ‘22
Ducati Leeds swanky new showroom is everything you might expect. Vast expanses of glass, shiny coffee machines and eye watering price tags hung from exotic Bolognese metal; with the same friendly familiar faces. Since first becoming a Ducatisti fifteen years ago, there is always a hearty welcome and thankfully this persists in these new surroundings. The dealership is a joint franchise with Triumph, run by Cobb & Jagger who have had a presence in Shipley since Barry Sheene was bathed in Brut. The wallpaper above the stairs is as difficult to ignore as a fresh pair of Termignonis.
“Anyone actually done this then?” I idly enquire, pointing at the wall. A bemused shrug from a passing salesman suggests the freeze may be more show than go. I take a photo….muttering….”right then”….
In truth, most waypoints plotted here will be very familiar to many riders in the north who reside within easy reach of the Dales. The ordering however brings the ‘ultimate ride’ wallpaper journey to just short of 200 miles, drawing together B roads and backwaters that may surprise even the most seasoned veteran. Perhaps it is Satnav and Google maps capability and convenience that now enables such comprehensive ease and variety to a (long) day’s riding. Back in the day, two wheeled local excursions tended more towards road familiarity and committed memory, with the occasional pause to compose frayed nerves over a cake or bacon sandwich. Or maybe that was just me.
The ‘ultimate ride’ begins in the busy market town of Skipton, offering plenty of accommodation options for those not lucky enough to have the Dales on their doorstep. Exiting the town to the north east finds the nearby village of Embsay, where the steam train offers an immediate alternative to a day of relentless cornering. The rise beyond the village is a steep mossy crag, through which the narrow road snakes and slithers before opening up to a classic dales horizon. The riding mood and contrast is set. Prepare to alternate constantly between veer and vista.
After a few miles, a steady descent brings Barden Tower into view, nestled in a narrow valley. An ancient hunting lodge for lords & ladies, the tower was once a rebel stronghold for zealots opposed to Henry VIII church reform and later, a Jacobite munitions store. With such a track record of discord and conflict, it was of course destined to become a premium wedding venue. Among the blossom and blooms, and no doubt for a king’s ransom, guests can mingle with cursed beheaded ghosts as vows of love and devotion echo through ancient torture chambers.
The blossoms of Barden Tower & Borgo Panigale
If this notion seems a little short of romance, the switch back in the direction of the Bolton Abbey estate offers still further big day options for the betrothed. The site of the ancient abbey is also a fine walk and often crowded with families. The approach from the north is a hazardous, blind lane with obstacles aplenty. Take some extra care.
Head east on the A59 and the fringe of Washburn Valley appears quickly. Blubberhouses flashes by on its perimeter. A tiny village reputedly named after the emotional state of young children trudging to and from relentless shifts in brutal 18th century linen mills. Their present day counterparts are often, it seems, found crammed onto air conditioned coaches on school trips destined for Brimham Rocks, no doubt blubbering endlessly due to the absence of onboard wi-fi (steady on, grandad). Encountered after a left turn and a longer, faster section across exposed and heathery moorland, these acres of prehistoric stone were formed by wind, ice and rain over the past 300 million years. Roughly equivalent to an afternoon riding in Wales.
Onwards to Fearby and a growing sense that these roads are a little less travelled by all citizens and recreations. Skirting briefly by the north of Ripon and through Masham (site of the Black Sheep Brewery) before heading due west to the village, a chance to link corners and flow through the landscape. Turning south west, the sharp undulations and crests thoroughly entertain.
A moment to pause along this section and visit the appropriately bleak location of the Leeds Pals monument. This rural farmland was the training site for inner city enlisted men in 1914, who were marched here from Leeds. Two years later, the thousand strong battalion was all but wiped out on the first day of the Somme. The memorial is located on an unnamed road, signposted right from the main route.
If the Yorkshire Dales can be considered jewels of the north, then approaching from the north exposes the Nidd Valley as a crowning glory. A fine time to find a spot to rest and recuperate. Although choose with care, as verges can be treacherous and deceptively steep. Descending into the valley provides drama both to eye and tyre, with tarmac frequently washed by grit and gravel. The crossing of the Leighton Reservoir is reached shortly before Lofthouse, followed soon after by the narrow five mile carriageway along the western bank of Gouthwaite Reservoir. A little too choppy and uneven to allow a sports bike to stretch its legs, the surface and direction changes offer a playground for anything upright and well sprung. Second and third gear turns flow and on a quiet, clear day, a match for anything this near civilisation.
Leighton Reservoir, North Yorkshire
Pateley Bridge serves up the chance to practice some two-wheeled parking ticket etiquette and plenty of cafes and pubs to make a pleasing longer stop. Then follows a steep exit to the west of the town and the potential thrill of the braver oncoming cyclist or trucks with burning brakes.
The right turn at Grassington points in the direction of Arncliffe and its giant crag, home to some of the most streetwise and chilled out sheep you will ever encounter. To reach it requires careful and lengthy navigation of a prototypical North Yorkshire rural lane. Double dry stone walls and only occasional extra width for passing. The advantageous height of an adventure bike is countered by mirrors skimming stone on modest lean angle. This is really the hunting ground of the smaller single. Beforehand, the Kilnsey Cafe by the Lake offers the chance to focus the mind with scones (or cakes in general) about the same size as a full faced touring lid.
The reward for careful ovine consideration up and over the crag is a switch back descent into Malham Tarn estate, with a sky view of the rigid stone grid of historic farm boundaries that mark the ground. The village of Malham is a popular staging post for walkers all year round and folk are prone to suddenly appear from hedges like native tribes. A further short roll downhill brings the country bustle of Settle.
More close pedestrian scouting is required on the onward route around Horton-in-Ribblesdale, as the foothills of Yorkshire’s three peaks are reached. At the famous viaduct junction, the right turn onto the B6255 will bring a familiar thrill to many and the promise of cherished memories to a first timer. I’ve ridden every bike I’ve ever owned along this stretch, it simply never gets old. The roadside photo vendors have sussed their opportunity too, so keep eyes peeled as a money shot might occur.
This twenty mile tarmac treat leads to the long town of Hawes. Penny Garth Cafe is a personal favourite, with sympathies clear for years from their die-cast MotoGP & Superbike display boxes. Just a short burst needed east along the A684, before picking up the mountainous climbs and enduro mode exploration needed to reach Reeth and its huge village square.
The rural lane that leads up to the Tan Hill Inn is tight and bumpy, with steep rises and sketchy surfaces well suited to the more upright modern motorcyclist. On reflection, in another era, perhaps sports bikes rarely ventured their stiff springs and front endy ways into these parts for fear of losing a filling. Or maybe the relative lack of traffic on the nearby A684 and the like were simply too Mad Sunday to resist. In any case, the self proclaimed highest pub in England certainly appears to be thriving on all fronts thanks in no small part, I expect, to the burgeoning adventure bike headcount.
Beyond the inn brings windy corner after windy corner with no prospect of ever reaching Kate’s Cottage. From this vantage point, and to the right, there is clear line of sight across the barren hills to heavy freight moving relentlessly along the A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner. The tour continues blissfully in parallel before straying into Cumbria at Kirkby Stephen.
Deep into the day, the route throws up a late twist, doubling back into the Swaledale wilderness to reach Keld. This allows the late afternoon to be shared with approximately 1m reassuringly suicidal sheep. Cattle grid count is markedly increased, underlining the lesser beaten track, before an outlandish descent is traversed from cliff edge to Hardraw. Then comes the final call to ‘go west’ with the stretch towards Gawthrop, on return passing this time to the north of Ribblehead.
Kirkby Lonsdale is the final destination, with the corner count now off any recognised scale. This ‘ultimate ride’ serves up a very high percentage of all that is worthy of discovery in this corner of England. It is also a big saddle day by anyone’s measure and unless choosing to rise with the lark, don’t expect the snack bar at Devils Bridge to be still serving their belting butties on arrival.
