Riccall, Naburn & Stillingfleet

This is a Murder Mystery cycling Trail, set around the three contrasting, but delightful villages of Riccall, Naburn and Stillingfleet.

In 1066, Riccall was the landing place for 9,000 Vikings who famously arrived in 300 longships on their way to attack York. Nowadays, it is a thriving village with two decent pubs, serving excellent homemade food and quality real ales. There is a busy post office, a traditional butcher's shop, a bustling grocery store, two fine restaurants; a delectable Italian and a mouth wateringly good Indian, as well as three comfortable B&Bs.

Naburn has one public house, with an excellent reputation for good quality food and drink, and a small sub post office which also contains Naburn Reading Rooms. Nearby is one of the largest inland marinas in the North of England, with over 300 moorings.

Stillingfleet, like Riccall, boasts an attractive Norman church. The village green, with a beck flowing through it, adds charm to this pretty village. There is a pub in the village as well as a village hall. There are many public rights of way, and bridal ways, where visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside.

The Trail from Riccall to Naburn takes you along the old railway line, now a cycle/footpath. Along the path there is a stunning scale model of the solar system, models of all the planets have been erected from Pluto in Riccall, all the way to the Sun, some eight miles away on the outskirts of York.

This is a circular twelve mile route, so it is possible to start in any of the three villages, though we recommend you start in Riccall. There is plenty of parking available in Riccall for those who want to drive to the start point.

The first half of the Trail takes you along the B1222, and then along country roads, so you need to be a competent cyclist. The second half of the Trail takes you along the newly tarmacked cycle path from Riccall to Naburn.

We advise you to secure your bike in each of the three villages whilst you hunt for the clues on foot through the villages. There are plenty of places to stop for lunch, a drink or just enjoy the view with a picnic.