Lincoln to Hull to Robin Hood's Bay!

[Perfectcircles]

I'm planning a short tour from Nottinghamshire (via Lincoln and Hull) to Robin Hood's Bay near Whitby. I'm familiar with the first stretch to Lincoln but have no idea what to expect thereafter. Does anyone have any experience of the route from Lincoln to Hull and/or Hull to Robin Hood's Bay? It looks like most of these two sections can be done on Sustrans Route 1 so I'm hoping for quiet roads and some pleasant countryside - am I likely to be disappointed??

[pete75]

No you're not. I did a similar route a few year sago though in the opposite direction. Whitby to Scarborough on the old railway line track which goes though Robin Hoods Bay, from Scarborough over the Wolds to Beverley, Beverley down to Humber Bridge then Route 1 down as far as Lincoln. An enjoyable ride. Beverley youth hostel is a good place to stay -15th century Friary next to the Minster.

[Perfectcircles]

Hi Pete75, regarding the section from Scarborough to Beverley over the wolds is the terrain rolling countryside through villages and the like, or is it more remote?

The cycle travel planner I've been playing with came up with a route that goes from Hull out to Hornsea, bypassing Bridlington, through Burton Agnes, joining Route1 at Hunmanby. Your route via Beverley looks like it may be more direct potentially??

[pete75]

Hi Pete75, regarding the section from Scarborough to Beverley over the wolds is the terrain rolling countryside through villages and the like, or is it more remote?

The cycle travel planner I've been playing with came up with a route that goes from Hull out to Hornsea, bypassing Bridlington, through Burton Agnes, joining Route1 at Hunmanby. Your route via Beverley looks like it may be more direct potentially??

Through the rolling wolds and a few villages along with a small town - Driffield I think.

[keyboardmonkey]

I'm planning a short tour from Nottinghamshire (via Lincoln and Hull) to Robin Hood's Bay near Whitby. I'm familiar with the first stretch to Lincoln but have no idea what to expect thereafter. Does anyone have any experience of the route from Lincoln to Hull and/or Hull to Robin Hood's Bay?

How many days have you planned for/how far do you expect to travel each day?

Do you want hills?

Do you like nice cafés to stop at?

What sort of bike will you be riding?

Do you have a GPS device?

Are you actually going in to Hull itself or simply skirting by via the Humber Bridge?

... It looks like most of these two sections can be done on Sustrans Route 1 so I'm hoping for quiet roads and some pleasant countryside - am I likely to be disappointed??

Route 1 beyond Cherry Burton (north of Beverley) on towards Bridlington is mostly quiet, but it's not the way I would recommend you take given your ultimate destination. Depending on how you answer the questions above you may well be disappointed.

[Perfectcircles]

Hi Keyboardmonkey,

From my start point in Notts the route should be about 160 miles so it'll be a two dayer I think. I'll be on a road bike (which does handle reasonably smooth trails) so I want to stay on country lanes where possible. As for hills I would prefer not to get bogged down in multiple ascents of ludicrously steep climbs but I don't mind tackling a few challenges along the way if necessary. I don't need to go into the city of Hull so can bypass it if it makes sense to do so once over the bridge. No, I don't have a GPS device but I'm currently thinking of investing in one.

I'd like to keep the route distance to no more than 160 miles, in fact the more direct the better (so long as it doesn't compromise the country road/lovely countryside principle I like to adhere to where possible) as I have an aspiration to do it in a single day once I've tested out the route over two.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[Sweep]

To be honest perfect, doing trips like this it might be a good idea to take the plunge to a gps sometime soon. I mocked them for ages but am a convert. With a gps you can then get wonderful quiet routes from cycle.travel, the route planner favoured by many on here. Supplemented of course by the knowledge of helpful folk on here about the path underwheel.

All the best for your trip.

[Perfectcircles]

Hi Sweep,

Yes, I think I'll invest in a GPS device. What type do you have? Any pros and cons with it?

[raybo]

In 2008, I rode down Robin Hood Bay (a pretty place) to Scarborough. The trail along the bay, which is really a dirt track above the bay, was hard riding on 28mm wheels.



I started west of there, so my route isn't part of the one you listed. But, if anyone is interested, here is a link to the journal entry for that day.

[sabrutat]

I've ridden this route a couple of times. Lincoln to Hull is pleasant enough, with no particularly challenging climbs along route 1. I would recommend the bridleway from Hull to Hornsea rather than cutting across the Wolds via Beverley and Driffield, as the roads can get busy. There is some pretty countryside on the way to Scarborough, but the highlight is between Scarborough and Robin Hood's Bay, particularly if you take the Sustrans route 1 'Cinder Track', as it is locally known. Raybo reports it as being too rough for road bikes, and I would've agreed up until a year or two ago. I think it's quite manageable now thanks to a lot of surface work. (I ride it regularly as I live in Scarborough).

[Tiberius]

OP.....If you intend to ride 'The Cinder Track'.....I hope you like dogs.

It's dog mental here and so so SO many people own more than one.

Scarborough to Robin Hoods Bay on a road bike, on the cinder track, is an easy do....The biggest negative is the dogs......You HAVE been warned.......

[Perfectcircles]

Hi Sabrutat, the cycle planner website suggests a route to Hornsea and then north through Skipsea, Burton Agnes, Rustan, Hunmanby, Cayton, Osgodby. Is that the way you'd recommend?

[sabrutat]

Hi Sabrutat, the cycle planner website suggests a route to Hornsea and then north through Skipsea, Burton Agnes, Rustan, Hunmanby, Cayton, Osgodby. Is that the way you'd recommend?

Pretty much, though I'd follow the coast road past the harbour and around the castle foot in Scarborough rather than cutting through the town straight to the start of the Cinder Track because it's just, well, cool.

If you want to do a bit of additional sightseeing on the way, Flamborough cliffs are worth a diversion, and the alum mines at Ravenscar are interesting. Also, Rudston village churchyard has the tallest standing stone in the UK.

[Perfectcircles]

Excellent. Thanks all, I'm inspired!

[MockCyclist]

Are you suggesting taking the rail trail to Hornsea? My last experience of this is that for a few miles from the start the track has lots of protruding tree roots that you can't steer around, it really keeps your speed down. The rest of it to Hornsea is ok but the route from the bridge across Hull to find the trail is an urban drag. You've got to navigate it through multiple junctions and traffic lights, right through the city centre.

I plotted the route in cycle.travel and it does indeed suggest the rail trail route; I forced it to a westward route and tweaked it to my preferences. It's here: http://cycle.travel/map/journey/45442
It's not as flat and it's 5 miles longer. The landscape is much better, though and you'll be making progress as soon as you depart the bridge. It's almost all quiet roads. Refreshments can be had at Walkington where there's a big convenience store and at Hutton Cranswick I believe.

Sorry to throw a spanner in the works ... ! It really depends upon whether you want a 'tour' or a 'journey' I suppose.