Yorkshire Walks

Looking up Bilsdale from Newgate Bank

There is a view point here with a wonderful view up Bilsdale and down Ryedale. The view point is high on the hill side above the confluence of the River Seph running down Bilsdale and the River Rye running down Ryedale.

This morning I met my friend, Jim, in the car park by the castle in Helmsley. We left Jim's car there and drove on to the Forestry Commission car park at Newgate Bank on the Helmsley to Stokesley road, B1257, at map ref. SE564890.

Looking down Ryedale from Newgate Bank

Path down to the road at Shaken Bridge

We turned left to walk south along the farm access road to a minor road at map ref. SE560883. There is a nice little path down through the woods that cuts the corner off and brought us out onto the road at Shaken Bridge over the River Rye. We crossed the bridge and about 100m further on we turned left off the road to walk up the farm access road towards Shaken Bridge Farm.

From the view point platform there is a rough path down the bank to a small disused quarry at the side of the road, B1257, and from there we walked down the road for about 200m to a footpath on the left hand side of the road which we followed down to the farm access road at Fair Hill farm, map ref. SE560892.

Ponies in their winter quarters near Shaken Bridge Farm

Just before the farm there is a hairpin bend in the road and a footpath off to the left on the crown of the bend. There is a wooden finger post there but it is hidden under a holly tree. The public footpath used to follow the farm road through the farm yard and there was a crazy border collie running loose that always tried to bite your ankles. Two of my friends were bitten on separate occasions, but somehow I managed to avoid it. Anyway this diverted path bypassing the farm is a very welcome change that removes the conflict between walkers and the farmer.

Crossing the bottom end of Caydale

Here we turned left off the road onto a path across the fields beside the River Rye. For part of the way there is a substantial boardwalk on the steep wooded bank above the river. In wet weather the boardwalk is very slippery and in frosty weather it is positively lethal! Today it was just slippery.

We continued along the public footpath to the top of the hill at map ref. SE560874. From there we followed a bridleway down the hill to Barnclose Farm. Through the farm yard we continued along the farm road across the bottom end of Caydale and up to Tylas Farm. From there we followed the farm road for about 600m to map ref. SE563862.

A fine oak tree by the farm road near Tylas Farm

Bow Bridge over the river Rye near Rievaulx

About 250m beyond the bridge we took a footpath on the right back to the riverside and we followed this path for about 700m to the village of Rievaulx and Rievaulx Abbey.

The river side path led us to a track at map ref. SE568855. At the track we turned left to cross the River Rye on Bow Bridge.

Approaching Rievaulx across the fields

Rievaulx Abbey

After our break we continued for about 200m to the 'T'-junction at Rievaulx Bridge where we turned left to join the Cleveland Way route along the road.

The coffee shop at the abbey was closed but a few hundred metres past the abbey we found a very pleasant spot on the river bank to sit for our lunch.

Rievaulx Abbey

Rievaulx Abbey

Rievaulx Bridge over the river Rye

At the top of the wood the path continued around the edge of the wood with fields to our left where there is the site of the abandoned medieval village of Griff, but there is nothing to be seen from the path.

After about 500m at a bend in the road we followed the Cleveland way to the right on a path up through Quarry Bank Wood.

The Cleveland Way path through Quarry Bank Wood

The steep sided little valley in Blackdale Howl Wood

We climbed the steps out of the valley and continued along the Cleveland Way back to the car park in Helmsley.

At Griff Lodge we kept to the Cleveland Way on the left hand fork and crossed a steep sided little valley where the remains of the bases of a wartime army camp can be seen amongst the trees.

The Cleveland Way heading for Helmsley

Winter feed for the horses near Helmsley

We had our usual toasted teacake and cup of coffee at the bakery cafe near the castle before driving out to Newgate Bank to collect my car and then return home. I was just in time to collect my grand daughter from her nursery.

An oak tree by the Cleveland Way

Hungry horse on the Cleveland Way

Low winter sun behind Helmsley Castle

The weather had been perfect and it had been a very pleasant change to do a linear walk in stead of our usual circular routes.