Start: Morcambe to Bridlington
Distance: 171 miles
Terrain: 11.2% Traffic-free | 99.2% Asphalt, 0.8% trails
Bike Types: Mountain bikes, Hybrid, Road Bikes
Grading : Moderate / difficult
The Way of the Roses is a spectacular coast to coast cycle route which passes through the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire and was created to celebrate 15 years of the National Cycle Network (NCN).
The route can be done West to East or vice versa but most cyclist will choose to cycle West to East due to the prevailing Westerly wind. Most cyclists choose to travel from west to east as it often provides a tailwind. There are some tough climbs travelling West To East including the hill out of Settle and towards Brimham Rocks.
If travelling west to east, the hardest hill climbs you will face are between Settle and Brimham Rocks, with the hill out of Settle being the biggest challenge. The Ways Of The Roses passes through some incredible scenery including the Lune Valley, the Forest of Bowland, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Nidderdale, the Vale of York and the Yorkshire Wolds.
Whichever way the Way of The Roses is ridden smaller groups shouldn’t have much problem getting back to the start via trains from either Bridlington or Morecambe. There are of course a number of cycled tour operators who can organise return transport, luggage transfer, accommodation etc.
This route will take cyclists through the old city of Lancaster and then into the Lune Valley and onward to bridge the River Lune at Hornby.
Most cyclists will do Way Of The Roses over 3 days but can be done in less (or more) depending on your level of fitness. There are plenty of places to stop for refreshments along the way as well as accommodation. The distances between towns are shown below and these maybe useful in planning accommodation.
There is parking which is long stay in several municipal car parks in Morecambe and charges are around £8.00 for 24 hours. Have your photo taken with statue of Eric Morecambe the comedian of Morecambe and Wise fame.
Enjoy Morecambe’s promenade or Ripons historic cathedral or York Minster , all good photo opportunities. Delights of this route also are the pretty little towns such as Pateley Bridge, Settle, or the quaint tearooms of Clapham and the traditional public houses of Appletreewick. Check out the subterranean labyrinth at Stump Cross Caverns. Enjoy the amazing area that is Fountains Abbey which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The route is mostly on quieter roads and tarmacked pathways. There is the cobbled lane outside Austwick, but has has just been replaced with a new roadside path. Watch out for a short unsurfaced section east of York.
Be careful on Greenhow Hill, the drop into Pateley Bridge. It is sometimes potholed, also steep, twisting.
- Morecambe to Lancaster: 4 miles
- Lancaster to Clapham: 23 miles
- Clapham to Austwick: 1 miles
- Austwick to Settle: 7 miles
- Settle to Cracoe: 12 miles
- Cracoe to Pateley Bridge: 15 miles
- Pateley Bridge to Ripon: 15 miles
- Ripon to Boroughbridge: 10 miles
- Boroughbridge to York: 22 miles
- York to Pocklington: 18 miles
- Pocklington to Hutton Cranswick: 19 miles
- Hutton Cranswick to Driffield: 5 miles
- Driffield to Bridlington: 19 miles
When deciding how many days to take to complete The Way of The Roses ensure you plan the ride according to your ability. The ride is certainly not flat and there are some big climbs between Settle and Brimham Rocks. Ensure the bike you use also has suitable gearing.
Carsington Route Map & GPX
Accommodation
Wold Escapes, near Driffield – Located on the Way of the Roses, the bed & breakfast rooms and glamping cabins are a great stopover & offer secure bike storage.
King William The Fourth Guest House, Settle. – Ideal as a base for walking and cycling in the Yorkshire Dales or for those with an interest in the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway.
Fairview Farm Holiday Accommodation, National Cycle Route 6 – Log cabins, chalets and lodges catering for long and short breaks.
Harrogate Stays, Harrogate – Choose accommodation in Harrogate to suit your needs, business, weekend breaks, cycling stopovers on the Way of the Roses Cycle Route, etc.
Resources
Way Of The Roses : Official guide to the cycle route from Morecambe to Bridlington
Cycling the Way of the Roses: Coast to coast across Lancashire and Yorkshire
