Rabbit Ings Country Park Cycling for Families

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Rabbit Ings Country Park Cycling

Route at a glance

Total distanceTypical family circuit ~3 miles / 4.9 km (longer options & hilltop spur available)
DifficultyEasy–Moderate · entirely traffic-free within the park · a few short climbs
Top things to see
  • Panoramic views from the hilltop
  • Wetland & woodland wildlife (bring binoculars)
  • Free parking; quiet, confidence-building trails

As a family, we are always on the lookout for new safe cycle paths to explore. With a 5-year-old and a 1-year-old cycling is the perfect activity for the whole family. It’s free, safe and great exercise.

Living in Sandal, Wakefield we try and explore as many places as local to our home as possible. As a former mining area, we are lucky that a number of the former Collieries have been turned into Nature reserves and cycle paths making them perfect for a family afternoon visit.

In the October half-term holidays, we took a trip to Rabbit Ings Country Park in Royston which is 5 miles from our home. With our bikes safely secured on our bike rack, we ventured along to check out the cycle paths.

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Spofforth – Wetherby Railway Path Cycling for Families

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Route at a glance

Total distance~3 miles / 4.8 km each way (≈6 miles / 9.6 km out & back)
DifficultyEasy · flat disused railway path · mostly traffic-free
Top things to see
  • Spofforth Castle ruins & nearby play/nature area
  • Quiet tree-lined rail path with farmland views
  • Plenty of food options in Wetherby for a mid-ride stop

As a family, we are always on the lookout for new safe cycle paths to explore. With a 5-year-old and a 1-year-old cycling is the perfect activity for the whole family. It’s free, safe and great exercise. Our little boy Barney loves sitting on the back taking in all the nature as we ride along.

We recently came across the Wetherby Railway Path which is a disused Railway line connecting the village of Spofforth with Wetherby and continues through to Thorp Arch. In the October half term we ventured across to take the bikes on the route.

This route was created by Sustrans who are a charity whose sole purpose is to make it easier for people to walk and cycle. The roads have become hell zones in the past 10 years with cyclists (literally) pushed to the side. The rise in SUVs has compounded this further and made road cycling a less safe place to be.

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