Looking toward Fountains Abbey down the River Skell valley

We started walking just after 10.30am up the hill to the gate neat the obelisk at map ref. SE 273692. Through the gate we turned left to follow the path past the visitor centre and on to the road at map ref. SE 268683.

This morning we met a group of friends at Studley Deer Park near Ripon and parked in the National Trust car park by the lake at map ref. SE 278691.

Track beside the River Skell

Stone arch footbridge over the river Skell

After about 600m we turned left over a little stone arch footbridge over the River Skell and followed the path up the hill to a road at map ref. SE 260681.

We walked down the hill to a sharp left hand bend in the road and turned right on the crown of the bend on to a path following the River Skell upstream.

Stile on to the road above the river Skell

Causeway across Fountains Abbey fish pond

We continued along the bridleway through the woods and on to an earth bank causeway and little footbridge across a large fish pond built by the monks of Fountains Abbey. There was a fallen tree by the pond edge where we sat for our lunch break watching the swans feeding in the shallow water at the edge of the pond.

At the road we turned left and walked along the road to a T-junction. Here we turned right and continued along the road for about 700m to map ref. SE 259671. We turned left off the road through a muddy gateway on to a bridleway across some very wet fields to the edge of a wood at map ref. SE 262669.

Swans feeding on Fountains Abbey fish pond

Field roller parked by the edge of the field

Some of the many snowdrops we saw on this walk

After our lunch we climbed the bank to Foal Cote Farm and continued along the bridleway and then a footpath across the fields to the road at map ref. SE 275660. We crossed the road and followed a path round two sides of a field to a road at map ref. SE 279660. At the road we turned right to walk along the road for about 500m to map ref. SE 282656.

"The Tower" a feature of the Fountains Abbey "Monk Wall"

Here we turned left off the road on to a driveway for about 1.5km that took us past Ingerthorpe Hall to the road at map ref. SE 293662. At the road we immediately turned left again and followed the route of the Ripon Rowel Walk across the fields to Markenfield Hall. For almost all of the walk we have been able to see "The Tower" to our left about 1km to 1.5km away. This is a feature of the outer wall of Fountains Abbey called "Monk Wall"

The courtyard of Markenfield Hall

A retired farm implement - hay turner?

Path through the woods heading back to the deer park

Markenfield Hall was built in the 14th century and is open to the public in the summer. It's an amazing place with a complete moat and all the buildings in tact and in use.

Handy picnic table for our afternoon break

From the hall we continued northwards along the Ripon Rowel walk across the fields and onto a lane. After about 1,5km from the hall we turned left just before Whitcliffe Farm still following the Ripon Rowel walk across a field and into the woods above the river Skell.

Returning up the seven bridges valley

Returning up the seven bridges valley

We walked down through the woods to cross the river on a concrete footbridge. Over the footbridge we turned left to walk up the seven bridges valley back into Studley Deer Park. We left our boots and bags at the cars and went to the coffee shop at the end of the lake for our traditional end of walk drink.

Large beech tree growing from fissures in the rock

The whole route had been about 14km and had taken us just under five hours to walk including our breaks. The weather had stayed fine and sunny all day. I just can't believe our luck after all the rain we've had in the last few weeks.