Yorkshire Walks

Leaving the car park in Kirkbymoorside

Start of the path across the fields from Kirkbymoorside

The road turned sharp right after about 100m and from the bend it's called Old Road. After about 150m we turned left to walk along Swineherd Lane. After about 500m at map ref. SE704866, we turned right off the lane to follow a footpath across the fields, through some sheep pasture.

This morning Jim and I drove out to the little market town of Kirkbymoorside on the southern edge of the North York Moors. We parked in the 'Pay & Display' car park off the main street at map ref. SE695866. From there we walked down the main street called Market Place just here and then turned right along a side road called Howe End.

Swineherd Lane out of Kirkbymoorside

Crossing the fields from Kirkbymoorside

Path down to the River Dove

I suggest that you take an old pair of trainers and a small towel. Wear the trainers with no socks to cross the river and get dried and put your boots & socks back on once you are across. You need comfortable feet for walking!

We followed the path down to the River Dove at map ref. SE709866. Here the public footpath crosses the River Dove at a ford. There is no bridge. It's only a small river fast flowing over a gravel bed, but it's deep enough to get your feet wet and it's still near to the start of the walk.

The River Dove crossing (no footbridge)

Flock of wary Texel ewes

Gate out to the road, Grey Lane

Grey Lane heading towards Hutton-le-Hole

Path around Lingmoor Farm

Here the path skirts the northern side of the farm buildings and goes along the hedge side at the edge of a field away from the farm. At the end of the field there is a stile onto a grassy lane. Here there is a notice indicating that the path from Lingmoor farm is being diverted to the other side of the hedge. I could not see any obvious reason for this.

From the ford we climbed up the hillside to the road at the top of the field. At the road, called Grey Lane, we turned left and walked along the road towards Hutton-le-Hole for about 800m to a turning on the right leading to Lingmoor Farm. We followed the public right of way along the farm access road for about 800m to the farm.

Climbing up from the River Dove to the road

Road passing the National Park boundary

Access road to Lingmoor Farm

Stile to a grassy lane on the Tabular Hills route

Tabular Hills route to Hutton-le-Hole

Tabular Hills route to Hutton-le-Hole

We walked along the grassy track, now called Bottomfields Lane, following the Tabular Hills route for about 1.4km to the road into Hutton-le-Hole at map ref. SE706896.

The Tabular Hills walk goes along this lane and we will follow the Tabular Hills route through Hutton-le-Hole to Gillamoor.

Tabular Hills route to Hutton-le-Hole

Tabular Hills route to Hutton-le-Hole

Entering Hutton-le-Hole

Hutton-le-Hole

Tractor at the Ryedale Folk Museum

We planned to have a coffee in the village but everywhere was shut so we continued through this very pleasant village to map ref. SE702902 where we turned left off the road to follow an old track across the fields.

The church at Hutton-le-Hole

Leaving Hutton-le-Hole for Gillamoor

Part of the green at Hutton-le-Hole

The Tabular Hills route around The Nab heading towards Gillamoor

Heading towards Gillamoor

Passing Grouse Hall farm

Footbridge over a stream near Grouse Hall

From the footbridge we could see upstream what looked like a new weir structure to control the flow into the mill race and so we speculated that maybe someone is restoring the old mill? There were some Belted Galloway cattle at the mill with their very wooly winter coats.

We followed this path around the foot of a bracken covered hill called The Nab and continued along the Tabular Hills route past a large farmstead called Grouse Hall and made our way down the slope to a footbridge over the River Dove at Gillamoor Mill.

Heading towards Gillamoor

Footbridge over the River Dove at Gillamoor Mill

Belted Galloway cow at Gillamoor Mill

Heading away from Gillamoor Mill along the access road

Tabular Hills route up Low Bank to Gillamoor church

Village sign at Gillamoor church

This path climbed up the hillside on a track called Low Bank, to skirt the back of the church in a rocky cutting on the edge of Gillamoor village.

Our route took us along the access road from the mill climbing up towards the Gillamoor road. However before we reached the road, we turned sharp left to continue along the Tabular Hills route.

Low Bank track up the hillside to Gillamoor church

Tabular Hills route up Low Bank to Gillamoor church

Our lunch stop by Gillamoor church

Gillamoor church

Here there is a bench to sit on and a lovely view over Lowna and up the valley.

We walked round the outside of the churchyard to the viewpoint next to the church at map ref. SE683901.

Leaving Gillamoor for Kirkbymoorside

Crossing several very muddy fields

Track through Hallgate plantation

The sticky mud made it quite heavy going until we reached a track at map ref. SE691892. The track is called Hallgate Lane and we followed it to Hallgate Plantation.

From the church to took the path across the fields heading southeast. There was a well marked path all the way. The arable fields did not look to be muddy but lumps of very sticky soil clung to our boots.

Hallgate Lane heading towards Kirkbymoorside

Track called 'Back of Parks Road'

Track called 'Back of Parks Road'

Access road leaving Low Park farm

We continued along the lane, now called Park Lane, for about a kilometer back into Kirkbymoorside and the car park at the end of our walk. The whole route had been 14km and it had taken us almost 5 hours to walk including our lunch break.

The track, now called Back of Parks Road took us through the plantation and along the edge of the fields to map ref. SE701878. Here we turned right to walk along the access road past Low Park farm on our right and a little further on past Low Park Cottages on our left.

The turning to Low Park farm

Following Park Lane into Kirkbymoorside