My
train arriving at Goathland
After
about a mile the route turns off left onto a stoned
forest road starting up the valley side and after about
100 yards turns left again onto a path through the bushes
to climb one of the narrow ridges (called Waterpate
Slack) leading up to the rim of the valley. At the top
the path is in a small cutting but if you climb the
bank there is a lovely view across Newtondale to the
moor oposite and the ruins of Skelton tower on the edge.
|
The
foot and mouth disease precautions are still firmly in
place in most of North Yorkshire, so to-day I chose a
route which the Forestry Commission has opened on its
land in Newtondale. I drove to Goathland station on the
North York Moors Railway and took the first train, at
10.10am, to Levisham. It's a very pretty ride along Newtondale
from Goathland with the wooded valley sides getting steeper
as they get higher until they are topped by sheer sandstone
cliffs. The heather moors are bright purple at this time
of year making a lovely patchwork with the bright green
bracken and the darker green billberry plants. The route
is well signposted with large dark blue arrows and starts
off along the tarmaced forest road in the valley bottom.
Road
from Levisham Station
|
View
along Newtondale from Needle Point
It continues around the valley rim along an edge called
Killing Nab Scar to Needle Point where I sat on a seat
with a great view down the valley to eat my packed lunch.(There
are good maps of the routes posted at the railway stations).
Needle point was a tall pinacle of rock but it collapsed
several years ago.
|
The
signposted route follows forest tracks around the valley
rim before descending to the stoned forest road near Newtondale
Halt on the North York Moors Railway - if you've had enough
you can get the train back to your car but there is another
circuit which is well worth walking.
The
rock fall on the way to Newtondale spring
|
My
train arriving at Newtondale Halt to take me back to
Goathland
After my detour to the spring the route descended a
pretty path overlooking the railway line in the valley
bottom and I returned to the stone forest road in the
valley bottom. It was about half a mile along this road
back to Newtondale Halt in good time for the 13.49 train
back to Goathland. A very pleasant walk of about 6 miles.
|
 Just
below Needle Point there is a footpath signposted to Newtondale
Well (when you get there it's called "Newtondale spring").
It is only a short diversion of about 200 yards but the
path is obstructed by a large rock fall at present but
it's possible to cross with care.
Newtondale
spring
|
frank's
