The best running trails around Ampleforth

Trails for every level

Open everyday to the public. No charge.

This is a proper countryside, English church, marked on the street indeed as "Historic Church". It is over 900 years old (Norman) and was built on the site of a previous wooden Saxon church. It is a Grade-II listed building, and is the oldest building in the village of Oswaldkirk by more than 600 years. Definitely worth stopping here on your ride - there is a little path into the churchyard here where you can safely put your bike. The church is well-maintained inside and the views from the churchyard towards the east towards Caulkleys Bank, over Ryedale, are fabulous. You should be able to make out the Stonegrave Minster in the distance, and there are always Yorkshire Wolds on the horizon.

This is a lovely short stretch between Gilling and Ampleforth Abbey: some pastures (lots of sheep, always nice), along The Holbeck (a stream) and eventually lovely views of the Ampleforth Abbey from above before descending to the Ampleforth College and Abbey grounds. Warning! Take the second footbridge over The Holbeck. The first one appears to be on a waymarked local route, but if you cross over to the northern bank, you will come against an electrified fence in the field, and you cannot walk through that. Stay on the southern bank until you come across the second footbridge, and that is safe to follow.

Ampleforth Abbey has been a working abbey for Benedictine monks since 1802. It's an imposing and imposing space. The Abbey Church can be visited, and there is also a tearoom here and Visitor Centre. The impressive grounds around the Abbey include the Ampleforth College, which is an independent Catholic boarding school.

This is quite a gem. In this tiny village, there is a miniature railway where, on certain Sundays, you can ride on the little trains between Easter and autumn. Great fun for both children and adults alike! The village hall building (used to be a train station) serves teas and coffees when the rides are open, and there is a lovely playground outside too.

This is a lovely little lake in Yearsley Woods to jog your way up to. Note, all the maps I've seen show two ponds here - however, only this one remains in reality; the other one has been drained since and is essentially a marshland now.

This is quite a gem. In this tiny village, there is a miniature railway where, on certain Sundays, you can ride on the little trains between Easter and autumn. Great fun for both children and adults alike! (I went with my daughter last week, and it was fantastic.) The village hall building (this used to be a train station) serves teas and coffees when the rides are open, and there is a lovely playground outside too. A family day out sorted!

This is a lovely little lake in Yearsley Woods to walk to. Note, all the maps I've seen show two ponds here - however, only this one remains in reality; the other one has been drained since and is essentially a marshland now.

This is a lovely short stretch between Gilling and Ampleforth Abbey: some pastures (lots of sheep, always nice), along The Holbeck (a stream) and eventually lovely views of the Ampleforth Abbey from slightly above before descending to the Ampleforth College and Abbey grounds. Warning! Take the second footbridge over The Holbeck. The first one appears to be on a waymarked local route, but if you cross over to the northern bank, you will come against an electrified fence in the field, and you cannot walk through that. Stay on the southern bank until you come across the second footbridge, and that is safe to follow.

This is not featured on most maps, but there is a lovely, wild, slightly overgrown path through the forest (still perfectly walkable without much trouble). If you like WILD, don't miss this one. Follow this and you can re-emerge into the street in Oswaldkirk.

Ampleforth Abbey has been a working abbey for Benedictine monks since 1802. It's an imposing and imposing space. The Abbey Church can be visited, and there is also a tea room here and Visitor Centre. The impressive grounds around the Abbey include the Ampleforth College, which is an independent Catholic boarding school.

Ampleforth Abbey is a monastery of Benedictine monks a mile to the east of Ampleforth. The monastery founded a school at Ampleforth in 1802. It is now the coeducational independent boarding school Ampleforth College, with about 600 pupils. The site is beautiful, and apart from the tea-room the church dedicated to St Laurence is open to the public for prayers and Mass. The Struggle Moors cycling sportive starts at this location.

Some great lines (watch out for dog mess)

Watch out for the hidden roots.....can easily catch you out!

Fun in the winter but probably best to ride here when it has dried out a bit! Some of the tracks got a little hairy in the wet!

Slightly misleading name of the highlight, but still a great highlight on any ride out this way! Not only are the building and the grounds hugely impressive, but there's also a quirky, somewhat traditional cafe that does decent coffee, cake, and other food. You have to ride round the whole building to find the cafe entrance at the back. Bikes seem fairly safe left outside. (I've never been too worried). The mice on the furniture are the trademark of furniture designer Robert Thompson, originally from Kilburn where you can visit his workshop. The road to reach here is also really quiet so that's nice too.

You have to go into the college to get to the tea room, but it's clearly signposted. You just feel like you should be bringing Hermione with you to register for the start of term. In case you are interested, college fees come in at a cool £35,000 per year. No wonder we saw 2 defibrillators for parents who hadn't seen the fees yet.