There's already loads of listings of where to eat and stay in the area, and rather than
duplicate this,
I've put together a listing of places which are worth a visit if you happen to
be in the area. The places listed here are notable for good food, atmosphere or offering something
out of the ordinary. Although they are all happy to serve mountain bikers, please try and leave the worst of your
muddy kit at the door, so as not to give us a bad name. Suggestions are always welcome, so please get in touch if you have any comments.
Pubs
- Blacksmiths Arms, Lastingham
- Great food, atmosphere and location, right at the end of the
Lastingham Loop. Very nice to sit outside in summer.
- Lion Inn, Blakey
- A stunning moorland location in the middle of nowhere, but not far from the end of the
Great Fryup Loop. There's tables outside, but the exposed location
usually means it's nicer to be by an open fire.
- The Moorcock, Langdale End
- A tiny pub, with a great atmosphere, and limited food. Not quite as small as the Birch Hall Inn, but usually
less busy. Not directly on any route, but near to
the Harwood Loop and
the Langdale Loop.
- Birch Hall Inn, Beckhole
- Tiny and unique. Worth a visit even if space inside is limited, and the menu doesn't go beyond
snacks. It even includes a small village shop between the
two very small bars in what is possibly the smallest pub you'll ever visit. Not far from the
Levisham Loop and a better bet than the tourist traps
of Goathland.
- Feversham Arms, Church Houses
- Nice location and handy if you have just done a route which finishes in Low Mills, such as
the Farndale Loop and
the Bransdale High and Dry Loop.
- New Inn, Cropton
- The beer which they brew on-site is worth a visit for. A nice beer garden, if you don't want to
leave your bike alone. Almost on
the Grosmont Pickering Railway
route and not far from the end of
the Cropton Forest Loop.
Cafes
- Rosedale Bakery and Tea Shop, Rosedale Abbey
- Loads of food at a fair price and has yet to turn me away, no matter how muddy or sweaty I am. Great bakery next door
for loading up on some tasty mid-ride treats as well.
Close to the Grosmont Pickering Railway route and easily
reachable by extending both
the
Cropton Forest Loop and
Lastingham Loop routes.
- Sea Drift Cafe, Staithes
- Small, not particularly cheap, but lovely food and location.
Not near any routes, but
only 15 minutes drive from the end of the
Scaling Dam route.
- Magpie Cafe, Whitby
- If you feel up to adding a bit extra to the
Esk Valley Railway route, you can reward yourself by
eating here. Beware, even in somewhere with as many fish and chip shops as Whitby, this place is popular
enough to often have a queue going out the door.
- Hawnby Post office
- The post office in Hawnby also has a small tea room, providing simple snacks and food, ideal for
mid or post ride refueling on the Hawnby Loop and
Rievaulx Loop routes.
- Ramblers' Rest, Millington
- Tea, coffee, cakes and light lunches. Popular with walkers and road cyclists, and seems to be
happy to serve me, even when covered in mud. Has a welcoming log fire in winter. It's worth doing the
Close to the Millington Loop route just for the cream scone alone.
- Thixendale General Store & Tea Room, Thixendale
- Sadly missed, now seems to have closed down
Other notable places to get food
- Hunters of Helmsley, Helmsley
- Posh, pricey and delicious. A deli stuffed with all manner of nice food, which also serves lovely sandwidches.
A perfect end to the
Helmsley Loop route.
- Brandsby Village Shop, Brandsby
- An old style village shop, which serves some nice snacks to keep you going on the
Sheriff Hutton route.
Campsites
There's lot of campsites in the area, with everything from small sites, with few facilities to sprawling caravan sites. Here are a few that we can recommend:
- Mucky Duck Inn, Newton-on-Rawcliffe
- A pleasant pub, with a small campsite round the back. A nice place to stay, and
handy for several routes in the area, such as the
Picking-Newtondale route.
- Hooks House Farm Caravan and Campsite, Robin Hoods Bay
- Great views from a location above the bay, and not too far
from the facilities in the village. Ideal for the
Robin Hoods Bay route.
- Rosedale Caravan & Camping Park, Rosedale Abbey
- Quite a big site, but a lovely location, right in the heart of the moors, with great riding right from the village. Perfect for the
Lastingham and Cropton Forest routes.
Bike shops
Away from the major towns in the area (Scarborough, York and Malton) there are a few shops
which sell a limited selection of spares. There are bike shops in Whitby, Pickering and
Purple Mountain Bike Hire at the visitor centre in
Dalby Forest sells spares.
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- North York Moors-Western Area
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- Moorland routes to the east of Pickering
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