Cycling

Love Cycling, Love Elmet                                                                                                                                                       

Cyclists are very welcome at Elmet Farmhouse. This is great cycling country and the ideal spot for a cycling holiday. Whether you’re a road cyclist or a mountain biker, there are loads of terrific rides in this area. Check out the Cycle Calderdale website for details of local routes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Tour de France in Pecket Well 6 July 2014                                                                                                                                                                                

On 6 July 2014 Pecket Well celebrated the Tour de France, which came right through the village after climbing up from Haworth and Oxenhope over the moor. The peloton whizzed past the drive at Elmet Farmhouse as the riders shot down from Cock Hill on their descent to Hebden Bridge. They then passed through Mytholmroyd before embarking on the long ascent up Cragg Vale.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Tour de Yorkshire in Pecket Well 3 May 2015

On Sunday 3 May 2015 Pecket Well hosted Stage 3 of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, a major international three-day cycling event. This time the riders came through the village uphill from Hebden Bridge before heading over to Haworth. Cycling fans turned out in force to watch Bradley Wiggins & Co flexing their muscles as they powered up the gruelling 2-mile ascent via the Cote de Hebden Bridge. It was Wiggo’s last race and even he found it tough!

This video gives you a flavour of this event, which started in Scarborough on 1 May, progressed to York the following day and eventually finished in Leeds…                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Left: Tour de Yorkshire in Pecket Well, 2015.  Right: Tour de Yorkshire in Haworth 2017                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Tour de Yorkshire in Pecket Well 6 May 2018

Stage 4 of the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire started in Halifax and finished in Leeds. The Cote de Hebden Bridge via Pecket Well was the first major climb on the route. Once again the cyclists passed the top of our drive at Elmet Farmhouse before climbing over Cock Hill to Oxenhope and Haworth.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Stop Press: The 2020 Tour de Yorkshire will once again pass through Hebden Bridge and Pecket Well. For further information about the race and the routes, please click here

Miles of Cycleways

Why not bring your bikes to Elmet Farmhouse and pit yourself against the world’s top cyclists by trying out the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire routes?

If you’re a keen cyclist, you’ll really enjoy exploring Calderdale with its varied terrain and breathtaking views. It’s in the heart of the South Pennines, so there are plenty of challenging hill climbs to tackle, but there are also pleasant family-friendly routes, such as the towpath along the Rochdale Canal down in the Calder Valley.

Hebden Bridge is on Route 66 of the National Cycle Network and Route 68 of the Pennine Cycleway. 

For information about local routes, see Cycle Calderdale website: www.cyclecalderdale.co.uk 

For information about Cycling in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, see www.cyclethedales

Left: Packhorse trail through Pecket Well Clough. Right: Hardcastle Crags                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Hills and Mills, Vales and Dales

Mountain bikers are well provided for in and around Hebden Bridge as there are lots of bridlepaths and tracks around the valleys and up over the moors. Here are a couple of great routes: 

Calderdale Circuit

Hebden Bridge and the Bronte Way

For more routes, see Cycle Calderdale website: www.cyclecalderdale.co.uk 

Chill out at Cycle Friendly Elmet Farmhouse

Elmet Farmhouse holiday cottage at Pecket Well near Hebden Bridge has been certified Cycle Friendly. We offer secure bike storage, bike-washing facilities, puncture repair kit, first aid kit, guidebooks and maps.

At Elmet Farmhouse we provide comfortable accommodation where you can relax after a hard day’s cycling. The farmhouse sleeps 6 and has two bathrooms, both with showers, as well as laundry facilities and a drying room.     

Elmet Farmhouse postcode: HX7 8QY

Grid Reference: SD 99602 29621

Nearest Cycle Shop: Blazing Saddles, 35 West End, Hebden Bridge HX7 8UQ. Tel: 01422 844435. www.blazingsaddles.co.uk

Nearest Electric Bike Hire: Pedego at Hebden Bridge Visitor Centre, Butlers Wharf, New Road, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8AF. Tel. 01422 843831: www.pedegoeurope.com/uk/hebden-bridge/

© Text and images copyright Lesley Jackson and Ian Fishwick