Ripon & Roecliffe Moor

Route Information

Stats:  21 miles and 465 feet of ascent

OS Map:

Refreshments

Ripon has an excellent selection of cafes and car parks, so it’s good for a start and a finish. The Sun Parlour Cafe in the Spa Gardens is a favourite with cyclists. In terms of bike shops, we choose Moonglu Performance Cycles on Blossomgate; a great shop run by Neil Dunkley, with Mark ‘Bike’ Swindells as chief fettler.

On route you can pop onto the High Street at Boroughbridge or nip into the visitor centre at Newby Hall, where a little detour will take you to an excellent place to stop off with the family.

Character

Great ride from Ripon, taking in some excellent lanes around Roecliffe Moor and the villages either side of the River Ure. If you ride this with the family, you can stop off at Newby Hall for a short visit and taste the cakes at their cafe and restaurant. The lanes are reasonably flat, providing a safe location to get out with the kids.


Route

1. From the Market Place head past the Town Hall and onto Westgate, then turning left onto Park Street. Turn left onto Firby lane by Calverts Carpets and left again at the bottom of the hill. Go straight on through the lights and straight over the next roundabout, joining Bondgate Green towards Boroughbridge.

Starting this way you can also start the ride from Moonglu Cycles Shop at Blossomgate.

2. Pass the canal on the right as you ride along Bondgate Green and approach the bypass roundabout. Go straight ahead, passing the canal lock and racecourse before twisting left over the large bridge. The road bends sharp right, climbing steadily before bending back left. A junction right is taken to Skelton on Ure. This narrow lane is an easy ride alongside rolling countryside, with the Newby Hall farms and estate off to the right.

3. At Skelton on Ure take the junction left towards Langthorpe and Boroughbridge, passing through Langthorpe and under the A1M flyover. At the junction of the Kirby Hill Road turn right towards Boroughbridge and Canal Roundabout. Take the second exit, riding over the River Ure once more, continuing along and eventually passing Boroughbridge High School to the left before approaching the large roundabout by Morrisons Supermarket.

4. Take the second exit off the roundabout and ride over the A1M towards Minskip. Ride through this linear village before turning off right at the far end of the main street, signposted to Staveley. The road winds its way along to Staveley where you turn right, passing the church before turning right on Wath lane towards the hamlet of Copgrove. As you approach the small residential lane off to the right, the lane bends left and soon crosses a small bridge with views to Copgrove Hall to your right. A quarter mile further on a junction right is signed Bishop Monkton and Ripon – take this.

5. This lane is initially covered by overhanging trees, before opening up to hedgerows and rolling fields as it climbs steadily. Descending to Bishop Monkton, pass though this village and under the old railway bridge before taking the next junction on the right signed to Littlethorpe.

6. Race along this narrow flat lane, passing under the old railway once more before twisting left and on into Littlethorpe. Winding through this village on a twisting road, a junction is reached (T junction). Ignore the sign left to Ripon; instead take the turning right signed to Boroughbridge and onto Littlethorpe Road. This eventually brings you out at the bypass roundabout where a right turn leads to another roundabout and a left turn back onto Bondgate Green.

7. Now head back into town for a rest and a brew.

click below for gpx file