Birkin Tearoom from Pontefract Park

NB: A £1.00 attendance fee is payable at the start. This goes towards the group's administration fees so please come prepared - thanks.

This mostly flat route uses a mixture of canal and river paths, tracks and other trails plus quiet country roads.

From the park, we pass through Pontefract centre, calling briefly to do a circuit inside the castle walls, before picking up Sowgate Lane to Ferrybridge. From there we head to Beal on a mixture of track and road, and then ditto on to Chapel Haddlesey. From there it's a country road section to the lunch stop at Birkin.

After lunch we continue on country roads through Hillam, past Burton Salmon and into Fairburn, after which we are off road all the way back to the start, via Fairburn Ings, the Calder river path and the Castleford Greenway.

Lunch: We will be calling at the Birkin Fisheries Tearoom for lunch. Please note that they do not accept card payments - t's cash or bank transfer only.

Meet: 10:00 for 10:15 departure.

Venue: Pontefract Park, Pontefract. Approx. postcode WF8 4QD but better to use W3W (see below). Use the car park nearest to the racecourse enclosure entrance buildings (see photo).

W3W: https://what3words.com/stand.wisely.smile

Distance: 31 Miles and only 750 ft of ascent

Ride duration: 5 hours including stops (estimated).

Nearest rail station: Pontefract Tanshelf (¼ mile).

Technical difficulty: GREEN/BLUE (Easy to Moderate), nothing particularly technical, but whilst the road sections are easy, some sections of trail could well be rather muddy at this time of year.

Physical difficulty : BLUE (Moderate), only 750 ft of ascent but the trail sections may need some effort.

Suitable For: Mountain bikes (hardtail is fine), or gravel bikes with offroad tyres (but not in winter).

Recommendations: Spare tube, Tools, Pump, Energy bars/drinks, Water.

Safety: No Helmet = No Ride!