The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the engine is roaring as you open the throttle on the country lanes.
Whilst a ride out on the motorbike is often about the journey, it’s nice to have a welcoming destination to greet us and our bikes with open arms, or at least somewhere to stretch our legs after a long ride out.
In this article, I’ve put together a few favourite and well-loved motorcycle meeting places in the North of England that are worth checking out.
Biker Cafes and Biker Meets in the North of England
Silcock’s Funland Amusements, Promenade, Southport
I’m not sure how it came to be, but the front of the Silcock’s Funland on the Promenade at Southport morphed over the years into a popular motorcycle meet-up, with bikers parked outside daily next to the permanent carousel that sits outside the Silcock’s Funland building. Whether it’s during the day or in the evening, you’re guaranteed to find a biker there. I’ve had many good rides throughout the years to Southport. It’s especially lovely to visit on a warm summer evening.
With the Pier fish n chip shop and fairground food outlet right in front of the parking area, equipped with an indoor restaurant and picnic benches outside, this biker meetup is perfectly situated for refreshments. Just across the road are more food outlets and a couple of bars as it leads onto the main high street, Lord Street, so you’re essentially in the heart of Southport.
If you’re caught short, Silcock’s Funland has restrooms which can be used for a small fee (It was 20p last time I used them but it might have gone up, so make sure you have some change on you). If you’re eating from the Pier fish-n-chip restaurant, they might also have toilets you can use.
As much as this is a popular hotspot for bikers, this is also a favoured location amongst families looking for a bit of seaside entertainment, so expect it to be busy during the summer months and weekends with people enjoying the carousel, amusements and having a bite to eat.
Rivington, Horwich, Lancashire
Rivington Country Park is home to some thrilling views with hikers ascending to the Pigeon Tower and Rivington Pike daily. Its two barns and accompanying car parks also attract motorcyclists on a daily basis, though it’s on Sundays, Bank Holidays and Good Friday when you’ll encounter a sea of two-wheeled machines as bikers from all over congregate at the top barn.
Embracing the motorcyclists who visit, the Salmon family who run Rivington Barn provide indoor and outdoor food and refreshment with some motorcycle vendors even setting up stall to sell their wares on occasions. It’s a great place to meet up, have a chat with fellow riders and enjoy the countryside scenery. During the summer months, they even put a BBQ on so you can buy a burger or hotdog.
As one of the popular biker meetups in Lancashire, you’ll find plenty of lanes to get acquainted with, one of them being the ride from the barn to the Black Dog and Belmont Road via Sheephouse Lane/Rivington Road.
This is a popular location so expect the weekends and Bank Holidays to be busy with hikers walking in the road and through the carparks and cars parking anywhere they can.
The top barn car park closes at 7pm and the bottom barn also closes (I’m unsure of the time), both with barriers, but there’s plenty of parking spots along the stretch from bottom to top barn should you wish for an evening ride out. There’s also look-out points you can pull up in if you decide to go exploring the hilly country lanes around this area, and road parking next to the reservoirs.
Devil’s Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale
Similar to Rivington, Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale is one of the go-to motorcycle meets in the North, with bikers travelling from all over to meet for a rest, chat and brew before continuing on their journey.
Most bikers meet at Devil’s Bridge on Sundays and Bank Holidays but no matter what day of the week you ride there, you’ll likely come into contact with another biker or two enjoying the picturesque scenery the location has to offer.
Situated on the edge of Yorkshire Dales National Park and within riding distance of the Lake District heading North-West and Forest of Bowland heading south, there’s plenty of incredible routes to ride to and from Devil’s Bridge that you’ll surely want to explore.
If you happen to be peckish when you arrive at Devil’s Bridge, your hunger can be satiated by Devil’s Bridge Snacks which has been operating since 1955, feeding hungry mouths with bacon barms, sausage barms and burgers. Yum! They’re open 7 days a week (closed over Xmas) so there’s plenty of opportunity to grab something to eat. There’s also toilets nearby too but they don’t take cash so you must remember to take your credit or debit card with you to swipe to gain entry.
Knott End Bike Meet, Knott End-On-Sea, Poulton-le-Fylde
As you can see from a rider’s video above, Wednesday night is biker meet night at Knott End Cafe on the southern side of Morecambe Bay, with bikers arriving in their droves in the warmer months. The cafe there provides plenty of food and refreshments should you wish to sample them during your visit, with the cafe extending its regular daily opening hours on to 9pm on Wednesday evenings.
With plenty of parking, the cafe is a great meeting venue with seaviews making a wonderful setting in which to meet and chat with fellow bikers. With plenty of country lanes and farms in the vicinity, the trip there and back makes for some fantastic scenic riding.
Whilst it’s a bit quieter during the rest of the week, Sunday mornings also see riders of classic bikes meet up at Knott-End cafe.
Penny Garth Café, Hawes, North Yorkshire
The North Yorkshire market town of Hawes regularly attracts motorcyclists thanks to the picturesque location and lanes that surround the area. Situated in the town is Penny Garth Cafe, a biker-friendly establishment offering plenty of drinks and grub on offer for the hungry biker.
With so many incredible routes and rides throughout the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a stop off at Hawes allows you to rest and replenish before continuing your journey.
Cat and Fiddle, A537 Cat and Fiddle Road, Macclesfield to Buxton
The famed Cat & Fiddle Inn has long been a favourite amongst bikers!
There’s speed cameras around here so you need to watch your speed, and it’s been known as one of the most dangerous roads in Britain so do take extra caution when travelling along the A537.
The Cat and Fiddle pub that resides at the peak of the hill is the second highest pub in England. Unfortunately, the pub closed down in 2015 but has since been taken over and reopened as takeaway drinks shop and whisky distillery.
The Cat and Fiddle Road remains a top destination for riders from across the UK who enjoy the challenges and thrill of the sharp bends and inclines and declines the A537 has to offer. When I rode there myself, the high altitude actually made me light-headed so if you’re susceptible to things like that, just be aware.
If you decide to enter the Cat and Fiddle car park, note that it’s for customer parking only. You must buy something from the shop there (a brew, perhaps), and enter your reg number at the shop otherwise the parking company managing the car park will send you a fine in the post. 🙁 Also, unlike its previous incarnation, the Cat & Fiddle is no longer a pub so you can’t enjoy food or drink inside unless you’ve pre-booked a table for sit-down drinks/meal. This isn’t ideal for a lot of bikers in the winter months, so just be warned.
Squires Cafe – Newthorpe Lane, Sherburn in Elmet
Known as the ‘Bike Mecca of the North’, Squires Cafe has long been a popular haunt for bikers. Opening in 1954 as the Squires Milk Bar in the town of Sherburn in Elmet, Squires Cafe relocated to the outskirts of the town in the early 2000’s to a larger site which accommodates even more visitors, many of which are on two-wheels. With a camp site and motorcycle accessory shop located in the grounds of Squires Cafe, the venue is well-positioned to cater for the vast number of bikers it welcomes. Did I mention they also do grub?
Currently owned by the Bowness family, Squires Cafe continues to be one of the most successful biker cafes in the country. They regularly host club meets, charity runs and shows, and have a decent-sized function room if you’re looking to hire it for a biker festival.
Wednesdays and weekends remain the busiest days for meeting fellow riders at Squires Cafe though it’s open every day of the week regardless, often from the morning til around 10pm at night so there’s plenty of opportunity to stop for a refreshing drink and a bacon butty after a ride out around the stunning country lanes that Yorkshire has to offer.
Have you got a favourite biker hotspot worth visiting? Let us know in the comments below!
Forget Rivington Barn. I went there a couple of Sunday’s ago and it was dire. The sun was cracking the flags but there was few bikes. There is no longer food available inside and the burger van outside served the worst burger I have ever tasted and I have been around a lot of years and tasted some pretty horrible burgers in my time.
Ah, that’s sad to hear, Terry. It was always a popular haunt when I was younger, but it does seem to have dwindled over the years, especially since they stopped the market traders on a Sunday inside the barn. Hopefully it’ll pick up again at some point.
There is no mention of the Raven truck stop on a Thursday by the side of the A41. Ma Bakers served a fabulous breakfast. There must have been 500 bikes there through the evening last week.
Thanks for the recommendation, Terry! I’ll add it to the article. 🙂