Fragment of Scarborough to Whitby Cinder Track Being Resurfaced
A fragment of the Scarborough to Whitby Cinder Track is being resurfaced.
Scarborough Borough Council bought this railway line after it closed in 1965, and turned it into a walking and cycling path. Over the years since then, the surface has deteriorated.
Recently, the Whitby and Scarborough ends of the Cinder Track were tarmacked.
In January 2023, Scarborough BC accepted a grant from Sustrans to resurface a 2.5km stretch of the track between Burniston and Cloughton.
Scarborough BC ceased to exist at the end of March 2023, with North Yorkshire Council taking over. The work between Burniston and Cloughton, now the responsibility of North Yorkshire Council, is currently under way.
Bridge over Burniston Beck
The old bridge over Burniston Beck was charming but very narrow.
A new, wider bridge has replaced it, so that you can ride across without dismounting.
Resurfacing with Flexi-Pave
Resurfacing has been completed on a section from the A165 Burniston to Station Lane Cloughton.
The surface is ok. I understand that it has old car tyres in it, so there is an element of rubbery bounce. It hasn’t been rolled smooth and flat, but instead it has undulations which make for a jolt-y ride. I assume that is a feature of the material, not an error in laying it.
A short section from Station Lane Cloughton to Newlands Lane/Salt Pans Road is closed as resurfacing work is still ongoing. There are no diversion signs at the Station Lane end.
Missing Link between Scalby and Burniston
It would have made sense to resurface the whole track from the Scarborough end to Cloughton, and then keep going from there.
Instead, the track has been resurfaced from Scarborough to Scalby, but no work has been done between Scalby and Burniston. You would think that Scalby to Burniston should be tackled next.
Slow Progress
While the current resurfacing work is welcome, the reality is that miles of the Cinder Track are in really poor condition and are suitable for mountain or gravel bikes only.
At the current rate of progress, it will be decades before the the track is rideable on any bike.
