Rievaulx Raider: North York Moors Gravel Explorer bike route

Ey up and welcome to the Rievaulx Raider. The Goldilocks pick of three new Gravel Explorer bike routes from the Sutton Bank National Park Centre on the North York Moors.
Join Yorkshire Vet Julian Norton as this 38km route heads north on rolling singletrack, forest trails and moorland gravel with stunning scenic vistas before diving deep into beautiful Ryedale. Here secret valleys, forgotten farms, rich nature and the breathtaking ruins of Rievaulx Abbey complete a wonderful gravel riding experience.
https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/things-to-do/cycling/explorer-routes

hey up I’m Guy Castivven and I’ve been riding the North York Malls all me life But today I’m here to talk you around the new Revo Raider 37 km well 36 and a bit kilometer gravel mountain bike explorer route that we’ve just set up here at Sutton Bank So Sutton Bank superb place to come and ride your bike Got Sutton Bank Bikes who do hire kids of all ages ebikes as well You’ve got trampire as the new truffle hog calf and there’s the national park center as well where you can get all sorts of gifts local knowledge guides maps you know everything you need to have a brilliant time here at Sutton Banks And there aren’t just these new three gravel explorer routes that we put in We’ve also got three mountain bike routes There’s a two bike skills area a pump track over the road and then a kids skills area just next to the bike shop here Plus there’s all sorts of activities for the family like uh nature areas There’s a historic area with old round houses things like that Just a fabulous place to come for a day out with the family But as I say today I’m here to show you around the Revo Raider which is a route we’ve put together to showcase the absolute best of this area super diverse landscape amazing history including the beautiful Revo Abbey Iron Age Hill fors Bronze Age Barrerows and uh we’ve even got some modern history courtesy of the chap I’m riding with today I’ll introduce a minute once we’re on the bike But yeah incredible views stunning scenery calves pubs just everything you need to have an absolutely fantastic day on the bike So we’re going to jump on the bikes now and get ourselves out onto the North York malls to ride more and explore more cuz why wouldn’t you want more more So first off little bit of road work as we look over Ryardale It’s kind of your bread and butter workplace isn’t it This is my backyard Yeah Yeah So I was off Julian the Yorkshire vet if you watch that on the TV So he’s coming with me today Both of us just love been loving riding this area We’re absolute donkeys years and why not absolutely beautiful But as we’re coming along here don’t get too lost in the view and the chat because about to take a little detour onto the path And you can see those are the signs we’re following to start with It’s not a signed route You know these Explorer routes that’s why they’re called Explorer cuz there’s a bit of hard to use your GPS on your computer or your map to keep you on track I’ll do But these are designed as a bit of an adventure So the mountain bike routes are way marked but these gravel explorer routes currently aren’t but they’re all on legal trails and they do make good use of the existing cycle path single track infrastructure around here And why wouldn’t you It’s absolutely fantastic Keeps you away from the traffic so you can just enjoy your cycling In beautiful surroundings in perfect peace Skyllocks singing up high already A beautiful day to be out here And this route really brings home what a stunning and diverse landscape this is between farmland like this with this huge panoramic views and then some proper raw Mand and then the little sheltered villages around Revo and Arden Hall proper picture postcard stuff and then of course other stunning site Rebo Abby which is what gives this Brebo Raider route his name Here we go Here’s the view we’ve been waiting for Look at that Absolutely stunning Rightly regarded as one of the finest views in England And now we’ve got a little bit of technical single track plus straight into some old history because these little lumps and bumps here are actually what remains of the ramp parts of an old Iron Age fort Just shows what an important area this has always been for those incredible views over the veil of Moberry over to the dales If you could build a hill fort up here or have your burial mound up here you are proper flexing your power in the area I mean this is a shared option with the two other gravel explorer routes but also the official mountain bike routes out of Sutton Bank And these are the mountain bike trails I was on about You got the fort trail the paradise trail and the drovers trail And your fort trail actually peels back there and all the way down to the descent And you can see the fire road at the bottom there Comes back up there as does the paradise trail So again you know they’re a bit more chunky a bit more mountain biky in theme whereas you know this rout’s gravel bike like I’m riding or Julian’s on his mountain bike Uh so you know there’s a m basically a massive diversity of roots on this route All right Right Just need to be a bit careful here So we’re dropping down to the road and crossing here And you might have people straining up or zooming down cuz that’s Bby Bank and it’s a steep one But now we’re into the edge Another beautiful Bby forest Again like I say such a diversity of habitat and landscape on this route You’ve got your woods like this your mand your farmland your history all in just under 40k of riding So many reasons to come up to Sutton Bank on a bike More to do more to explore just North Yorkmore Now we’re coming up to Paradise Farm Some of you know well Julian Yes I’ve been in many times for their uh food and drink and sustenance and also to look after much jitter animals Yeah Yeah He was saying I think Sausage the dog at a bag of raisins We just seen sausage down there You’ll always see sausage when you come here Beautiful thought [Music] Oh yeah All sorts going on there Particularly food and drink but also B&B and camping Just want to stay in this area and make the absolute most of these routes Sorry sausage and raisins Sausage and raisins Yeah Doesn’t sound like a good combo Well a tasty combo but not the the other dog We’ve just come along the single track through the top of Baltby Forest And now it’s time to get out onto the moss I was just about to say there Julian vital that people close gates Absolutely And look out I mean you’ll know more than most because you’re obviously deep embedded in the farming community but you know this is a working landscape Absolutely Yeah And it’s important to not only leave the gates as you found them but look after them Don’t bash them or stand at the wrong end or climb over them Around here most of the gates are very well maintained by the farmers actually So it’s a it’s another reason to come mountain biking and gravel biking on these lovely trails cuz uh everything’s in perfect condition Yeah And also be aware of the season as well cuz it’s lamming season at the moment Yeah So there’s going to be you know some sheep maybe still in lamb and you obviously don’t want to disturb a you cuz there’s a risk she’ll miscarriage or she’s heavy and she’ll break a leg or anything like that Then you got the young lambs who don’t know which way’s up No they’re enjoying the sunshine I mean on the mo now I don’t think we’ll see any sheep because they’ll be down lower land but um yeah different times of the year and then you’ve got shooting season as well in summer Be careful there You don’t want to get Yeah peppered But yeah respect the environment enjoy it I mean the whole thing about the Northfield Mall it is a big community Yeah And it and it works better when everybody works to enrich that community Absolutely Yeah And I mean I found I’ve been mountain biking around these trails for about probably 30 years maybe more and everybody’s very friendly Some some areas of the country perhaps families don’t like mountain bikers and you know there’s a bit of antagonism but around here riders are all very respectful and and we get a lot of uh respect back I think So it’s a harmonious kind of situation here Yeah So let’s keep it that way cuz some of these farmers will definitely tell you if you haven’t Oh they’ll tell you if you’re doing it wrong if you place So that’s the joy of Yorkshire Yeah And now you can see this ancient drove road stretching all the way over the moore And that’s actually the route of the Hamilton Horizon’s route that takes you all the way up towards Motherly over Black Hamilton Hill there Well this has been a cattle drove way for centuries millennia probably It’s been a a mooter way I guess that’s what you call a a road for driving cows along Yeah you know connecting Scotland and London Basically it’s the old A1 If you were a medieval cow this is the A1 And then over these walls you’ve actually got a Bronze Age Barrow cemetery as well So you’re talking burial mounds from 3,000 years ago Is that over to the left Yeah But I’m not going to do that thing where I talk to the camera too much and I miss the turning cuz we’re going right here back in land to switch landscapes again I mean does gravel riding get much more perfect than this I don’t think so Utterly deserted smooth rolling all weather tracks under an incredible sky with the North York Malls peeling away in front of us How bad is it Julian It’s just about perfect day and a perfect place to come riding Right you just need to be a little careful coming down here It’s a nice little descent but as you can see the surface is quite loose And most importantly there’s a gauge at the bottom And I may have a history of arriving at that gate a little too quickly particularly on a tandem So enjoy the downhill but don’t go too much And now we’re rolling downhill overlook by Hornby Hill Lambs and mums are relaxing in the field Sunlight glinting through the trees Not bad Not bad North York Mos Not bad Now we’re into Hornby village with the owl Ready to serve your refreshments There’s a village shop as well in there I think Julian down the bottom of the hill Yeah Yeah Yeah We’re going there So I’m going to put the camera back on before I do myself a mischief one handed But again just look at it Absolutely picture perfect It is isn’t it Yeah Take your time Take in the views Won’t scare the locals or the wildlife And here we’re crossing over the river Ry again It gives Ryale It’s name Talking of history Here’s some retro tractors out for a roll All right You never know what you’re going to meet out here Little turn off the road here And we’re going up a while So settle in for a bit of a spin Certainly if you’re on a gravel bike from memory this gets quite steep But you know like I say take it your own pace Whole point of this is to enjoy it not strain yourself and have a miserable time So if you need to hop off and smell the flowers crack on Do we go left Uh yes This is where Julian has a bit of advantage on that mountain bike with the lower gears But we’re up We’re up And now we’re on some easier going again These ancient drove roads and farm tracks They’ve just had so many stories so many personal histories played out on them Hundreds thousands of years Obnail boots hoof prints farmers lads farmers maids So many stories I love to just think about what might have happened in these places There’s a beautiful old restored field down there as well and a feeasant again So much wildlife around here So much history That’s a beauty of that It’s a nice bar Yeah Nice to see it still being used as a barn That was some des for London incomers Yeah Oh that was me Yorkshire bit there wasn’t it is a prime example of where you just need to be a bit mindful of the landscape you’re in You got sheep and lambs in the field What a lovely descent but now’s not the time to be a downhill hero Just be aware of where you’re riding Keep yourself on your bike under control at all times and everybody will be welcoming us bikers back again and the lambs won’t be stressed The sheep will all be fine and everybody will just have a nice time And when you get views like that that’s your reward How do little fella How do And now we’re heading down for tea time at Revo And again you know just be careful on the descent You will get other folk using them whether that’s farm traffic or hikers or horse riders Be nice Stay high Take your time enjoying it and just appreciate the VIP access you can get with a bike to places like this It’ll be a long old walk You’d only get a bit of this route on foot and you’d never get here in a car A flowers are out in full effect today as we drop down into Revo for the history highlight and the Lu and a tea room as well if you need to top up or empty out customers there Julian can I have a time to take a photo Oh absolutely And of course there is the beautiful remains of Rebo Abby Absolutely stunning site It’s really interesting history to it as well I’ll let you read up on that But yeah you might be surprised about some of the stories surrounding one of the abbots at some time And of course a hugely important part of the medieval industry and community around here these you know the the monasteries were I mean I know you had kings and queens but it was really the monasteries that controlled everything on a day-to-day level you know mass aris massive agriculture massive land holdings and of course you know looking after the spiritual good of their flock as well as the flocks themselves and beer a lot of beer So uh yeah And speaking of which there’s a tea room just around the corner and a little museum So if you’re feeling thirsty for a cup of tea and a cake or to just learn a bit more about Revo Abbey then you can pop in here with your English heritage card and quench your thirst for both But we’re going to carry on rolling down the river ride I mean if you like your Instagram or your beautiful pictures you’re going to be absolutely frothing for this route Hey look Don’t look at me Look at that That’s beautiful Revo bridge cottage itself And the beauty of this it’s literally minutes away from the A19 off the A1 So super easy to get to and all those fantastic facilities at Sutton Bank as well And don’t worry about signs like this This route is entirely legal So yeah no mister vehicles but it’s all the bridal way that you find to ride on a bike Right we have to be quiet here So you don’t want to disturb the fisherman There’s some of the beautiful old fish ponds And I think they might be the old remains of the monastic ones from Revo Either way just another stunning bit Just another different landscape you’re seeing on this ride Amazing how many different aspects of Yorkshire you get but all peaceful in a relatively short loop No Do you know what We haven’t seen a car Yeah Sorry Julian’s just said how incredibly peaceful it’s been as well Apart from me rattling on apart from all the chat but that’s the joy of gravel isn’t it Yeah Yeah It’s uh off the beaten track and and no cars to get in the way Yeah Could be better And you don’t you know ride as much of it as you want walk as much of it as you want have a picnic wherever you want Well you know don’t have it in a farmer’s yard You probably get a colleague getting involved but uh yeah just take your time Make the most of it Just breathe in Breathe in this beautiful landscape And again ah this is this is the kind of this is what modern life needs isn’t it as an antidote Absolutely Every Friday should be Yeah filled with something like this You get to call this work guy I’ll have to edit that bit out I was going to say something like you know in a modern world you need a timeless landscape to escape There you go We can have that tagline for free North York Mars I better pay attention to the GPS now Yeah Oh yeah We’ve already got lost We’ve already got lost There’s a little bridge over there That’s where we’re going is it If you’re feeling brave you can go over that or you just go around the turn Come on let’s try it Come on Julian You’re on a mountain bike Oh easy That’s how you do it I bet you can even do that on a gravel bike guys Yeah like Julian just pointed out you can see they’re actually like little mini boats to cope with the flow of the stream going down And I guess you know free them up from any sticks or anything getting stuck in them Well they became you think that Well they’re not plastic Like put here by monks Yeah Oh it wouldn’t be wouldn’t be at all surprised you know I mean it’s cuz there’s a big monk’s trods up on the malls elsewhere aren’t they So those big stone flagged walkways So uh look similar for those Yeah it’s quicker than building a bridge And you can see all the old working marks on them as well with a non-slip surface for base Yeah perfect Perfect Peer pressure is a terrible thing There we go It’s gravel back gravel bike compliant all the way around Who says we don’t test these roots out for you Oh and then I do believe we’re over this little bridge here Ah you see now I’ve got a gravel bike advantage Narrow bars for the win then And I do believe we go through the stream up here Here’s a bit of adventure for you folks There we are Proper off-roading There is a bridge by the way if you don’t want to get your feet wet Oh wild garlic That’s given me an appetite Luckily OB there’s obviously a calf at Sutton Bank as well as Revo I like to make sure you’re wellfed and enjoying the ride And again this is where your gravel bikes and your mountain bikes are such a win If you’re on a road bike and come pedal up your hill be walking up a road with cars and traffic And if you want to hop off and push up here it’s blue bells and garlic and feeasants and beautiful tweety birds Or it’s a fun challenge to see how far you can get up And another highlight of this track is the most pointless gate Oh in Yorkshire Come on Julian Dig deep I mean never mind Still an absolutely beautiful spot Now here’s a beautiful bit of dry stone walling and blossom Should make this the thumbnail Really A little taste I see him slightly take a single track getting you in the mood to maybe do some more of those mountain bike routes from Sbank We thought we put it at the end just as a little taster So if it’s not your cup of tea you’re nearly back anyway and you don’t have to worry about this kind of nonsense again Firstly I think it’s rather grand Just watch out for these rocks when it’s damp They’re quite slippery There we go Another valley I reckon you never have found on foot Certainly not in a car Celandines now I think or buttercups I don’t know you will again nature let’s just bracket it under nature do you know your flowers Julian or just your animals the flower like a flower what was that was that buttercups or celandines or would probably sell at this time but I was stupidly concentrating on steing see that’s why I’m trying to put you off by asking you difficult questions about flowers It takes me minds off the climb I think you’re selling them down Very good Is that right Yeah I think that horse agreed with you I heard someone Winnie in the background probably recognizes you might have a quite literally have had a hand in his recuperation at some point And of course this whole area of the North York moors and the veil of Moberry it’s not only home to amazing prehistoric and medieval history It’s also the home of James Harriet Who better to talk about than that E Julian cuz your original practice was James Harriet’s practice wasn’t it Yeah When I first came to work in Yorkshire it was in th in the old Harriet practice So I was literally following in his footsteps and I was just saying all these lanes most of my career I’ve been driving around them treating the likes of the sheep in that field chatting to the farmers helping them sheeping field and uh enjoying what James Herit described as the finest view in England which is just over this hill Yeah I think we’re heading back there now We are Yeah It’s been a good ride Yeah So when they when they’re done watching you on this where do they catch you on York then Well that’s a good question So Yorkshire Vet is now in its 20th series would you believe Um we’ve made well over 200 episodes and we’ve been doing it for 10 years You’re a veteran veterinarian veteran veterinarian and it’s uh still yeah still going We’re filming at the moment I should right at this moment be it this should be your Oscar speech really Well I should be visiting a skunk which I castrated about 6 weeks ago That needs a check But I said uh had a very important meeting I don’t know about you This looks like a better view than the far end of a skunk But what what channel you’re on anyway Channel 5 Thursdays at 8:00 Fant And Yorkshire Vet on the socials There’s a Instagram and Facebook page which is something along the lines of Yorkshire channel 5 something You’ll find it if you’re interested Yeah And people can find out what happened to that skunk Exactly Yes Watch this space And now we’re rolling in past the gallops Do you do the raceh horses as well Is that like your Formula One work or is that a specialist do No it’s a bit specialist Imagine it’s like being a physician to the royal family Yeah Yeah That kind of normally But even out here even on the road just deserted and views literally for miles I really hope you’ve enjoyed this coming along for this ride as much as we have And I hope we’ll see you out here yourselves soon Can I just say just a little bit Uh and thank you guys for dragging me along Uh it’s like kind of home home practice I know I thought I knew it really well out the back of but there’s some fur I’ve been on that I’m not uh didn’t even know know existed So it’s been a great morning So thank you for having me But yeah that’s what we’re trying to do here Get let you into a bit of local knowledge so you can come here from wherever you are in the world and get a proper Yorkshire ride with a proper Yorkshire welcome Speaking of which I reckon it’s time for tea and cake Time for a cuppper I think isn’t it I reckon though I know Just a place