JUNE 2025
54°1'42.6"N 2°3'26.6"W
Malham Heart is a challenging all year round loop combining some of the best trails and most breathtaking panoramic views in the south of the Yorkshire Dales. While roughly a third of the 72km ride is on quiet back roads, some serious climbs and regular sections of loose rock mean it’s definitely a hardcore ride on a gravel bike and easier on an XC MTB. There are several shortcut options around the circuit though and it also calls into Settle and Malham for refreshments or alternative start points. You could even overnight in Settle if you fancied making a two day trip out of it.
However you decide to tackle it, you’ll finish with a serious sense of achievement and an understanding of why this area is so popular with visitors. As well as more irrefutable evidence that bikes are by far the best way to get away from the crowds and into the wild.
POLARIS MALHAM HEART - YORKSHIRE DALES
73.3KM, 1,995M VERTICAL
Start and finish point - Hetton is 54km north west of Leeds which is where all the nearest motorways converge from east and south. If you’re coming from the west though come up the M65 to Colne and then north to Skipton or down the A65 from the M6 to Settle and start the loop from there. Settle also has a train station if you don’t want to drive.
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For full navigation data download the GPX file and/or watch the Strava fly through above. If you want moving pictures with random local facts and commentary then watch Guy Kesteven’s route preview video below.
Stops & shops
There is a pub in Hetton but it’s very posh, so if you want to start / finish somewhere with facilities you don’t have to dress up for then kick off from Settle or Malham which both have loos and cafes galore. Settle also has a couple of bike shops if you need spares or repairs.
En route there’s a cafe at the trout farm as well as a pub at Kilnsey (12km). Then excellent watering holes at Arncliffe (18.5km) and Litton (22km).
After that it’s a long haul through the wilderness to the pub at Stainforth (37km) before the busy oasis of Settle (43km).
Malham at 62km is your next refuel stop before the final up and over back to Hetton.
In terms of bigger places Skipton (9km away) has supermarkets, a train station, petrol stations and all the other town stuff you’d expect.
Watch out for
Nearly all of the off road sections are on hard rocky trails so it’s rideable all year round. That said the limestone can get very slippery though and if you’re not used to riding loose rock this will be a steep learning curve.
Mastilles lane and the descent from Dale Head towards Stainforth are particularly fast and long so don’t get carried away.
You’re spending a lot of time up high with little hope of shelter if the weather turns too. That makes checking the forecast and then taking extra layers - and a survival bag/kit in winter - crucial for a safe and comfortable escape from any incidents or meteorological misery.
Conversely the stunning scenery and Harry Potter fame of Malham and Malham Tarn mean it’s a real tourist trap so prepare to be patient with random wanderers whether they’ve got a wand or not.
Route information
Hetton to Kilnsey 0-12km
To lull you into a false sense of security the first few km of the loop are positively pleasant, with a gentle gradient up a basically deserted singletrack road while the first of many stunning panoramic views unfold around you. Don’t gawp at the rolling greens as you nose down towards the first gate though, or the couple of cute Alpine switchbacks will definitely catch you out. Through the gate and then it’s a mix of gravel, rough road, bona fide Dales track to the tiny hamlet/farm of Bordley and then a final welcome road hoik up before a grassy gallop across to Mastiles Lane.
The ruler straight track unsurprisingly joins to a Roman marching camp further west but we’re rising up east to the high point before the mad ‘brake as little as you dare’ descent from Mastiles Gate. On a mountain bike they were getting 50mph down here even in the mid 80s but on a gravel bike regular rock patches mean you’ll be hyperventilating at half that speed. A slight hoik up on more rocky double track drops you onto the quarry road down to Kilnsey. With its huge overhanding climber bait crag to the north and a cafe at the trout farm to the south.
Kilnsey to Dale Head 12-29.5km
Whether it’s fresh fish or a snack from your pocket the next 10 km of gently rolling, increasingly beautiful road up Wharfedale and then Littondale is a good opportunity to start fuelling for the lumpy bits ahead. Emmerdale fans might want to briefly divert into Arncliffe to see the original set of the Yorkshire soap opera but otherwise carry on up through Litton, looking for the sharp left down the track to the ancient humpback bridge about a mile afterwards. It’s worth taking a moment to really drink in the beauty of this deserted dale too, as the next few minutes are going to be pretty ugly. Not the amazing sense of wildness as Peny-y Ghent rolls into view around the shoulder but because the long climb is something of a monster. Don’t be surprised if you top out into a head wind funnelling from the west either. The reward for your effort is a fabulous contouring double track weaving alongside dry stone walls and dipping through crystal clean fords between two of the Dales tallest peaks. A couple of k on, alpine vibe road gives a chance to relax before the next rough section.
Photo courtesy of Graham Atkinson
Dale Head to Stainforth 29.5-37km
Turn right as the road tops out at the cattle grid, rolling down the farm track to Dale Head before a gentle climb on increasingly belligerent geology. Rolling over the top reveals amazing views of Ribblesdale and Ingleborough beyond, but prepare to refocus your attention on the descent once you get through the gate. At nearly 3km long and basically dead straight it’s an absolute riot with stout tyres and suspension but again, going full gas on a gravel bike is definitely a gamble. Make sure you don’t miss the ‘Ribble Way’ turn left as it levels out slightly either, or you’ll miss a particularly entertaining loose rock-climbing challenge. Although if you’ve already had enough of stretching the limits of your legs and traction juggling skills, dropping all the way into the valley and then straight along to Stainforth or even Settle will save you some sulky stomping.
I’m contractually and emotionally obliged to say that the gloriously fast, dry-stone-wall- and wildflower-flanked gravel double track is absolutely worth every calorie burned and curse muttered though. However, I should also point out that you can cut out the whole descent and climb sequence just by carrying on straight down at the cattle grid we started this section from. Either way it’s a road drop into the super cute village of Stainforth with its babbling stream and shortcut stepping stones to the next part of the ride.
Stainforth to Settle 37-43km
Again, mutineers can skulk south straight into Settle (cross to the far side of the river for the quieter ride) but those of stout legs and mindset should skip across the stepping stones to tackle the rough and steep grunt back onto the fells. This isn’t as loose as the Ribble Way challenge but it starts off steeper and seemed to go on longer so pace yourself or prepare to really suffer. To replay the record, the views you earn are properly glorious. The high grassland nature reserve of Winskill Stones was echoing with all sorts of birdcalls and bleats as we cruised through it on the ride. The gains keep coming after a short section of road descent as you peel left through the gate at the wood on the corner. This opens up onto a real treat mix of grassy singletrack, Dales doubletrack and then a final rocky funnel run into the back of Settle. As it leads right into town it can be busy though and loose rock means sudden stops aren’t easy either, so go steady for everyone’s sake. Once you’re in Settle wind through the narrow cobbled back streets to the town centre where there’s a variety of cafes, bakeries and shops to refuel at, as well as a bike shop for running repairs or new brake pads.
Settle to Langscar Gate 43-52km
We’ve avoided the really hard climb straight out of Settle so be sure to take the right fork up the road that’s signposted as a dead end. It’s still steep in places though so prepare to gear down if you don’t want to bring whatever you just ate back up. A km of road grind gets you to a cracking bit of roller coaster double track before a dog leg across the road and up Stockdale Lane. The climb from the start in Settle to the top above Malham Lings is the tallest on the route with a 358m height gain. The good news is that most of it is tempo on surprisingly good road. All under the Tolkienesque gaze of the caves and crags of Attermire Scar. Even the off road is mostly mellow pasture doubletrack with only a couple bits of chunky knobbly rock challenge to risk your tyres and ankles on.
And this time not only is the sense of satisfaction off the scale compared to the actual effort as the eastern Dales roll into view over the horizon, but the descent is probably the best on the whole ride. Not the rowdiest or rockiest for sure but with enough curve, swerve and occasional limestone lumpiness to be delicious on a gravel bike or an XC MTB. Look up on the straight bits and you’ll see the glittering water of Malham Tarn which is where we’re heading next.
Langscar Gate to Malham 52-62km
To be honest the 7km loop around the Tarn is completely gratuitous and doesn’t add anything technically difficult or challenging apart from a slight rise on the road. So, if you’re low on time or energy you can drop straight into Malham or even ride past the Tarn, back along Mastilles lane and drop directly into the final descent. If you can add the lap, it is a - I’ve paused here as I’m actually running out of superlatives - drop dead gorgeous circuit of old farms, cottages, woodland and then the view across the Tarn itself with the scree and crags of Great Close looming behind you. The diagonal back across to Langscar Gate where the loop starts is an enjoyable romp too.
Whether you loop or not, be careful of cars as you drop down the road towards Malham as the drivers will likely be gawping at the incredible limestone landscape of Malham Lings as much as you are. Don’t miss the bridleway gate at the right hander either as the grass onto double track and then loose rock finish is an excellent descent as well as giving grand stand views of Malham Cove itself. Again, it’s on the chunky side for gravel bikes so go steady if you want to get to the bottom elated rather than deflated.
Photo courtesy of Graham Atkinson
Malham to Hetton 62-72km
With its curious mix of iconic scenery, Harry Potter fans from all over the world, school and college geology trips and grumpy ramblers, Malham makes for fantastic people watching if you need to rest and refuel before the final up and over. There are public loos here too if you want to minimise your climbing weight. It doesn’t take long for the climb to bite either with a short steep pitch up Gordale Lane before dropping down past Janet’s Foss (a very pretty waterfall and cave if you’ve got time to visit) and then over the bridge and up Hawthorns Lane. Unfortunately, you’re not done climbing at the road summit either as we turn right and onto the last rocky climb to Weets Top. As far as panoramic views of the ride go, this is an absolute highlight though, not least because it’s obvious that it’s (almost) entirely down hill for the final 6.5km.
It’s a great descent for this point of the ride too*. Skinny, gently swerving, singletrack but with an all-weather surface for a fast roll and nothing nasty lurking to catch out tired reactions. It takes you all the way down to Winterburn reservoir too, before a short grass climb up and then cowboy time down the final drove road descent into Hetton.
*Just be sure to take the left hand of the two trails like we didn’t on the recce ride, otherwise you’ll still get a great descent down the right fork but the extra 5km on the road hits different when you didn’t have to do it.
