Believe it or not, the route that this cycle track follows is along what was part of the main line railway between London, York and Edinburgh until 1983.
The extension of coal mining into the area around Selby meant that this railway would be at risk of unpredictable subsidence and would therefore be unsuitable for use as a high speed railway, unless a wide belt of coal was left in place. The cost of a new railway avoiding this coalfield was far less than leaving coal in place, so the National Coal Board paid for the new railway to be built.
Much of the old route was taken over by Sustrans, an organisation specialising in the creation of off road cycle routes, and by 1989 the route was reaady for use by cyclists.
Over a number of years the route has evolved, with much planting of trees and shrubs, and a variety of artistic track side features have been installed. It has become a popular well used route for both cyclists and walkers, and after the wet winter it is nice to have somewhere to walk which is dry underfoot!
I absolutely love this. I wish we had a walking/cycling path in our community. It has been talked about for several years and hopefully it will eventually be a reality.
Thank you all for your comments - I'm pleased you enjoyed this glimpse of one of our cycle routes. This route runs for around 9 miles south from York before the old railway route is used as a new road near Selby. The cycle route itself continues along quiet lanes and beside the River Ouse into Selby. Cycle routes continue south from there to join the trans-pennine trail, a long distance cycle route from Hornsea on the east coast of England, to Southport on the west coast, mostly on old railway routes - so if you have enough energy......
Your images and stories fill me with regret that we won't be able to make it to the North during our planned visit. Keep these spectacular shots coming.
Nice history of this path. Many abandoned railway lines have been restored as recreation paths in the US. They are usually well used since they lack hills, especially bikers. As usual, thanks for the history lesson.
April 9th, 2016
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Thank you all for your comments - I'm pleased you enjoyed this glimpse of one of our cycle routes. This route runs for around 9 miles south from York before the old railway route is used as a new road near Selby. The cycle route itself continues along quiet lanes and beside the River Ouse into Selby. Cycle routes continue south from there to join the trans-pennine trail, a long distance cycle route from Hornsea on the east coast of England, to Southport on the west coast, mostly on old railway routes - so if you have enough energy......
Ian