Yorkshire Walks

Church of St. Mary at Carlton Husthwaite seen from the access road

The weather forecast for today expected a dull overcast day but no rain although it would be cold and rather windy. My friend Jim and I met in the village of Carlton Husthwaite almost 2km to the east of the A19 about half way between Thirsk and Easingwold. There was room to park on the village street near the village church. (If there had been no room here we planned to park on the wide grass verge on the right hand side of the road between the edge of the village and the first right hand bend in the road)

Access road to the church off the village street

. . . after a few metres we turned left along the track . . .

We walked along a track through an area that had recently been cleared as if some redevelopment was planned. After a few metres we turned left and after another 25m we turned right along the track.

From our parking places we walked back along the road and turned right off the village street along the access road to the village church. When we reached the corner of the church we turned right.

Our right turn from the corner of the church . . .

. . . after about 25m we turned right along the track

We followed the path along the track away from the village along the edge of the field

Nearing the end of the hedge on our right

Footbridge over the stream at the far side of the field

From this corner of the hedge there was a clear well walked path across the field and dropping down to a small stream running through the trees at the edge of the field. We crossed a wooden footbridge over the stream and a short length of board walk over an area of boggy ground.

We continued along the track passing a finger post on our left that indicated that there is a public footpath along the track. The track was at the edge of a field with a hedge on our right. About 220m from the finger post the hedge came to and end.

Clear path across the field from the end of the hedge

Crossing the footbridge at the far side of the field

Short boardwalk across boggy land beyond the footbridge

Path climbing Wildon Hill along the field edge

Large tree stump seen across the field from the path

There was a large decaying tree trunk standing at the edge of the field. It had clearly been a very impressive tree when it was alive but now all the bark was gone and I could not tell what kind of tree it had been. We continued along the path climbing up to the top of the hill at the next field boundary.

From the stream the footpath began a gentle climb up Wildon Hill, along the edge of the field with the hedge on our left hand side. About 150m before the top of the hill we came to a steel field gate across the path. Through this gate we looked down the line of the fence from the gate.

Steel field gate near the top of Wildon Hill

Final bank to climb to the top of Wildon Hill

Husthwaite village about 2km away seen from the top of Wildon Hill

Kilburn White Horse seen from the top of Wildon Hill

Gate into a young plantation

Nesting box for barn owls

We recognised the owl box because we had helped the land owner fix a similar box in a tree on land in the Yorkshire Wolds a few years ago when we were doing some hedge laying there. From here the public footpath has been diverted. It used to join the farm access track and follow the farm track out to the road from the farm buildings but now the footpath kept all farm buildings away to our right. The route of the path drops down the hillside to a pedestrian gate where the farm access road joins the public road that I think is still called Mill Dike Lane at this point.

From the top of Wildon Hill in the corner of the field and looking generally in a southerly direction we could see the village of Husthwaite about 2km away. We passed through the field gate and continued along the footpath now with the hedge on our right for about 60m to the next gate. Through the gate the grassland had been planted with young trees and a grassy track left between the planting. We walked along the grassy track as it bent round to our left and we were approaching Wildon Hill Farm. To our right here there was a large owl nesting box fixed to a tree.

Leaving the top of Wildon Hill

Grassy path through the plantation

Dropping down to the lane below Wildon Hill Farm

Gate onto the lane below Wildon Hill Farm

Following the lane from Wildon Hill Farm

Following the bridleway towards Angram Grange

Just below the track on our left there was a small stream delightfully named Twattleton Beck. Just before we reached Angram Grange the bridleway forked. At this fork we kept to the right hand fork, leaving the access track to Angram Grange and climbing up a rough track to by-pass Angram Grange on our left.

At the road we turned right and walked along the road dropping down to a turning on our right leading to Angram Grange. There is a public bridleway along the access track to Angram Grange. We turned right off the road and walked along the bridleway following the track towards Angram Grange.

Turning off the lane onto the bridleway to Angram Grange

The stream on our left is called Twattleton Beck

Just before Angram Grange we turned right onto a bridleway up a rough track by-passing Angram Grange

Bridleway by-passing Angram Grange

The bridleway along the field edge from Angram Grange

. . . in a narrow strip of woodland

The track joined the road about 400m from the village

From here the footpath followed a farm access track along the field edge for about 250m to the public road. At the public road we kept straight on walking along the grass verge by the road side for about 500m back to Carlton Husthwaite and the end of our walk.

Just beyond Angram Grange the track levelled out and we continued along a pleasant wooded track dropping down the hillside. A little under 700m beyond Angram Grange the path crossed a small stream and left the woodland behind.

Just beyond Angram Grange the track levelled out

The bridleway passed between hedges and then into . . .

Track from the edge of the woodland along the field edge

Nearing Carlton Husthwaite along the road

Returning to Carlton Husthwaite at the end of our walk