The Solar System Greenway Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Solar System Greenway started out as the York – Selby Track, and mostly follows a disused railway. It is a very flat, mostly traffic-free route of 15.5 miles. The route as shown on the map starts at York station and ends at Selby station.
Along the route there are models of the sun and the planets in our solar system. The distances between these are to scale.
Photos are by KatyCycles, Chris Delf, Mark Strong, Revchips, Noodle_Doodle and KarlOnSea
Surface
The surface is tarred, and is very good throughout, except for two soft, sandy (and sometimes muddy) bits of 20 metres each, where the trail crosses a bit of the racecourse.
Bikes
Any kind of bike can use the route.
Toilets
Toilets are available at York train station, at Rowntree Park, and again at Selby station.
Ratings
Safety: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hilliness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Refreshment stops: ⭐⭐⭐
Barriers: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Surface: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Points of Interest
York is a very old city, with no shortage of attractions. Consider visiting York Minster, the largest medieval church in England. There is also the National Railway Museum, the medieval city walls, and do visit the Shambles.
Clifford’s Tower is a medieval fortress, originally a Norman fortress.
A must-see is the Jorvik Viking Centre.
Routes in Yorkshire
- Solar System Greenway
- The Cinder Track Traffic-free Cycle Route
- Hornsea Rail Trail Traffic-free Cycle Route
Barriers
There are no gates or A-frame barriers anywhere along the route. However, the entrance to the route at Riccall may be tight for trikes.
Also, it isn’t easy to get onto the route in intermediate places, as the access ramps are sharp and narrow, with tight corners.
Forecast for the Solar System Greenway
What the Solar System Greenway looks like
Getting to the Solar System Greenway
Getting to York by train is easy, and should you not wish to cycle back from Selby, you can also get a train back to York from there (a change at Church Fenton is required).
As ever, before taking your bike on the train, do read my Bikes On Trains guide first.
More Routes
To find more routes, click this link.
DayCycle
DayCycle routes are routes can can easily be cycled by most people in a day, or part of a day. Do have a look at all the other DayCycle routes available on WillCycle. Many contain detailed route guides, as well as embedded maps (like the one below) from which you can download the GPX file for the route.
If I remember correctly there is a pub at Naburn that does meals and can make a good stop. They certainly used to advertise from the path.
Brunswick Nursery used to make a good coffee or lunch stop too.
There also used to be an honesty stand with drinks too
For those travelling by car the park and rides on that side of York work for easy access. There is also a car park to one side of a bridge below one of the roads which crosses the path towards the Selby end. Unmade bumpy road down to it on which you risk bottoming out
The Solar System is only on a 6.4 mile section of this route with Pluto just north of Riccall and the Sun at the A64