Yorkshire Walks

Road junction where we started our walk

We parked off the road on a little gravel area next to the junction at map ref. SE543898. We started walking at about 10.00am and it was already starting to rain.

The weather forecast for today was not good. Showers, some heavy and a few bright intervals. Jim, my neighbour, and I drove to Hawnby in the North York Moors north of Helmsley.

Sheltering under a tree in Hawnby village

A weather station - the rain gauge was very useful today

We sheltered under a tree by the road for a few minutes and then continued down the hill to the road junction at map ref. SE542894.

We had only walked a few yards down the hill in the village towards the lower part of the village by the River Rye when the rain became very heavy.

Start of the path at Hawnby Bridge

A substantial oak tree by the path to Easterside Farm

Here we turned off the road to follow a path heading east across the fields and then up the hillside to the road next to Easterside farm at map ref. SE551896.

Path up to Easterside Farm

A Ground Ivy flower looking almost like an orchid

A Texel tupp at the foot of Easterside Hill

There was a stile from the field to the moor and we continued to climb up on to the moor top along a well worn footpath.

We crossed the road and followed a public footpath along the field edge up to the edge of the open moor.

Foxgloves by the path

An Emperor Moth caterpillar, feeds on heather

Newgate Bank was still topped with low cloud, and the view along Bilsdale indicated that it was still raining there.

The rain had stopped and a few patches of blue sky were starting to appear so we sat in the heather by the path with a view across to Newgate Bank.

Path around the foot of Easterside Hill

Dropping down from the moor to Ladhill Beck

We followed this path around the base of Easterside Hill for over a kilometer to a track at map ref. SE547917. At the track we turned left and followed the track for about 250m.

After our break we set off again along the path dropping down from Easterside Hill to join another footpath at map ref. SE556908.

Footbridge over Ladhill Beck

Ladhill Beck

The muddy path led us to a footbridge over the beck. This is yet another of the bridges replaced after the flash floods in this area a few years ago.

At this point we turned right to follow an increasingly muddy cattle path across a field to some very boggy woodland beside Ladhill Beck.

Looking up to Hawnby Hill

Looking back to Easterside Hill

Setting out to climb Hawnby Hill from Moor Gate

We had a drink and gathered ourselves to climb Hawnby Hill. After our break we followed a permissive path on to the ridge of Hawnby Hill. It's well worth the climb with lovely views in every direction.

From the footbridge we climbed up to the track at Moor Gate, map ref. SE539916. Near the road we sat under a large ash tree with a nice view of both Hawnby Hill ahead of us and Easterside Hill away to our left.

Bell heather in flower

Looking NW across Ryedale from the foot of Hawnby Hill

Walking the ridge of Hawnby Hill

There were lots of small orange and cream butterflies darting by but never settling long enough for a picture.

We were having another bright sunny spell at this stage and it was a very pleasant walk along the ridge in the sunshine.

Thistles in bloom on Hawnby Hill

The footpath back into Hawnby village, just a bit overgrown

This path took us into Hawnby village a a 'T'-junction by the bus stop and the pub. At the road we turned right and walked the last 150m back to the car.

We came carefully down the steep end of Hawnby Hill with my dodgy knees creaking a bit, to join a public footpath at map ref. SE541899.

The footpath back into Hawnby village

Approaching the edge of Hawnby village

It had taken us three and a half hours to walk including a couple of stops. We stopped in Helmsley on our way home but had to use another cafe as our favourite haunt has stopped doing bacon rolls after mid day, scandalous!

The rain started again and we had to hurry to get our boots off and get into the car to avoid getting soaked at the last minute. The whole walk had been about 8km.

An ancient mini awaiting an enthusiastic restorer