Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Stage One | Stage Two | Stage Three
This is a guide to Stage Three of the Way of the Roses from York to Bridlington. It includes a video, route notes and images.
This stage is 61 miles, which is a bit more than one third of the total distance of the Way of the Roses - but this is also the flattest stage of the three.
This is a video of the route of Stage Three of the Way of the Roses [to follow].
My Stage Three of the Way of the Roses starts at the Minster in York.
Pass between the statue of Constantine the Great to your left and the Roman column to your right.
Constantine's father Emperor Constantius I died at York in AD306, and Constantine was acclaimed Emperor by the Roman Legions in York.
Constantine is known for allowing Christians to worship freely, but it is not clear that he lived a very Christian life himself.
Take Deangate and Goodramgate.
Goodramgate is a diagonal street, not part of the original Roman grid
pattern. It was probably established in the 600s, and got the -gate
suffix in its name in the Viking period, and it was named after a
Viking called Guthrum.
Then turn right down Aldwark. At the bottom of the street on your left is the Quilters' Guild in St Anthony's Hall.
The Quilter's Guild is a charity representing people who work in patchwork, appliqué and quilting.
St Anthony's Hall was built from 1444-53 for the Guild of St Anthony or the Guild of St Martin. It housed the York Bluecoat School from 1705 to 1947. The Quilt Museum and Gallery opened in 2008 and closed in 2015.
As well as housing the quilting collection, the Hall is used by Trinity Church, York.
At the junction of Aldwark and Peasholme Green is the Black Swan.
Several Lord Mayors of York lived in a house on the site of the Black Swan (one after the other, not at the same time).
The present building dates from 1560, with alterations in 1670. It is inhabited by several ghosts, including a highwayman who sings along to Irish folk songs.
Turn right on Peasholme Green/Stonebow, and left on Dundas Street.
After passing some very modern buildings, cross the river Foss on Hungate Bridge.
Next, there's an inconvenient two-stage crossing of Foss Islands Road, a path through Foss Islands Retail Park, another awkward crossing (of James Street), then you join a path that takes you over Tang Hall Beck.
Now you're on the Derwent Valley & Foss Islands Track.
It takes you past the entrance to St Nick's Local Nature Reserve.
This path is on the trackbed of the old Derwent Valley Light railway, which ran east from Layerthorpe to Dunnington then south to Cliff Common near Selby. For more information, see York's Old Railways.
It's a great path, but watch out for broken glass, and a very rough surface at the east end.
Turn right on Metcalfe Lane, then fork left and ride through Osbaldwick.
Continue straight on on Murton Way.
Go under the A64, then turn right in Murton and pass Murton Park.
Murton was a station on the Derwent Valley Light Railway, and half a mile of it remains within the park. As well as train rides, you can visit the Yorkshire Museum of Farming.
There's a dodgy crossing of the A166 Stamford Bridge Road and a bit of path alongside the A1079 Hull Road, then you follow the road to Dunnington.
Turn right in Dunnington, then left on Intake Lane. The white Route 66 bicycle is there.
At the top of Intake Lane is Hagg Farm, and the cyclo-cross element of the Way of the Roses starts here.
The rough track takes you past Hagg Wood.
The track then forges a route through open fields.
After Lime Field Farm you're back on a tarmacked road.
There are some speed bumps on it, and I came across another cyclist who hadn't seen one, and had hit and gone over his handlebars - so watch out for the bumps!
You reach the A166 Stamford Bridge Road, and follow the path alongside it which goes through some woods.
Turn right on a path that follows the line of the old York to Market Weighton railway line and crosses the river Derwent on the Stamford Bridge Railway Viaduct.
Soon, you pull into Stamford Bridge Station.
Stamford Bridge is the site of an ancient ford of the river Derwent.
The Romans established a fort here around AD70. We know from documentary evidence that there was a Roman fort called Derventio. Traditionally, it was thought that Malton (also on the river Derwent) was Derventio, but Stamford Bridge Parish Council claims that Derventio was really here.
The second most famous battle of 1066 took place in Stamford Bridge, and the result meant the end of the Viking era in Britain.
The Battle was on 25th September 1066, and pitted King Harald Hardrada of Norway and Tostig Godwinson against King Harold Godwinson of England.
Harald had brought 9,000 men on 200-300 ships. He sailed up the Humber and Ouse, and fought a battle at Fulford on 20th September against Earls Edwin and Morcar, winning.
Harold was on the south coast awaiting a Norman invasion, but he marched north and caught the Norwegians by surprise.
The two armies were on opposite sides of the river Derwent, and a 'beserker' held the wooden bridge over the water for the Norwegians until he was dislodged by an English warrior who floated underneath the bridge in a half barrel and stuck a spear up between the planks.
The battle raged for hours, but was ultimately won by Harold Godwinson.
The surviving Vikings only needed 24 ships to take them via Orkney back to Scandinavia.
Stamford Bridge was on the York to Market Weighton line, built by George Hudson's York & North Midland Railway, and which opened in 1847.
Trains stopped running in 1965.
Stamford Bridge is on the very busy A166 to the east coast, and the high volumes of traffic are a blight on the village.
It must have been glorious when the bridge was closed in 2007 for eleven weeks for essential repairs.
Stamford Bridge was flooded in November 2000. Flood defences have subsequently been installed at a cost of £3.7 million.
More to follow.
The 1:50,000 OS Landranger map number 98 Wensleydale and Upper Wharfedale covers the second part of the Way of the Roses cycle route.
OS Landranger 98 on Amazon (affiliate link).
Pateley Bridge is on the 1:50,000 OS Landranger map number 99, Northallerton and Ripon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
