Yorkshire Walks

We parked by the maypole village green in Slingsby

Walking along The Balk towards the A1257

This morning my friend, Jim, & I drove to Slingsby and parked by the village green with its maypole. From The Green we walked east along Green Dike Lane for about 100m and then turned right to walk southwards along The Balk to the junction with the B1257.

This walk is a much shortened version of Route No. 257 that we walked in 2008. In the short time since then I've gone from walking a 15km route to walking an 8km route, but we're still getting out to some nice places.

Approaching the junction of The Balk with the A1257

The road up Slingsby Bank into the Howardian Hills

Start of the track between the fields called Bank Lane

Bumble Bee on a scabious flower

Crop spraying machine heading down the hillside

Here the track entered an open field and we turned sharp left to follow the bridleway along the hedge for about 50m. Then the unfenced bridleway turned right to climb directly up the hillside to Slingsby Banks Wood at the ridge. There was a lovely view back across the Vale of Pickering to the North York Moors on the skyline.

We crossed the road and continued straight on along Slingsby Bank, past the boundary of the Howardian Hills AONB, for about 150m to a left hand bend in the road. At this bend we kept straight on still heading southwards following a bridleway along a track between the fields called Bank Lane. We followed this track gradually climbing up the hillside for about 600m.

Track between the fields called Bank Lane

Bridleway between the field heading for the Centenary Way

Gate from the field to the Centenary Way along the ridge

View from the Centenary Way on the ridge across the Vale of Pickering

The Centenary Way along the edge of Slingsby Banks Wood

Continuing along the Centenary Way

Crossing the grassland to Coneysthorpe Banks Wood

Over to our right now there was a view across the Castle Howard grounds to Castle Howard itself on the skyline. I'm very deaf and suddenly I was quite startled by a loud snorting sound just over my right shoulder and a lady on a large grey horse came galloping by. Ahead of us she opened the bridleway gate and re-entered the woodland. We followed her example and continued across the grassland and into the wood.

At the wood we turned left to follow the route of the Centenary Way along the ridge with the woodland on our right and the view across the Vale of Pickering on our left. After about 700m we came to the road at the top of Slingsby Bank. We crossed the road and continued along the Centenary Way following the ridge across some open grassland with sheep grazing.

Crossing the road at the top of Slingsby Bank

Continuing along the Centenary Way

Entering Coneysthorpe Banks Wood

Looking south to Castle Howard from the Centenary Way on the ridge

Track along the ridge through Coneysthorpe Banks Wood

Our turning down the hillside towards Barton-le-Street

Poppies amongst the rape seed by the track

We followed the path down the hillside to the field edge next to the B1257. Here we turned right following the bridleway along the northern edge of the field for a little over 100m. Then we turned left to follow the bridleway down a path between the gardens of the houses fronting onto the B1257.

We followed the track along the ridge for about 1km to the point where the Centenary Way climbing up from Coneysthorpe meets the ridge path. About 100m beyond this we came to our turning on the left to a bridleway following a track called Kirk Road by the hedge at the field's edge down the hillside towards Barton-le-Street.

Lady & grey horse returning along the track

Our turning down the hillside towards Barton-le-Street

Track along the field edge heading for Barton-le-Street

Turning on to the track between the houses to the A1257

Track between the houses to the A1257

We followed the bridleway between the farm buildings guided by the large signs fixed to the walls of the farm sheds and left the farm along a stony access track.

At the road we crossed over and followed the road opposite into Barton-le-Street. We walked along the road to the large open village green and crossed to the far left hand corner of the green at Manor Farm.

The church in Barton-le-Street

Heading for Manor Farm at the village green in Barton-le-Street

Leaving Manor Farm along a stony track

Turning off the stony track heading towards Wandale

Track along the field edge towards Long Lane

At the next field boundary we turned right (away from Wandale) for about 20m and turned left to follow a bridleway along the field edge to a stony farm access road called Long Lane. At Long Lane we turned left and walk south along Long Lane to its junction with Green Dike Lane.

We continued along the stony track from the farm and at map ref. SE 719 747 we turned left off the stony track to follow a grassy track beside a line of poles carrying power lines towards a farm called Wandale.

Three Texel tupps

Grassy track heading towards Wandale

Emerging from the fields on to Long Lane

Walking along Long Lane towards the junction with Green Dike Lane

Turning on to Green Dike Lane from Long Lane

Following Green Dike Lane back into Slingsby

The whole route had been 8km and it had taken me almost three hours to walk. We stopped at the bakery in Hovingham on the way home for a coffee and bacon sandwich just to round off a fine day out in the Howardian Hills.

Here we turned right and walked along Green Dike Lane, past Slingsby cemetery and back into the village. I called in the village shop for a newspaper and some milk and we continued the last few metres back to the car at The Green and the end of our walk.

Slingsby cemetery on Green Dike Lane

Passing the village shop in Slingsby

Returning to The Green in Slingsby at the end of our walk