Hi all, staying at Bolton Abbey soon and was wondering if there are any decent routes up around Simon Seat or is it a big no no?

Any other suggestions from Bolton Abbey appreciated. Cheers!

I assume you mean to ride up there? If so then none that I am aware ( I live nearby), I’ve walked it a number of time and never seen a bike up there.

There are lots of nice routes near by around Hetton and Kilnsey going up to Weets Top.

Bearing in mind not even dogs are allowed up the main path to Simon’s Seat, I wouldn’t bother. This is the famous Bolton Abbey that locked the gate over a bridge to cyclists during lockdown!

Had a feeling it might be a bit of a no no. Bloody daft given how many double tracks there are up there though.

Bearing in mind not even dogs are allowed up the main path to Simon’s Seat, I wouldn’t bother. This is the famous Bolton Abbey that locked the gate over a bridge to cyclists during lockdown!

Ahh yes.. I forgot about that. nice guy.

Weirdly devoid of BWs up the east side of the valley from Bolton Abbey to Burnsall. We camp up the valley sometimes and have never contemplated taking the mountainbike due to a lack of obvious trails. From Bolton Abbey there is a BW that goes NW towards Embsay Moor and loops all the way over the moor above Skipton and from there you can pickup the road north and through Burnsall back down the valley or south to Skipton and then pickup the little road that goes to Embsay and then through Halton East and back to Bolton Abbey. No idea what the track across the tops is like, especially at this time of year…

Most of that track towards Skipton is rideable on the gravel bikes. We did Cracoe to Barden Town on gravels over the summer (nice route). A bit spicy in a couple of places at the end. The section over Embsay crag itself is mtb territory.

Weirdly devoid of BWs up the east side of the valley from Bolton Abbey to Burnsall.

Can’t imagine how the Duke of Devonshire managed to wangle that. 🙂

Nothing except cheek on that side – the descent from SS to the SE which leaves the main track and contours around above the wood to join the permissive FP is OK, but in the current conditions I’m not sure it’s worth it.

You’d be better off trying that descent south from Cracoe Pinnacle I remember you were interested in, but even that might be a tad squishy in places by now. Likewise top of Barden Moor south to Embsay Crag and down from there. Main Barden Moor BW is fine year-round.

I ride Simon’s Seat a lot… Do your own jokes. And given the attitude of the devonshire estate to cyclists, I think everyone should ride there wherever they like, until they open it up a bit. It’s heather desert infested with grouse and gamekeepers, and unlike other moors in the area you’re guaranteed never to see a red kite.

(Embsay Moor over the valley is a lot better for MTB, with some really good descents – the the bridleway mentioned above is a classic in either direction, but rides best from Rylstone, cleanable climb, blast over the moors to Halton Height, cross the road at the cattlegrid, and fast down Middle Hare Head, through the woods to Bolton Abbey. Or Cracoe Fell obelisk down to the bridleway, across the steep stream valley, Crookrise edge and down to Embsay reservoir is really good. Other good descents to the res.)

Anyway, riding Simon’s Seat is mainly high quality landrover tracks which are good on a gravel bike. There’s the descent to the Valley of Desolation that MartinH refers to which is nice and fast on a mtb and actually okay in the wet until you get to the final fields. Lots of walkers at normal times of day and I’ve only done it in the dark. The descent to Howgill is more of a mtb one which is also okay as a way up. Wouldn’t want to over sell it.

I tend to access the area either via the Pockstones Moor track over from the top of the Washburn Valley – climb locked gate at the highest point and there’s a just about there path for a mile which is partially ridable. Or via the Storiths road. There are other ways. Some of the paths on the top are paved, others washed out. Most stuff on the OS map actually exists.

I’ll come back and post some pics. Something I never do, but I’m serious that I think more people should ride there and make it more normal.

couple of weeks ago, looking across from Lord’s Seat to Simon’s.

Any other suggestions from Bolton Abbey appreciated.

there’s loads – what kind of stuff are you after?

There’s also a few decent routes across the A59 on Middleton Moor, but I think at this time of year I’d go with same as above Barden Moor circuit or Threshfield moor (Weets top). There’s also a circuit from Appletreewick that goes off in the Pateley Bridge direction, but I can’t recall what it’s like when saturated.

I’ll come back and post some pics. Something I never do, but I’m serious that I think more people should ride there and make it more normal.

I’d agree with that. I need to get over there more.

The ‘descent’ I meant doesn’t go to VoD, but starts off towards Howgill, then branches off onto faint singletrack close to the wall on Flask Brow before heading down to to the Storiths road. Not all downhill, and can get overgrown.

There’s also a few decent routes across the A59 on Middleton Moor,

The descent off Beacon Hill to the south is good. If you’re after a more XC-overall oriented ride then you can sneak over behind BA on well-maintained doubletrack to North Moor Road, head back to meet the A59 just before it gets to Kex Gill, then there’s an estate track a few hundred yards back down that which takes you up towards Beacon Hill.

outes across the A59 on Middleton Moor

Middleton Moor? You mean Beamsley Beacon/Round Hill? There’s year round stuff. There’s also easiest/least overlooked access to Simons Seat tracks via Pace Gate near the A59 Kex Gill summit, but it’s not much fun to ride to unless from the Blubberhouses roman road or a Round Hill descent.

The classic year round circuit would be road to Addingham, then the dales high way bridleway to Skipton, the either main road to Rhylston (busy, no fun), or cross Skipton to Stirton, and up Stirton’s glamorous Bog Lane, bridleway over Flasby Fell. Soft in places. Road to Hetton and Rhyston, then the bridleway blast over Embsay Moor and down Hare Head mentioned above down to Bolton Abbey.

takes you up towards Beacon Hill.

Ah! We call it Round Hill/Beamsley Beacon. There are a few things worth riding on BB though the rocky ridge is best.

You could do worse than travel a bit SE to some amazing trails… Pm for info

There’s also easiest/least overlooked access to Simons Seat tracks via Pace Gate near the A59 Kex Gill summit

I’ve often looked at that, but rejected it as an option because it goes straight through a farmyard where I figured I’d be told off!

It goes thru the gate at the end of the terrace you see here and up a track through a field to the open moor.

A59
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3ZFDK7vFryYzfVKD9

Ah right, I was looking at this one marked Pace Gate on the OS

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.9849691,-1.8180585,726a,35y,331.37h,44.78t/data=!3m1!1e3

Thanks Guys… lots to go at it seems. I’ll have a mooch around.

(Embsay Moor over the valley is a lot better for MTB, with some really good descents – the the bridleway mentioned above is a classic in either direction, but rides best from Rylstone, cleanable climb, blast over the moors to Halton Height, cross the road at the cattlegrid, and fast down Middle Hare Head, through the woods to Bolton Abbey. Or Cracoe Fell obelisk down to the bridleway, across the steep stream valley, Crookrise edge and down to Embsay reservoir is really good. Other good descents to the res.)

This. Some great natural riding around Embsay.

My personal fave when I lived in the area was to park at the Angel Inn in Hetton and ride up the bridleway to access some great routes around Malham Tarn. Just don’t expect too much gnar if that’s your thing.

Ah right, I was looking at this one marked Pace Gate on the OS

…eeh. So my gate isn’t Pace Gate. It’s still a very good gate… 😥 <wanders off muttering>

You could do worse than travel a bit SE

…secret spots now😁? Probably warranted given amount of traffic and stuff starting to bog. But frankly you can head in any direction (up Wharfedale prob best) for good riding.

The classic year round circuit would be road to Addingham, then the dales high way bridleway to Skipton, the either main road to Rhylston (busy, no fun), or cross Skipton to Stirton, and up Stirton’s glamorous Bog Lane, bridleway over Flasby Fell. Soft in places. Road to Hetton and Rhyston, then the bridleway blast over Embsay Moor and down Hare Head mentioned above down to Bolton Abbey.

That’s the ride I’d recommend and it was riding well a week or two ago although there’s been plenty of rain since.

I tend to miss Addingham out and ride the back road to Halton East (past Hesketh Farm, towards Billy Bob’s) then across to Draughton and up to Draughton Heights were you meet the dales highway. Another option from Skipton is the canal to Gargrave then the back roads to Rhylston. Flasby Fell is decent but turns in to a slog at the first sign of rain.

Flasby Fell is decent but turns in to a slog at the first sign of rain.

I never ride the actual line of the BW, and even the parallel alternative only gets ridden a few times a year, during very dry conditions.

There is a very techy descent off the top down to Howgill Farm.

I have been chased off the moor a few times.

Cheers for the suggestions chaps. I went up and back to Cracoe obelisk, then Valley of Death to Cookrise then down to Embsay Reservoir. Bit slippy and sloppy, but I bet that is a cracking descent in the dry.