Yorkshire Walks

The Galtres Centre, the Easingwold community centre

Straight after the Christmas & New Year Holiday 2020/2021 a National "Lock Down" was imposed in England to try to curtail the spread of the Covid19 virus. So far this year these regulations have limited me to short local walks around the little market town of Easingwold where I live. Today my friend, Jim, and I are planning to do a walk of 4.4km on the eastern edge of Easingwold.

Leaving the Galtres Centre car park for Crabmill Lane opposite

Following Crabmill Lane to its end

At the bend we kept straight on following a public footpath along the farm access road heading towards Cottage Farm (its not the Cottage Farm next to Haverwits Farm). After about 100m we kept right off the farm access road to follow the public footpath round a building site. The path continued following the building site fencing where a large housing estate is being constructed.

We walked from home to the car park at the side of the Galtres Centre facing onto Crabmill Lane where today's route starts and ends. From the car park entrance we crossed the road and walked along Crabmill Lane opposite with the health centre on our left. We followed the footway on the left hand side of Crabmill Lane for about 500m to a sharp right hand bend where Crabmill Lane ends and the road becomes Meadowfields Close.

Passing the Crabmill Lane health centre on the left

Nearing the end of Crabmill Lane

Start of the public footpath along the farm access road to Cottage Farm

Footpath turning right off the Cottage Farm access road

Gas fired bird scarer on the playing fields

Meadowfields Close leads into Leasmires Avenue and at its end turn left along Stillington Road to rejoin today's route the wooden footbridge just before turning left off Stillington Road onto Lady Carr Lane. By the time we came to the notice we had already walked along the closed length of public footpath without meeting any obstruction so we just continued on our way.

We continued along the public footpath for about 500m past the building site and round the edge of some playing fields to a wooden footbridge over Haverwits Beck. At the footbridge there is a legal notice indicating that this public footpath leading to Stillington Road is temporarily closed until the house building work is completed and we should have turned right along Meadowfields Close.

Path by the fencing around a large house building site

Path by the playing fields leading onto Stillington Road

Wooden footbridge over Haverwits Beck next to Stillington Road

Turning left off Stillington Road onto Lady Carr Lane

Allotments right of Lady Carr Lane just past Blades Farm

We continued along the lane with a large area of allotments on our left. About 700m from Stillington Road the lane came to and end and we continued along a public footpath at the edge of the field with a wide, deep ditch on our left in which was Haverwits Beck.

Once across the footbridge we were at the edge of Stillington Road. There was a wide grass verge on the roadside and we walked along the grass verge for about 200m and then turned left onto Lady Carr Lane. We followed this lane past Blades Farm on our right.

Lady Carr Lane passing Blades Farm

Haverwits Beck is in the ditch between the path and the trees where the path continues from the end of Lady Carr Lane

Catkins over the beck next to the path

Path along the field edge heading for Haverwits Cottages

However there was a clear well walked path around the edge of the field to a track passing Haverwits Cottages on our right and this is the route that we followed. From Haverwits Cottages we followed the access track for 150m out to Crayke Road.

After about 300m along this footpath there was a belt of trees on our left. Here my OS map shows the footpath crossing the field diagonally directly to Haverwits Cottages. However there was no such path on the ground.

Path along the field edge

Path around the field corner heading for Haverwits Cottages

Path along the track from Haverwits Cottages out to Crayke Road

Walking along Crayke Road

At the round bales we turned left along another farm track

Track between the crops heading for the Easingwold houses

On the ground the path turned sharp left at a junction in the farm tracks and then after about 30m we turned sharp right following the public footpath along another farm track between the crops. Approaching the houses the path passed through a gate in the hedge and across a narrow field to the edge of the housing.

Turning off Crayke Road to a path across the fields

About 30m after our left turn we turned right onto this track

Gate through the hedge heading for the Easingwold houses

Start of the path between the back gardens of the houses

At first the path was between hedges . . .

Path between the gardens nearing the recreation ground

Path across the recreation ground

The kissing gate led us to the road at the back of the Galtres Centre. We turned left here and walked about 75m along the road back to the car park at the Galtres centre and the end of the walk. It is only a short walk to the market square where there are several coffee shops selling take-away coffee and snacks. People are not allowed to eat inside any of the cafes.

From the edge of the housing the path passed between the back gardens first between hedges and then between wooden panel fencing, crossing a path called Kell Balk Lane, then across the head of Paradise Field Estate and then across the recreation ground just north of Park Close. At the edge of the recreation ground we passed through an iron kissing gate.

. . . then the path was between timber panel fences

Path by the bowling green at the recreation ground

Iron kissing gate from the recreation ground to the road

Road behind the Galtres Centre from the recreation ground to the car park at the end of the walk