Friday 20th January 2006
Weather: Sunny (cold & windy on the moor top)
Rosedale Abbey - North Dale - Northdale Rigg
( 7 miles )
Today's walk begins
at the picturesque North York Moors village of Rosedale Abbey
- there's free car parking space near the Milburn Arms Hotel
(Grid Ref: 725 960)
Follow the road to
the left of the village school. The road bends right and you’ll
soon see the church, over the wall on your right.
Next to the church are all that remains of the old Cistercian
Abbey – the ruins of a stone spiral staircase.
. 
Almost opposite the
church entrance gate is a small duckpond, and just next to that
is a kissing gate and signpost (Thorgill/The Inn Way).
Go through the gate and continue round to the right along the
caravan park access road,
soon passing the playing field – keep following the public
right of way signs.
Further on, look
for an old stone well (Waterhouse Well) on your left. Leave the
road on the right, straight opposite the well,
and go through the metal gate (Grid Ref. 720 961) into a field.
Follow the clear,
hillside field path for approximately the next ½ a mile until it
leads gently downhill towards the River Seven
before entering a wood via a stile (Grid Ref. 716 965).
Not far into the wood, at a junction of paths, look left for a
footbridge over the river and wooden ‘duck-boards’
leading ahead
– ignore both. Instead, follow the narrow path uphill
through the trees on the right.
Near the top there
are a few steps, then the path continues ahead to a couple of
gates.
Go through the gate (above) and follow the path on the right-hand
side of the field heading towards Bell End Farm
with the trees of Bell Plantation on the brow of the hill behind.
.
The view above is looking right (south-east) from the same spot towards Hill Plantation
At the far end of
the field leave via a gate and turn left and uphill along a
surfaced road.
Turn left at a junction and go downhill towards the cottages of
School Row (above) - Grid Ref. 713 976
Continue on up the
road past the cottages - you'll soon reach another couple of rows
of houses (Hill Cottages).
Opposite the last house of the left-hand terrace look to the
right for a seat (GR 708 976)
- go through the gate next to it and follow the wide track
leading gently uphill.
Just before
reaching the white farmhouse up ahead, look for a footpath sign
at a gate on the right (GR 708 978).
Go through the gate and follow the access track towards Clough
House.
The view above is looking south-east from the track - Bell & Hill Plantations are near the centre of the photo
. 
Walk to the right
of the farm buildings of Clough House then look for a stile on
the left leading into the plantation
- enter the woods and follow the path bearing right and gently
uphill between the trees.
After crossing a small stream bear right and follow the flat track which in parts is almost 'terrace-like', but can get very muddy!
(During the
early years of the local ironstone mining industry, a tramway ran
along here to an outcrop near Bell Top, just south-east
of this wood. It was a narrow gauge track (3ft) and two 0-4-0 ST
locos, 'Rosedale' and 'Emily, were used to draw the wagons).
Eventually, the
track emerges via a wooden stile onto Knott Road which runs down
from Blakey Ridge to Rosedale.
Cross straight over the road and go through the gate opposite,
then continue down the track leading to West Northdale Farm.
This view is looking east towards Northdale Rigg - there a several relics of the old ironstone mines here
Today we came across a pheasant shooting party on the accedd road to West Northdale Farm
The shooters on their way back to the farm with several brace of pheasants . . .
. . . and a lone 'beater' with none.
The season is
relatively short with most pheasant shoots not getting underway
until November
- the season ends on the 1st February.
Go through the gate into the farmyard (GR 719 984) then look for a footpath sign on the right between two farm buildings.
Walk between the
farm buildings then down the field - look for a footbridge
crossing the beck at the bottom (Northdale Beck).
Cross the bridge then climb steeply up the field opposite . . .
. . . then go through the gate at the top and turn right along a surfaced lane.
(The view above is looking back across the beck valley to West Northgate Farm)
Almost immediately
after emerging right onto the lane go left through a gate and
follow a track
leading diagonally uphill across a field then parallel with the
stone walls to the right.
The track eventually leads up onto the moorland of Northdale Rigg (above looking back)
Follow the track
for the next mile or so until it reaches the Rosedale-Egton minor
road at Grid Ref. 737 968.
Go straight across and follow the bridleway path through the
heather . . .
. . . the path is narrow in parts but eventually it emerges onto another minor road at Grid Ref. 739 965.
Bear right and follow the road for a few hundred yards (above looking back) . . .
before reaching a cattle grid at Grid Ref. 741 957.
Leave the road on
the right just before the cattle grid – the path begins to
bear away slightly to the right of a stone wall,
then down towards a stone cairn and a memorial seat from where
there are spectacular views across Rosedale.
The view looking north-west to Rosedale
Continue on down
past the seat to a small gate near the corner of a dry-stone
wall.
Go through the gate and continue downhill through the bracken and
across some wooden boards crossing a small patch of marshy
ground.
Cross a stile, then further down the hillside look for a
three-way signpost.
Turn right and follow the edge of the field with the wall to your right.
Cross another wall via a ladder-stile and continue on, this time with the wall on your left...
...until you reach
a splendid farm (The Grange) at Grid Ref. 731 958.
Bear left, walking between the farm buildings and along the
access road and downhill to the main road.
. 
Turn right and follow the road back to the village of Rosedale Abbey.
Sit and have a cuppa under the oak tree on the village green . . .
. . . or treat yourself to a pint and a meal in the Milburn Arms Hotel.
back to top of page
go to Homepage
or to my Archives Page