[Closed] Howardian Hills (near North York Moors)

I sometimes do a bit of riding over that way from the in-laws in Malton, if I only have the time to squeeze a couple of quick hours in.
There is some nice countryside around but sometimes it can be very muddy and a bit 'around the edge of farmers' fields' though there are some more intereating trails around here and there.
Gravel bike is best bet, or xc MTB.

Overall if you have the time, the weather and the fitness, I think you'd have a better time heading up onto the moors, maybe around Rosedale on the old railway lines up there (Rosedale trail, blowarth crossing etc.)

I don’t think there’s a lot of MTBing as such from Gilling East, plenty of bits of gravelly stuff in Yearsley but it’s not a big place & I think you need to know the area. (I don’t really).
MTB stuff is on the other side of the A170, ie the NYM, where there’s loads, obs.

Thanks for this. They'll be moving to Thirsk once their new house is completed, so plenty of opportunities to ride on the NYM (and Dales) in the future. I was hoping to find something from their temporary home in Gilling East, but maybe walking would be a better option.

I've also got relatives over that way - there's not a lot of MTBing from the door, maybe a bit of gravel biking but a lot of it is "round the edges of fields" type stuff as mentioned. Dalby Forest isn't that far away, worth heading out there.

It's a nice area for road riding though, nothing too steep and there's some pretty lanes and chocolate-box village stuff. The roads can be absolutely filthy though if the farmers have been driving around the place

Parents are a few villages away, and as others have said in general it’s best to take the gravel bike on the roads at this time of the year. It’s a former glacial lake and as a result SUPER sticky clay over the fields (one ride p20 had to carry his bike over a BW near Gilling as there was no way the wheels were going round it was so jammed up!). My parents don’t even really bother to walk locally over the fields at this time of year, preferring to head up above Pickering etc in the woods/tracks. The tracks around Castle Howard are all nice non technical riding (some steep bits) in the summer, much of which could be done on a gravel bike, or HT for the less confident. Lovely area though - my parents used to live over in Bulmer until recently. Tbh, road riding round that whole general area is the best - lots of quiet backroads, though at this time of year can be covered by muck from the fields (as mentioned above), hence gravel’esq tyre suggestion.

Road loop that is good is in the Lost Lanes book. Also the ride up through Bransdale is one of my favourite anywhere.

And as an aside, tell them to get the Sourdough from Hovingham bakery.

Yearsley is my local(ISH) riding spot.
Some ace little routes IMO but it really helps to know your way round.
Would be happy to show a them a few routes if diaries align. Drop me a PM if you like.

Number 9 on here?
https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/best-gravel-riding-routes-uk

I’ve done the route above that tomchapman links to a few times. It’s a cracking ride on a gravel bike but it’s definitely best when it’s a bit drier than it is at present!

I live here!
There's decent MTBing in Gilling Woods, straight from the door.
There's more at Sutton Bank and Dalby, if you are wanting something technical.
Most of the local stuff is perfectly fine on gravel bike - theres' lots of good tracks and links through country lanes.
Above the A170, the rides get a little wilder - there's great stuff from Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside etc up into the moors, as well as from Sutton bank centre itself.
DM me and I can give you more information if you wish.

Many thanks for all the advice - Singletrackworld at it's best!
I shall pick Expatscot's brains, since he actually lives in Gilling East.
And maybe save the longer routes until drier weather.

We had a lovely pootle around Yearsley Woods yesterday, and enjoyed watching riders come down the more challenging descents. And even got to say hi to Expatscot. (What a lovely place to live!)

Thanks everyone, for the other suggestions, which we'll explore later in the year.

Is it dry or still a bit muddy?

I moved to Thirsk Last year and I'm still exploring the area but Yearsley is one of my favourite spots. Check the Traiforks Heat-maps round Hood Hill. There's quite a lot going on there.

@dickie
I would have thought it would be fine. the forest Road round the bottom is well maintained and the rest is sloped I haven't found it particularly muddy recently. Just in a few spots here and there.
Hood Rats is an awsome trail BTW. Whoever built it knows their stuff.

Yearsley the trails there are brilliant but most definitely will command some skill.
But yes forest road easy to follow around, you get fit in no time riding to the top from the bottom every time 😆 .

Used to work really nearby and leave work, hit the trails straight away. Those were the days!!

Sutton bank has a newly developed Bike-track created pumptrack too, which looks so good and still haven’t been!!

Still a bit boggy in places, but drier than it has been recently.
Pretty much all rideable.

That descent near the Forest road and the big ditch always made me laugh, came down it praying that catch berm right, at the bottom would stop you as there wasn’t alot of chance of slowing down on that descent!!

Yearsley has some brilliant riding in it. Loads (and more springing up all the time) of ace singletrack. Some steep bits if you're not into that kinda thing but mostly stuff that you can ride flat out or just pootle down. Also riddled with fire roads so its easy to link up with a bigger ride.

Out towards Helmsley you're into the moors with lots of gravel type riding.

Sutton Bank has a red XC trail (which from the bits I've ridden would be pretty gravel friendly) as well as a fair few BWs heading out towards Boltby etc and below the White Horse. Loads of off-piste Yearsley-esque stuff too. Not even scratched the surface of riding around there as I've been avoiding it all winter.

Keep getting told about nice gravel/CX/whatever you want to call it riding out towards Hovingham/Castle Howard etc.

Definitely no shortage...

Years since i've been that way but recall if you went up the side of the Fairfax arms that took you to some trails. in the opposite direction head to Cawton and there gravel tracks to Hovingham and an old railways line.... i'm talking over 20 years ago here though!