Yorkshire Walks

Start of the permissive path along the reservoir festooned with signs

We started walking at about 10.15am and took the water company permissive path from the car park to follow the northwestern side of the reservoir through the woods.

Today the weather was very gloomy. There was a heavy cover of low cloud, quite misty in places and no sign of the sun all day. My wife and I drove to Osmotherley this morning and parked in a little car park at the head of Cod Beck reservoir at map ref. SE467992.

Permissive path around the reservoir

Permissive path around the reservoir

Ater about 150m we came to a public footpath on the left. The low footpath sign is not easy to spot tucked away next to a wall in a field gateway. Here we tuened left off the road to follow the path up the edge of the field.

After about a kilometer we came to the dam at map ref. SE462985. From there we followed the access road out to the road from Osmotherley at map ref. SE461985. At the road we turned right to walk along the road.

The legs and spine of a pheasant picked clean

The path led us into a wild wooded area, possibly overgrown spoil heaps and a old disused quarry at the western end. We emerged from this area over a stile, into a field at map ref. SE462990.

The land was very wet and muddy after the last two months of snow and rain. Despite the steep slope there was standing water underfoot. My wife was not happy about the muddy conditions.

Nearing the stile out of the woodland

Stile out of the woodland

Here we turned right off the lane to follow a public footpath across the field to a gate into the top of Arncliffe Wood. We continued straight ahead along a muddy path for about 100m to join the Cleveland Way route at map ref. 456989.

We followed the path up the edge of the field to a lane at map ref. SE459991. At the lane we turned left and walked along the lane past some farm buildings for about 250m to map ref. SE459988.

Turning off the lane towards the Cleveland Way

Joining the Cleveland Way route in Arncliffe Woods

Cleveland Way path through Arncliffe Woods

Crossing the fields towards Chapel Wood Farm on the Cleveland Way

Large oak tree by the Cleveland Way

We continued on the Cleveland Way route across the fields to Chapel Wood Farm at map ref. SE452980. At the farm we joined a lane which led us out to the road at the edge of Osmotherley at map ref. SE456976.

We turned left to follow the Cleveland Way route down through the woods where the felling of an area of the wood had just been carried out.

Cleveland Way path through Arncliffe Woods

Crossing the fields towards Chapel Wood Farm on the Cleveland Way

Following the lane towards Osmotherley

Following a farm access road across Cod Beck valley

We turned right off the road to follow the farm access road down a steep slope, across the valley of Cod Beck and up the other side to a farm at map ref. SE462977.

Here we turned left to walk along the road away from Osmotherley for about 150m to a farm access road at map ref. SE457977.

Following a farm access road across Cod Beck valley

An old harrow in the hedgerow

He was very friendly and chatted to us for several minutes about the weather this winter. We continued up the path for about 400m beyond the farm to a green lane at map ref. SE466976.

The path continued up the hillside through the farm. There were some young cattle in a barn with access to the yard that the path crosses. The farmer was out sweeping the yard.

Joggers on the green road

Following a green road to the woods above Cod Beck reservoir

Entering the woods above Cod Beck reservoir

Here we turned left onto a forest access track which wound its way down the valley side to the dam at the end of the reservoir at map ref. SE463984.

We turned right to walk along this track for over a kilometer taking us into the woods above Cod Beck reservoir to map ref. SE468985.

Even the horses had their raincoats on today

Following a forest access road down to the dam at Cod Beck reservoir

The dam at Cod Beck reservoir

The car park just visible through the trees

From there we made our way back to the car park just a few metres away. The whole route had been about 8km and it had taken us almost 3 hours to walk it in the muddy conditions. The low cloud and mist had not lifted at all during our walk, but it was still an enjoyable route.

Here we turned right to follow the water company permissive path along the southeastern edge of the reservoir for about a kilometer. The path led us out of the woods to the open moorland and across Cod Beck at the inlet to the reservoir.

Permissive path by the reservoir

Heading back to the car park across Cod Beck