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North York Moors National Park The North York Moors is the most wooded of England’s National Parks, with its woodlands and working forests providing valuable homes for an array of wildlife. It contains the largest expanse of heather moorland in England and Wales, and the views are superb, cutting across dales and sweeping right out to sea. You can combine cycling with a trip on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway too. The cycling leaflet 'Pedal and Puff' has three routes using the steam railway and your bicycle to explore the Park. Each route is described in full and uses the steam train for the outward journey before returning on your bicycle through the gorge of Newtondale. The legacy of the Ice Age made its mark on the moors - boulders were carried from the Cheviots, from the Lake District and Pennines, and even as far as Scandinavia to be dropped here. People have lived in the area for thousands of years too, changing and shaping the landscape - Bronze age burial mounds, mediaeval castles and abbeys, 19th century industrial relics, crosses and standing stones, reveal the moorland of the past. With over 1,400 miles of tracks and quiet and winding roads, it's great for cycling. Another cycle map, 'Six Bike Tracks', describes six routes from Sutton Bank National Park Centre, ranging from 11 to 23 miles in length. They explore the best scenery in the area, from spectacular scarp edges and ancient woods to hidden valleys and historic features, and there are also plenty of other areas to enjoy your cycling in too such as Boltby and Dalby Forests, where Forest Enterprise has developed cycle trails to explore the coniferous woodland. One section of the White Rose cycle route cuts its path through the Park, and if you decide to stay a few extra days then it's excellent cycling country. To purchase the maps contact Sutton Bank National Park Centre, Sutton Bank, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 2EH Tel: (01845) 597426 Information NorthYorks Moors National Park Authority |
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