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Left home at 05:30am on Dawes touring bike and cycled 9.34mile
to Blackburn Railway Station. I’d previously bought a £10.60
ticket on the 07:04am train to York. The train was on time and I
was lucky no other bikes were on the train. Another cyclist did
get on further along the route and he was also going to York. We
arrived about 9am and after taking a photo on the platform tried
to find the way out. I had to take the lift down to cross under
the tracks then up again to the platform and way out. I emerged
onto Station Road and turned my gps devices on. |
Blackburn Railway Station. |
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I was using my Garmin etrex 30 and also the edge 800. Neither
would show the pre-loaded routes. Fortunately I had an older
backup etrex 30 and used that as the routes showed but the
screen display was very dim. I headed south to Nunnery Lane and
Bishopthorpe Road to the access track to the racecourse. |
On the train to York. |
York Railway Station. |
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Outside York Railway Station. |
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I headed west along the cycletrack, sharing it with several
pedestrians and I crossed the racecourse. At the underpass by
the A64 I stopped for a few moments and was passed by several
cyclists on a variety of different kinds of bikes. A short way
on I stopped again and the start of the Solar System route at
the Sun’s globe on the cycle lane along the old railway to
Selby. Several more cyclists came by including low slung
recumbents and trikes. There must have been some kind of event
on as this isn’t a coincidence. I continued SE and before long
bean to catch up to some of the cyclists and had trouble getting
past them even with frequent ringing of my bell. When I reached
the A19 there was no sign of them as I cycled along the Main
Street through Riccall. |
The sun at the start of the cycle trail. |
Bike event. |
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I was riding my old Dawes Galaxy for the first time in a long
time with panniers. I’d left my Surly bike at home. I followed
York Road and Barlby Road to the Toll Bridge where I crossed and
headed along Church Hill behind Selby Abbey. I bounced my bike
down the steep steps and on to the main abbey entrance. It's
quite impressive inside but the main reason I’d called was to
top my water bottles ready for camp 1. |
Selby Swing Bridge.
It was
also a toll bridge until 1991. |
Selby Abbey |
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At the end of the cycle track is the busy road but thankfully I
was able to follow a cycle t |
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A lady guide came out and said it was OK to bring my bike into
the church for security and there were already a few bikes
there. I decided to leave it by the door as I was only a few
minutes topping my bottles up from the tap inside. I continued
south on Bawtry Road and over the Selby Canal and through an
industrialised area where the supermarkets were. At the Selby
bypass roundabout I crossed to follow a narrow and rough cycle
track that ran parallel. |
Selby Abbey. |
Burn Airfield. |
Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) members on the tail of a
Halifax Mk III bomber. |
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AI reached the canal again at a bridge but did not go over it.
My way was down a narrow lane to the south to Common lane and a
delightful tarmac cycle trail continuing south by the old Burn
Airfield. I’d originally planned to camp somewhere along here
but it was very warm and there were no trees for shelter from
the sun. Towards the end of WW2 it was home to 578 squadron and
their Heavy Halifax bombers. Around half way along I decided to
camp between the airfield and railway. I had to duck behind my
tent to get out of the sun but couldn’t go inside as it was too
hot. A few cyclists and walkers came along the path. |
Camp 01 by the airfield. |
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