North York Moor & Dales (95km) Print

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 1

From the Black Swan pub at the cross roads in Kirkby, go up the hill past the pub car park and continue 1 ¼ miles to a green gate with the sign “Pybus Scout Training Centre”. Go straight ahead through the gate and up an unsurfaced track. Keep straight on past the brick “scout hut”. Ancient ‘trods’ (stone slabs) and guide posts mark the way up to the next gate. The route is stony and precipitous in places. At the top bear right by 2 stone gate posts (no gate) on a Bridleway section of Cleveland Way and follow the narrow path to reach a paved path over a tiny stream.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 2

At a way mark post BW bears right leaving the paved path behind. Follow this narrow well used path approx. ¾ mile over the ‘spoil heaps’ of the long gone “Alum” mining industry and go through BG and continue to a + paths SP.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 3

Turn left here and follow a grassy ‘mown’ path 250 yards to another BG which rejoins the Cleveland Way Long Distance Walking Trail. (CW has stone paving). • Important: From this bridle gate you will be able to see down along the paved path and across the level moorland of Green Bank in the distance. If all clear, go to instruction 4.• If you can see hang gliders and paragliders we advise that you follow the route marked X Y Z (shown on your map). • Follow the undefined path straight on and through BG into a felled plantation. (At time of this survey there were fallen trees blocking this BW. Whilst these are expected to be cleared you may need to go around the plantation to your right to avoid them).• Follow path around tree stumps to join a wide ‘red’ shale track which goes downhill to a gate to the road. • Turn right on tarmac road and past the cattle grid. Continue ½ mile on road and follow instructions from point 6.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 4

Turn right if ‘all clear’. Follow CW paved path to BG and continue ¼ m to clumps of mature pine trees. Please do not wander from the line of the bridleway on any of the ‘mown paths’ which cross this open moorland however tempting this might look!. The landowner strongly objects to horses being ridden on his “Moorland Park” other than on the definitive Bridleway. Bridleway continues straight on past the ‘pine trees’ along a mown path bearing right to BG onto the road.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 5

Turn right on the road

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 6

Go down the steep hill and continue 1½ miles to the T junction at Carlton village.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 7

At the next road junction at edge of Carlton village turn left along the road to Faceby and continue 1 ¾ m. to Sutton Arms pub on right. (Open lunch time Sat & Sun and every evening).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 8

Turn left. Continue up tarmac lane 1 mile. After High Farm (last farm on left), the surfaced road becomes a grass/gravel track. Continue approx. 500 yds.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 9

Turn right on BvW diagonally across field to BG into Faceby Plantation. Follow narrow path approx. 50 yds uphill to join a wider forest track straight ahead (ignoring good track on right down hill to FG). Continue on main path ahead (looking carefully through trees on right for BG in fence line).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 10

Turn right off main path onto narrow path and go down through trees, to the fence and through BG. Turn left after gate (always very wet here). Pick your way carefully over undulating wet ground parallel to fence line to BG ahead. Go through BG and rejoin CW on a defined path downhill. (Watch out for the ‘drainage channels’) Follow track through two more BGs to road.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 11

Cross road and follow tarmac lane straight ahead and pass Hollin Hill Farm to your right. Go down steep lane, passing first footbridge over stream. Bear right at Cleveland Way SP. Follow a rough track downhill, across another stream, then uphill to gate. Go through BG and follow track between posts uphill across field to large tree. (Beware low branches). Go through FG (behind tree) to right into plantation.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 12

Follow well defined CW path through plantation

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 13

At junction with wide track turn left then first right (Cleveland Way SP) and up a track which becomes very steep and has some shallow steps. At the top on right is a bench and a fantastic view. Continue ahead on the wide forest track (BW). After approx. ¾ mile at fork leave wide track & follow CW (narrower path). Follow the defined, undulating path to exit the plantation onto the tarmac road by a cattle grid (Scarth Nick).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 14

Turn left and ride up road approx. 200 yds.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 15

Turn right at BW SP and follow grass track up hill which is paved at the top. Keep to path and go through waymarked gate bearing left on BW leaving the Cleveland Way FP (which goes right). Keep straight on through gates till you arrive at a tarmac road. Continue straight ahead and down hill, past a farm on left to T junction at the bottom of the steep hill.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 16

Turn right on to the Osmotherley Road and continue downhill & straight on through the village (3 pubs, fish & chip shop, café and general store). Pass the cross on your right. Continue ahead on road downhill, though wide ford and continue 1½ miles passing through hamlet of Thimbleby

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 17

Turn left at large “Bridle Road to Siltons” sign, up Sandpit Lane. Sandpit Lane is a wide track uphill. Continue straight on towards Thimbleby Bank plantation. Go through BG into plantation at end of track. Turn right and follow BW along wide forest track. Keep left at first fork. Your route carries on uphill. At top of hill track bends sharp left.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 18

We advise you to stay on the wide track and continue towards a large ‘turning circle’, which forms part of the main forestry track. Stay on main track for 400yds as track goes down hill sweeping right. Join main forestry track keeping right. Bypass the timber gate (usually locked) but with the passing place. Continue downhill for 400yds. As you approach Over Silton village, the main forestry track becomes a tarmac road. (As some routes are permissive, please note forestry operations signs).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 19

Turn left at T-junction. Ignore first road (immediately on right). Keeping left on road, carry straight on and around right hand bend. On next left hand bend, look out for BW signpost and FG on right. Go through this FG and ride straight ahead down field and through FG at bottom. Turn left on track to Greystone Farm.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 20

From Greystone Farm ride down the drive to the road junction. Turn left. Ride along road past large house (Silton Hall) with high wall on right. Turn immediately right down hill on tarmac signposted bridleway. (This is a farm drive and public right of Way). Continue for approx. ½ mile passing Hall Farm on your right. In 100 yds BW turns right through FG (track continues).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 21

Follow BW (rough track) down field edge and through next FG at side of wood. Continue down hill. Go through FG and follow field edge keeping to left. Continue down hill and approaching wood ahead field levels out. (Careful map reading here!) The BW follows the hedge around a sharp left turn, and in 30 yds turns immediately sharp right on a track through a ford. After the ford, follow the track straight ahead to a wood at the corner of field. (NB: Junction of two BWs here).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 22

Your route is straight ahead through BG and stream. After crossing stream turn immediately right on a narrow path between trees and along a narrow lane to cross a tiny humped back bridge. (former tramway) Follow field edge left for approx. 50 yds then turn right and head straight across the field to FG.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 23

Turn left on road towards the hamlet of Kepwick. Continue ahead on road through Kepwick past farm (left) and cottages. Continue ahead to Kepwick Hall gate-house. Follow the road straight on past the Blue Sign “Unsuitable for motor vehicles” keeping gate-house to your right and continue on road for 1 ½ miles passing through 2 gates. At second gate is a crossroads of unsurfaced tracks.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 24

Turn right (Cleveland Way SP) along grass/gravel track called Hambleton Street on map. Keep straight on along this track for ¾ mile and go through FG at Steeple Cross. Ride another ½ mile on the main track alongside a plantation to right. Go through next big gate with ‘hunt jump’ in wall beside it. Continue straight ahead on wide grass track ¼ mile to a National Park information board on left (Dale Town Common) and Cleveland Way to right.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 25

Turn left at the National Park Info board mentioned above and ride ahead along grass track; open moorland left. The track curves left as you approach FG in wall ahead (intersection of BW paths). Continue left on grass track, passing Gowerdale Wood to your right. Continue through a shallow ‘dip’, where track becomes stony and follow track around to right. (NB. Watch out – easy to miss this turn). Turn right on BW through FG to ride on track through pasture to “High Buildings” (barn) on left

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 26

Continue to follow track / BW downhill through gate to Sunnybank Farm. From Sunnybank Farm ride straight ahead then turn left onto farm drive. Continue left down drive bypassing cattle grid by crossing stream and go through BG at side to continue to tarmac road ahead.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 27

Turn right up steep hill passing road junction to your left. In ½ mile as road levels out look for small green metal BW sign. The signpost is on the right, but the path is to your left. (If you get to a road junction to left you will have just missed it).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 28

Turn sharp left onto BW which doubles Left and backwards into wood. In 20 yds ignore FG ahead. BW veers to right up a small bank off the main track. Follow this path for just over 1 mile along the edge of “Cliff Wood” by a wall on your right.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 29

Exit wood at FG and ride straight ahead for approx 250yds alongside the edge of wood, (passing the remains of a cross country tyre jump) and note an old barn far right. Continue alongside wood. Go through the FG on left into field at edge of wood. Track turns sharp left downhill over open land to local riding centre. (Possibly horses in fields!). Follow track down hill and bear right approaching farm buildings at signpost to BG then exit farm drive at cattle grid onto road. Turn right and cross bridge over River Rye.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 30

In 30 yards turn left through BG gate on BW up hill through woods. Turn left along concrete drive and follow drive almost to a house. Before the house turn sharp right, onto path (BW) which doubles back and ride up hill on narrow path. Continue up hill, and path turns sharp left. Continue up hill to meet wide forest track. Go left on forest track.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 31

After 20 yards at wide track junction turn right. Wide grassy track up steep hill to forestry barrier. After barrier at top continue uphill and bear left on an unmarked, but well-used (permissive) path to left which continues roughly parallel to the main road. (B1257). The B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley Road is popular with motor bikers

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 32

Cross B1257 at far end of the near side lay-by opposite a Forestry car park sign. Turn left and ride straight through the car park and picnic area. You pass a stone ‘tower’ viewpoint to your right just beyond the car park. Continue on grassy BW following BW signposts to join a wide forest track which you follow for approximately 4 miles to Cowhouse Bank (second minor tarmac road crossing).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 33

Cowhouse Bank (second minor road crossing in this plantation). Cross remains of tarmac road diagonally left to join track ahead and continue on BW. In approx. ¼ mile track bears right (ignore track left to Howl Wood Farm). In another ¼ mile note grassy steep track going up hill diagonally right (‘Permissive track’ to top of the plantation and good route to avoid steep BW down from Carlton Grange B&B Ref: 6 ). Stay on the main track going gently downhill and shortly after a ‘turning circle’:

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 34

Turn left at BW waymark. (SP Tabular Hills). Go down path through trees, passing a bench on your left. Turn left through a hunting gate and follow path to ford river near the footbridge. (No ‘formal’ ford. You will have to find best place to cross). Bear left after crossing then go right uphill towards Hasty Bank Farm, Riccal Dale. Go between the farm buildings (left) and the house (right) then up grassy track to meet another track and go through FG to right. (Junction of 2 BW’s).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 35

Follow stony track up hill turning left at top towards a gate. (Another junction of 2 BW’s here). Follow track to right across field to minor road (Northfield Lane). Cross straight over road and go through FG, turn right then left along field edge to BG going downhill on right into wood. (Pinderdale Howl). Follow grassy path downhill through pine trees into hollow and straight on uphill on path to exit wood onto field edge BW beyond. Continue along field edge to gate. Cross tarmac road (Beadlam Rigg), then BW straight on along field edge to right. Go down into wood across another cross-tracks and uphill to a tarmac road passing Nawton Tower (large house) to your left. Go straight ahead on tarmac road to junction with Skiplam Road.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 36

At T-junction turn right and go down Skiplam Road approx.1 mile passing Skiplam Cottages on your right. Turn left down next farm drive (BW) towards Skiplam Grange (farm). Turn right onto BW through FG in drive and then diagonally left across a field, and join track at back of house. Follow farm track downhill through FG into woods

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 37

Junction 3 tracks ahead! Follow wide track at the middle of 3 tracks and at BW sign post. Turn right down to ford crossing and bridge (not for horses!). Cross ford to left of bridge and bear left diagonally uphill to gate into plantation (Mell Bank Wood). Follow earth path up hill to Cauldron Mill road bearing left at top of hill.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 38

Turn right down “Green Lane” along an avenue of trees. Turn left at the T-junction on to main road. Follow this road through Fadmoor village turning right between village greens and ride on to Gillamoor.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 39

We advise that you avoid the steep tarmac road beyond Gillamoor church and follow the bridleway which runs to right alongside the green and behind the church. Follow this BW behind the church down hill to join a wider track left back to the road. Turn right at road & continue downhill and go around the bend past the road junction to Farndale. This is an optional route marked in by a blue dashed line on the map, however due to the gradient, it is better ridden from Faddellrigg to Kirkdale

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 40

Turn left at next unsurfaced track/lane at an ‘Information board’ and parking place. This route has dual status - vehicular and footpath rights apply. Follow this unsurfaced (and often very muddy) path to a stream crossing. Bear right over stream and right again to follow RED waymark arrow. Follow undefined path alongside river until you come to a stone barn to your left and bridge to right.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 41

Turn right and cross bridge and in a few yards turn left through first wide gate. (The route may cause confusion here as there is no path across the ‘garden’ of Birch Hagg House, where children often play!)

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 42

Continue straight on bearing slightly right on a path to woods and gate. Cross the field going straight ahead aiming for the next gate and cottage (Hagg End Farm) continuing past front of house and bearing left downhill to another gate. Go straight on across field and into a wood on a more defined track which shortly goes uphill to arrive at a cross-tracks (private track to Bee Stone Farm to left).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 43

Go straight on uphill through gate and along a ‘walled lane’ to arrive shortly at Ewecote Farm which you pass to your right. Ride ahead and slightly Left to a narrow lane and SP Footpath! Follow this lovely ancient lane passing Underhill Farm (currently Farndale Hunt kennels).

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 44

Continue ahead to tarmac road at Rawson Sike.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 45

Turn left and continue on road. Go straight on for 2 miles to next junction on left to Church Houses (Pub: Faversham Arms) The main route bears right at this junction. Continue up the dale approx. ¾ miles to next junction and turn right up steep hill to Blakey Ridge. Refreshments: Lion Inn Blakey – ½ mile to left at road junction.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 46

Look out for the BW SP at the top of the hill to your left and turn left onto the BW which leads directly to the disused railway after a short way. (NB. As you reach the track look back to right and you will see the blocked up tunnel, which took the railway line under the road at this point to the railway junction). Follow this disused railway track for approx 5 miles.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 47

you get to a National Park information board on the left, you should be at Bloworth Crossing, where the disused railway line crosses over Rudland Rigg, (an ancient highway). Keep straight on along the disused railway line which curves slightly right then left down hill. This hill is called “The Incline”. Continue down the hill. The Incline has a locked FG part way down with BG to right. Take care. There is a big step down at this gate

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 48

Turn left at the bottom of the Incline where a forest track joins the line from your left. Please take note of any forestry operation signs. This forest track skirts fields to your right. Continue along this gently undulating and winding track. In approx. 1 ½ miles as you are skirting a field a BW crosses the track. NB: way-marked FG on your right. Follow hard forest track approx 1 mile, bearing left at a fork, and continue past the barrier to a tarmac road ahead. Turn left on the minor road and ride uphill to meet the B1257 road. (Car park and view point to right. There are good views across to Roseberry Topping, a conical shaped hill in the far distance and a Monument to the seafaring explorer Captain James Cook who was born and went to school in the village of Great Ayton nearby.

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 49

Cross the road and turn right onto verge down road (B1257). Take care - this road can be busy and is popular with speeding motor bikes. In approx. 100yds on the left there is access for horses & cycles into the plantation. Bypass the barrier to right uphill and follow good forest track

North York Moors and Dales Ride Waypoint 50

Continue on the wide forest track. Continue on main track (Permissive Bridleway) for approx. 1 mile to the end of a long straight downhill then sweeping left hand bend. N.B. Sign Post to Great Broughton and another track, a BW joins sharp right.