Yorkshire Walks

Leyburn at the start of our walk

From the mini-roundabout at the western end of the main street (map ref. SE111904) we followed the tourist sign post up the street opposite to "The Shawl".

This morning my wife and I decided to make an early start. The weather was bright with shower clouds about and a cool wind, but very pleasant conditions for walking. We managed to leave home at about 8 o'clock and we arrived in the main street in Leyburn at about nine.

Setting out along Leyburn Shawl

Pollen cloud from the Scots Pine flowers

Legend has it that Mary Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned at Castle Bolton, made an escape attempt along this scar and dropped her shawl on the way - hence the name, but the information board on the site says that the name probably comes from the old words for either 'wood' or 'dwelling'.

There are several different signs on the walls along the way to the edge of the town only about 200m away to the start of the park and the Shawl. The shawl is a rocky limestone scar running along the valley side to Preston-under-Scar.

Ash in flower

Nearing the end of Leyburn Shawl

Here we left the wood and followed a path down the hill and across the fields to a track at map ref. SE078912. At this point there was a gate across the track which we walked through and at once took the footpath on our right in to Gillfield Wood.

There are wonderful views of Wensleydale from the Shawl, with the dominant presence of Pen Hill across the valley and, in the distance up the valley there is the distinctive shape of Addlebrough. We walked along the path through the woods on top of the Shawl for about 2.5km to map ref. SE085913.

Path down to the stream in Gillfield Wood

The stream in Gillfield Wood

Heading out of the wood towards Preston-under-Scar

Just into the village we turned left off the road to follow a path down the drive of a pair of houses and into the fields below the village.

The path took us across several small streams and after about 250m we came out of the wood into some sheep pasture. We crossed the fields to a road on the edge of Preston-under-Scar.

Preston-under-Scar

An unmanned crossing on the Wensleydale Railway

We noted that the driver slowed down and blew the train's horn as he approached the crossing (much less scary than our crossing of the East Coast 125mph main line on St. Cuthbert's Way). We continued across the line to a road at map ref. SE073905. -

The path led us down to an unmanned level crossing on the Wensleydale Railway at map ref. SE073906. A three coach passenger train came along the line when we were only a short distance from the line.

Looking along the Wensleydale Railway from the crossing

Herb Robert - the sap has an awful smell

Here we reached the track in front of Bolton Hall at map ref. SE073896.

We crossed the road and followed the track opposite for about 1km, down the valley side.

A pair of pheasants

Young rabbits by the path

At the village of Wensley we turned right and then left along the lane past the church.

At this cross roads in the track we turned left to walk in front of Bolton Hall and follow the track for almost 2km to Wensley village on the A684.

An old sycamore tree

An old ash tree

Just round the bend we took the footpath on the right hand side of the lane at map ref. SE093896.

Just beyond the church we turned left up a narrow lane. We followed the lane for about 200m first round a right hand bend then a left hand bend.

One of many stiles between Wensley and Leyburn

Looking down Wensleydale from the path below Leyburn

There we came to an old track running north/south to the edge of Leyburn.

We walked along this path across the fields for about 1.7km to map ref. SE109898.

Old sunken track leading back to Leyburn

Old sunken track leading back to Leyburn

It had taken us four and a half hours to walk including our stops along the way - there are lots of great views to admire. We had a very nice coffee and toasted teacake in Leyburn before driving back home.

We turned left on to the track and followed it up the slope to the main road (A684) on the edge of Leyburn. We walked along the main road to our starting point in Leyburn. The whole route had been just over 10km.

Water Aven by the path