Wednesday 30th August 2000
( weather: fine )
Today's walk: Danby Moors Centre - Ainthorpe Rigg - Little Fryup Dale - Heads
( 6 miles )
On today's walk,
Jean and I were joined by my old pal from our soccer days at the
Boro, Bill Gates,
along with his wife Judith,
and their friends since schooldays at Spennymoor, Bob and Lynda
Hunter
Photo above: Bob, Lynda, Bill & Judith
Today's walk begins at the North York Moors Centre, Danby Lodge ( Grid Ref: 716 084 )
The Centre is well
worth a visit - there are refreshments available in the
tea-rooms, a book/gift shop,
many photographs and displays,
including a video, depicting North York Moors wildlife, geology,
history and traditions
From the Moors
Centre we head south-west, crossing a wooden footbridge over the
River Esk as it meanders
along the beautiful Esk Valley
on its way to the North Sea which it enters at the mouth of
Whitby Harbour
Soon afterwards the
path crosses the Middlesbrough-Whitby railway line - care must be
taken although the
trains are few and far between
these days
After crossing a
stile onto Easton Lane we turn right and follow this quiet,
narrow road for about
½ a mile to the village of
Ainthorpe where we follow the road left and uphill past the Fox
& Hounds Inn (above)
Here we get a good view north-east across Eskdale towards the hamlet of Houlsyke
At this point (Grid Ref: 706 074) we leave the road at a bridleway sign and join a path which leads through gorse
. . . and to a gate onto the moor of Ainthorpe Rigg
The rough, stony
moorland track leads us uphill and south-east across Ainthorpe
Rigg
then diagonally down the steep eastern slopes of Crossley Side
with fine views of the southern end of Little Fryup Dale
with little Round Hill prominent in the centre
On reaching the
road at the bottom we follow it downhill past Stonebeck Gate Farm
then turn left
and gently uphill along a pleasant walled lane which soon turns
sharp right after a gate . . .
. . . and leads
even steeper uphill towards a small plantation from where we can
look back
across the dale to Ainthorp Rigg and Crossley Side
Here we go through
the gate at the top and turn left, following the gently rising
track which leads us to the flat top
of Heads, the ridge which separates Little Fryup Dale and Great
Fryup Dale to the east
The bracken lined track passes several rowan trees . . .
. . . smothered in their bright red berries
We are rewarded with lovely views west across Little Fryup Dale . . .
. . . and north towards Eskdale
After following
this pleasant, airy path along the western edge of Heads, we
leave the heights at Grid ref: 727 064
and take a steep path down the slopes through old birch trees . .
.
. . . and across
bracken covered slopes eventually meeting up with a good
bridleway track at the bottom
where we turn right and follow it to Crag Farm
Here we look south-west along Little Fryup dale from the western slopes of Heads
From Crag Farm we
follow the access road, crossing the River Esk (above), until we
reach narrow Lawns Road
where we turn left for about ¼ of a mile before leaving this
road upon seeing . . .
. . . ancient Duck Bridge
These are the old stepping stones below the bridge
It's now just a
matter of carrying on along Easton Lane for a few more hundred
yards until reaching the stile we crossed
earlier in the walk and going back over it and retracing our
steps back to Danby Lodge Moors Centre car park
Thanks to Bill, Judith, Bob and Lynda for help making it a lovely day out
........
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