The Way of the Roses is the longest of Great Britain's coast-to-coast, long-distance cycle routes and is based on minor roads, disused railway lines and specially constructed cycle paths. It lies entirely within the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, crossing the Yorkshire Dales and the Yorkshire Wolds in the north of England, passing through the historic cities of Lancaster and York and scenic towns and villages including Settle, Pateley Bridge and Ripon.
At 170 miles (270 km) long, the route is designed for the whole range of cyclists, from families to cycling club riders. Although a challenge with some hard climbs—the highest point being over 1,312 feet (400 m) the route is steadily increasing in popularity.
The route should not be confused with The Wars of the Roses, a fifteenth century war between to dynastic families Lancaster and York and from which the name of the path is derived.
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The route was developed by Sustrans and part of the National Cycle Network (NCN) in partnership with various Local Authorities, Lancaster City Council, Cyclists Touring Club, Bridlington Renaissance Partnership and Welcome to Yorkshire amongst others. The route was opened in 2010 running from Morecambe on the west coast of Lancashire to the east coast at Bridlington.
A number of public artworks have been commissioned for the route. Matt Baker is currently developing a series of linked artworks at various points along the route. This work has not yet been completed.
The route is well signposted with signs carrying the name of the route or marked with the red and white heraldic roses form which the name of the route is derived.
The route starts in the resort town of Morecambe, Lancashire (), loosely following the River Lune and the River Wenning into the Pennines at Settle and entering into the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. From there it makes its steepest climb (eastwards) across the edge of Rye Loaf Hill before descending to Airton. Thence it heads northeast to Grassington before following the River Wharfe for several miles and then turning towards the high point of the route at Greenhow and descending to Pateley Bridge on the River Nidd. Beyond Pateley Bridge the hills are significantly lower and after Ripon (with a short exception of the Yorkshire Wolds) the route is more or less flat, passing through York before finally reaching Bridlington and the North Sea (). The route is made up primarily of:
The Way Of The Roses is best ridden from West to East to take advantage of the prevailing winds from the West and the more favourable gradients. Tradition dictates that you start the ride by dipping your back wheel in the Irish Sea and only ends when your front wheel gets a dip in the North Sea at the finish. It is typically completed in 3–5 days.
The route links to other parts of the NCN so can be used as part of a longer cycle tour.
Route maps for The Way Of The Roses and detailed route guides from other publishers are available from Sustrans.