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Pedal through Dales
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Hire a cycle and discover the undulating dales, antique shops, English breakfast and scones
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The Old Dairy Farm near Hawes in Yorkshire looks like an ordinary farmers dwelling from the outside. But step inside and you realize that it is anything but that. Paul and Pam Cajiao (restaurateurs with over 20 years of experience) run a fabulous B&a
mp;B inside. This B&B is fantastic luxury in rustic settings.
And being in Hawes itself helps, set in the Yorkshire Dales, it’s an area of green rolling glades, quiet country roads and fantastic soothing views.
All this makes cycling a refreshing activity here.
Richard from Off the Rails, a company that hires out cycles in the Yorkshire Dales, was waiting for us at the Garsdale Head railway station with two Trek T10 bicycles. After adjusting the saddle height and explaining the way the gears work he handed us our maps and tickets and drove off. Our plan was to ride 24 miles from Garsdale Head to Appleby across the beautiful undulating dales and then take the train back to Garsdale Head.
Of course there was the British weather, which meant it was coming down when we were having our yummy English breakfast at the Old Dairy Farm. By the time we were at Garsdale Head, the clouds had blown over the dales and it was a blue-sky and bright-sun affair.
Now the Dales are all about undulating roads. And, having 21 gears on the bikes really helped tackle the steep uphill slogs which were almost always followed by swooping downhill roads. Scenery consisted of little homesteads with colourful flowers at the doorway and windows. We passed the Pendragon Castle, the spectacular gorge at Stenkrith Bridge and along the Two Viaducts Cycleway into the historic market town of Kirkby Stephen. This little down was delight to explore with its quaint antique shops and friendly tea shops and bakeries. After some fresh scones with thick clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam, we set off once again towards the town of Appleby.
It took us about four and half hours for those 24 miles at a leisurely pace, stopping to photograph, walk a bit on the lovely public footways that crisscross the dales and stop at little villages for a cup of tea or a snack.
Once we’d returned our bike to the jolly station master at Applyby station (he’d keep them in the storeroom till someone from Off the Rails came to pick them up) we waited for the train back to Garsdale Head. Appleby is a railway station which seems to have escaped the pages of a Five Find Outers book by Enid Blyton. Immaculate and dripping with Englishness this station has won a “Best Kept Station Awards” a couple of years back.
Our train arrived right on the dot of time and we headed off across the Dales and were at Garsdale in about 25 minutes. But those 25 minutes remain a part of one of the most scenic railway journeys I have undertaken.
Remember that for the first few miles you might think that the cycling is too much hard work, but forge on through and you will be well rewarded with views, friendly villages and a general feeling of happiness that the Dales bring about.
For more information visit www.olddairyfarm.co.uk and www.cyclethedales.co.uk
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