Circle to Circle

Earlier this week I went for a mountain bike ride around the town. Le tour à vélo de montagne de Scarborough, as it were. We've had strong cold easterly winds for the last couple of weeks but, unlike many parts of the country, it's been dry so there was hardly any mud. I went in the early evening so the Sun was low and from the west. Coupled with an almost clear blue sky, and the fact that I was wearing my distance glasses, the line between land and sky could not have been crisper. 

On my return I vowed that the next day I'd go out and get some pictures. It's a circular route, with an optional lollipop detour, and so I had to decide where to begin. I happen to be chair of a Friends Group for the old Scarborough to Whitby railway (The Cinder Track) and a few year ago we won a lottery grant to make a few improvements along the line. One of these improvements was the tidying up of a messy little bit of space and the installation of an art work that would give directions in an interesting way. So we had a contest.

The development and implementation of the chosen design, by Adrian Riley and Rachel Welford was recorded in a blog Railwayart.com and includes a specially commissioned poem from John Wedgewood Clarke.  But the thing we've never decided is what to call it. The Art Work at Woodland Ravine Bridge (AWAWRB) is about as close as we've got. 

Now, because the route is circular I had to choose where to start and where better than the AWAWRB . as I pedaled along it suddenly occurred to me to call it "The Circle" and hence the title of this post.

The author's shadow reveals a hat

From here the route heads south along the Cinder Track towards the gloriously named Safe Ways Park, so called because Sainsbury's were distinctly unhelpful so rather than name it after them we just asked the kids what they called it. On the way it passes under Manor Road Bridge

The line was triple tracked through here and the bridge has an incredible echo.

Up through the Sainsbury's car park and across the lights into Londesborough Road. Down here you'll find what's left of the old Excursion Station and the view back down Londesborough Road would have been many visitors first impression of Scarborough.

Not working class terraces

After a brief on road section down Londesborough Road onto Valley Road and then into the Weaponess Valley car/coach park, the route takes you into waste land, which will shortly be developed into a grandly titled Sports Village, and around the back of the old gas works.

The two big rabbits that have just loped off to the left don't think it's waste ground

After passing through a small industrial estate you get to The Mere. A place which used to be more popular until shopping took over.

A tiny family enjoy a picnic

Heading straight on past The Mere takes you into the woods which flank this side of Oliver's Mount.

Surprisingly twiggy for April

At the end of the path you come to Musham Bank roundabout but avoid the traffic by immediately turning left up a bridle path which goes up the dip slope of Oliver's Mount.

Just like being in the Wolds

As you go up the hill the views open out and when the Sun is slightly lower in the sky than in these photos Bempton Cliffs stand out in the distance.

I think I can make out the cliffs, but only just

After going straight across an open field you end up on the road which comes up the eastern side of Oliver's Mount. At this point I think its worth taking a slight detour to see the view from the War Memorial.

Every picture I've taken from here has a bike in it...

Back to where we started the detour, down the hill towards the town centre and then turn right to go between the golf club, the University and the sports grounds of the local private school. If you go more or less straight across the main road you find yourself at the top of the famous Holbeck Hall landslip; the one where the hotel fell into the sea.

Halfway down and lots of loose stuff to go (+ finger)

Once you're down just follow the coast all the way around both bays until you get to the Sea Life Centre.

In loose sand its easier to walk

Across North Bay from Hairy Bob's skate park

At the Sea Life Centre there's no choice but to go back up the hill. Cross the main road into Hillcrest Avenue and over the meadow at Newby Farm to rejoin the Cinder Track.

Sea Life Centre (lump on the right is Oliver's Mount)

Heading south  along the Cinder Track takes you past yet another golf course.

There's that finger again

The route ends up going past Manor Road Cemetery, where there used to be a footpath alongside the railway. One of the jobs we did was to open up the view by taking out the redundant fence on the old railway side.

Manor Road Cemetery on left (spot the missing fence)

And back

That shadow is still there

Which reminds me of the time that I went in search of the dog pooh that I'd made a mental note was "next to the shadow of a dog".

+ For those who need numbers, the overall distance was just over 12 miles