Yorkshire Walks

Starting out across the fields from Nunnington

Our parking spot was opposite the entrance to Nunnington Hall, a National Trust property. We walked south along the road, across the River Rye. We walked up the slope for about 200m to turn left off the road onto a footpath across the fields.

The weather forecast for today was quite good and this morning my neighbour, Jim, and I drove to Nunnington just a short drive from home on the River Rye about 10km by road south east of Helmsley. We parked in a little gravel area off the road at map ref. SE668795.

Approaching Mill Farm by the River Rye

A guard goose at Mill Farm

There used to be a bench seat with a very pleasant view of the weir and the river. The path seems to have been diverted a little further away from the river and the seat has gone altogether.

After a few hundred metres we were approaching Mill Farm. At the field boundary before the farm there is a weir on the River Rye.

The old mill building at Mill farm

Path along the field edge by the River Rye

Path along the field edge by the River Rye

River Rye at West Ness

Farm yard at West Ness

We walked along the road through West Ness to a junction at map ref. SE689790. At the junction we took a track heading south between the fields.

We continued through Mill Farm and followed the path along the river bank for about 1.5km from the farm to the road at West Ness, map ref. SE688793.

There are still plenty of blackberries to sample

Sheep grazing across the River Rye

Delapidated chapel at West Ness

Start of the track from West Ness up to Caukleys Bank

There are Scots Pines planted at intervals along Caukleys Bank

We followed the track gradually rising on to Caukleys Bank. After around 2km we came to the trig point on Caukleys Bank at map ref. SE672782. Just beside the trig point is a seat with a pleasant view over the valley and the Howardian Hills towards Castle Howard to the south. We sat there for a while for a short break before continuing along the top of Caukleys Bank.

The track along Caukleys Bank

The trig point and seat on Caukleys Bank

Our turning north off Caukleys Bank

A seed drill at work on Caukleys Bank

Here we turned right to follow a track northwards back to Nunnington village. The track brought us to the road by the village church at map ref. SE665790.

After about 300m we crossed the road at map ref. SE669782 and continued for another 400m to map ref. SE665781.

The track north back to Nunnington

The track north back to Nunnington

The village Church in Nunnington

Returning through Nunnington village

At the bottom of the hill we had a look at the River Rye from the bridge and then followed the road west to the road bridge over the river near Nunnington Hall and back to the car.

We walked down the hill into the village and after about 250m from the church we passed a huge walnut tree in the garden of a farm house.

Huge walnut tree in the garden of a farm house in Nunnington

The River Rye in Nunnington

The River Rye in Nunnington

We called in a pleasant cafe in the village for our usual coffee and bacon sandwich for our lunch and returned home for about 1.00pm

The whole walk was only 7km and including our break to admire the view it had taken us about two and a half hours.

Nunnington village