Yorkshire Walks

Reaching the edge of the woods above Riccal Dale

The woods above Riccal dale are carpeted with
a mixture of dogs mercury, wild garlic and bluebells

Anyway today started well because for the first time for ages both my neighbour, Jim, and my brother-in-law, John, were free of grandad duties and the three of us met in Helmsley on the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park at 10am. It looked like being a fine sunny day. We set off from map ref. SE 616839 and followed a footpath across the fields to Reagarth Farm at map ref. SE 627845.

My walk from Skipton on 23 April filled me with hope that the treatment for my heart condition had worked (They had reset my heart rhythm with an electric shock, under anaesthetic and everything was looking fine). But I knew that I had been feeling much less active in the last few days and I was a bit worried that my irregular heart rhythm was returning which apparently happens to about 40% of patients in the first year after treatment.

Bluebells by the path

More Bluebells, a lot more than I remembered seeing here before

A farm machinery store we came across in the woods

My friends persuaded me that we should not drop down into Riccal Dale as I had intended, but we should follow the path around the edge of the woods above the valley.

The first little rise in the ground on the approach to Reagarth Farm told me that I was definitely not as fit as I had been just over a week ago at Skipton.

Cowslips by the path

Looking across Ryedale to the Hambleton Hills

Taking a moment to enjoy the view (and waiting for me to catch up)

Partridge in a ploughed field by the track

Partridge in a ploughed field by the track

We sat on the bank for a drink and a sandwich

Track through the woods above Riccal Dale

From the old army camp we followed a conrete farm road to the public road at map ref. SE 612875. Here we crossed the road and followed the farm road to Carlton Grange, a farm that also has a small Caravan Club camping site. It looks to be a very pleasant place to stay.

We walked along the woodland path and farm track from map ref. SE 630846 for about 3km to map ref. SE 618872. At this point there are the remains of an old world war 2 army camp in the woods with the concrete bases for many Nissen huts clearly visible.

Farm track to Carlton Grange

Footpath crossing the top end of Ash Dale

We continued on the footpath past the farm and across the little valley that is the upper end of Ash Dale to the road at High Baxton's Farm. At the farm we turned left to walk along the road for about 200m to map ref. SE 598876 where we turned right off the road to follow a path round the edge of the fields to map ref. SE 593877 on the edge of the woods.

A Scots Pine, a lovely tree

Start of the path down to Collier Hag wood

Path down to the stream though Collier Hag wood

Heading for the end of Collier Hag wood

Saw mill on the approach to Helmsley

About 250m beyond the saw mill we turned right off the track to follow a footpath over a wooden footbridge.

We followed the path down the valley, through the Collier Hag Woods for about 3.5km to the saw mill at map ref. SE 606843.

Gorgeous path by the stream that emerges on the main road in Helmsley

Speedwells by the stream

The weather had been perfect and it had been a very pleasant day out with my friends. I was very disappointed with my level of fitness and will just have to see what the consultant has to say at my next appointment at the end of July.

From the footbridge we followed a little paved path beside the stream to emerge on the main road in Helmsley at map ref. SE 609840. From here we walked to the nearest coffee shop for our usual finish to the walk and then continued through the town back to our starting point.

The church in Helmsley