An easy going ride, suitable for beginners and families, taking you along quite country lanes, good quality bridleway tracks. Option of also riding along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. This ride will allow you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Yorkshire Dales with hardly any hills.
The route at a glance
- Distance: 9 miles/14.4km
- Approx Time: 2 hours
- Climb: 163m
- Start and finish: Gargrave
- Parking: Gargrave
- Difficulty: Easy
- Created by James Ellis on 16/05/2018
Must see
The magnificent double-arched bridge (pictured) at East Marton over the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
Photo Copyright Oliver Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
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| Segment | Distance into route | Segment length |
|---|---|---|
| The Nook Climb | 2.1 km (1.3 miles) | 0.7 km (0.4 miles) |
| bank newton step bit | 5.1 km (3.2 miles) | 0.3 km (0.2 miles) |
| col du Stainton | 5.1 km (3.2 miles) | 0.3 km (0.2 miles) |
| Ingthorpe lane | 5.4 km (3.4 miles) | 2.7 km (1.7 miles) |
| bank newton lane | 8.7 km (5.4 miles) | 2.5 km (1.5 miles) |
| gargrave sprint 2 | 11 km (7 miles) | 2 km (1.2 miles) |
| Bank Newton – Gargrave | 11 km (7.1 miles) | 2.2 km (1.4 miles) |
| Bank Newton Decent | 11 km (6.8 miles) | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) |
| Didn’t expect that…. | 7.5 km (4.7 miles) | 0.5 km (0.3 miles) |
| BW – East Marton Br to Bank Newton Br | 8.8 km (5.5 miles) | 2.1 km (1.3 miles) |
| rail to cut | 1 km (0.6 miles) | 0.3 km (0.2 miles) |
| 9am Boys Bank Newton | 0 km (0 miles) | 5.2 km (3.2 miles) |
| LL canal – Bank Newton Locks Downhill | 11 km (6.8 miles) | 1 km (0.6 miles) |
| its a hill scotty, but not as we know it | 3.9 km (2.4 miles) | 0.6 km (0.3 miles) |
| only fools and horses | 9.7 km (6 miles) | 0.7 km (0.4 miles) |
| bridge to bridge | 12 km (7.3 miles) | 0.5 km (0.3 miles) |
| On The Ruff Bit | 6.4 km (4 miles) | 1.4 km (0.9 miles) |
| Bank Newton Drag | 0 km (0 miles) | 5.1 km (3.2 miles) |
| No Canal Now | 8.8 km (5.4 miles) | 2.4 km (1.5 miles) |
Getting to the start from Skipton
Take the train from Skipton to Gargrave (one stop), or cycle or drive on the A65 (caution busy road). There is also a bus service.
Route points
From the free car park opposite the Masons Arms in Gargrave, head west on Marton Road, passing Old Sawmill Caravan Park on the right. Take the bridge over the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and follow the road around to the left.
Stay on this road through Bank Newton and carry on for around 5.5km and ride past the T-junction signed West Marton. The road climbs up and after 300m take Ingthorpe Lane on the left.
Follow this bridleway past Inglethorpe Grange until you reach the A59 main road, taking care as the vehicles are fast-moving here. Turn left and then over the brow of the hill, turn left into East Marton.
At the Cross Keys Pub turn left and down the hill following the right hand dead end road. This goes down and then over the canal, following the water on a tarmac surface for 300m. There is a T-junction where you turn right and follow the bridleway track for 2.5km crossing back over the canal before arriving in Bank Newton.
At the cross roads in Bank Newton turn right and follow this road back to Gargrave.