Today brought the hottest ever recorded October temperature but the morning was pleasantly fresher than yesterday as we climbed out of Pateley Bridge and past Brimham Rocks, a very popular picnic spot which we were glad to be passing early in the day. Yesterday’s severe gradients had given way to gentler undulations, making cycling easier though again we were pedalling into the southeasterly wind. The route took us through the grounds of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, pausing to photograph the stags, and the estate village of Studley Roger and then into the small city of Ripon. Here we bought picnic requisites and called in on a cafe near the cathedral for coffee and some lovely French apple tart.
The afternoon was noticable hotter as we left Ripon, climbing to 29 degrees as we tackled the headwind across the Vale of York. We rode through Boroughbridge and the grounds of Beningbrough Hall, and were very pleased to find the cafe and farm shop as we were desperate for a cold drink. After the lovely cold Fentimans ginger beer I was unable to resist a glass of cider from the stall outside, and also bought a bottle of Hambleton Nightmare ale for the evening. After crossing the East Coast railway line a couple of times we were on a busy cycle track into the centre of York and continued a short way to my mother’s house.