MARTON LE MOOR TO YORK

26 MILES

(An Incident Free Ride)

Graeme and I (Mr Map and Wall walker) had arranged to meet at my house during the planning of this years ride and cycle To York meeting Colin(The Bishop Bullet) on the Wednesday morning in and around York. Fortunately during the winter Karen Graeme’s wife has passed her driving test this was not only a great achievement for Karen but has made the planning and logistics for the Multidaymen a little easier.

Karen and Graeme drove down from Kendal on the Tuesday morning in pouring rain it was torrential rain all morning in Marton le Moor and the back field to my house this year has Potato rows and I watched them slowly fill with water thinking I am expected to be biking in this in several hours time.

Luckily as Graeme arrived the rain eased and while we were getting his bike assembled and saying our goodbyes to Karen the rain became a slight drizzle. So at 1.30 pm in slight drizzle bikes were loaded last minute checks on the house, I locked up and set off for Warwick. Funny feeling knowing I was leaving the house and pedalling south. We have cycled this route several times and it was a gentle ride down out of the village and over the Motorway Bridge  as we pedalled over the  bridge I commented "well that’s the last hill until Grantham" (I was right.)

A nice steady run down over Aldwark toll bridge (see Escape to York on the website for the full route) and then a short detour via Linton and Linton Locks, where we stopped for a drink of hot chocolate, sadly the Pub at the locks is up for sale and is barred and shuttered sad really as it is in a prime location, but as we chatted at the locks we agreed probably a victim of the times we live in.

The weather was slowly improving as we cycled down into York along the famous Sustrans route 65 cycle way for a change we didn’t pass a china man by the cattle grid which we have the previous rides. 4pm we were in York found The Sycamore guest house 26 miles in 2 and1/2 incident free hours.

All that remained was to shower change and walk into the City. For a meal a walk round the ancient streets and a few beers in our favourite haunts.

Graeme likes the Kings Arms on the riverside so we had a great meal in the Olde Starre Inn in Stone gate the oldest Pub (inn) in York then strolled over to the Kings arms finishing the night off in Guy Fawkes Inn Petergate(birthplace of Guy Fawkes)

Back to the Digs for around 11pm ready for the big adventure starting tomorrow.

New roads and new ground.