Yorkshire Walks

We took the no.95 bus from Egton Bridge at 10.07am to Glaisdale to start our walk

The weather forecast for today sounded like a perfect day for a walk, fine and dry with plenty of sunshine and a light breeze. My friend, Jim, and I drove out across the North York Moors to Egton Bridge in the Esk Valley and parked in the free car park off the main road through the village at map ref. NZ 804 053. From the car park we walked down the main road past the primary school and the large Catholic Church on our right for about 90m. Here we crossed the road to the start of the old toll road that goes to Grosmont from Egton Bridge. We did not go along this road but this roughly where the official bus stop is located although there are no signs. A helpful local man told us that these rural buses will stop almost anywhere that you ask them to by simply putting your arm out. Well it worked for us. The little blue bus came down the hill at about ten past ten. We stuck our arms out. The bus stopped. We got on and the bus set off for Glaisdale, turning right at the road junction just a few metres further down the hill.

Glaisdale boundary marker where we got off the bus

Crossing the Beggar's Bridge

The Beggar's Bridge is now sandwiched between the road bridge and the railway bridge. Where the road turned to our right to cross the river, we took the track to our left off the road for a few metres to the Beggar's Bridge. We crossed the Beggar's Bridge and came to a little car parking area next to the railway viaduct.

The journey to Glaisdale took less than ten minutes and as we approached the boundary sign for Glaisdale I pressed the bell to tell the driver that this is where we would like to get off. The bus duly stopped (at map ref. NZ 785 055) and we walked along the road towards the Beggar's Bridge, an ancient Pack Horse Bridge over the River Esk.

Left turn off the road for a few metres to the Beggar's Bridge

The Beggar's Bridge seen from the little car park

Passing under the railway viaduct to the footbridge over the River Esk

Footbridge over the River Esk

We turned left at the top of the steps

Continuing along the route of the Esk Valley Walk

The River Esk as the path dropped down towards the river

We followed the clear path over the Hill called Snowdon Nab and then down closer to the river. From the footbridge over the River Esk we had been following the route of the Esk Valley Walk and we continued to follow this route through East Arnecliff Wood. Where the path came closest to the river there was a lovely view along the river with a grassy bank opposite.

From this little car park we walked under the railway viaduct to an iron footbridge over the River Esk. Once we were across the river the path climbed up a bank for about for about 30m and the turned to our left and continued climbing up the bank with the River Esk below us on our left.

Steps from the footbridge up the hill called Snowdon Nab

Following the route of the Esk Valley Walk up Snowdon Nab

Continuing along the route of the Esk Valley Walk

Esk Valley Walk next to the river

Looking along the River Esk from the Esk Valley Walk on the River Bank

Paved pannier way climbing up from the river side . . .

Rock outcrop in East Arnecliff Wood by the pannier way

Another rocky outcrop by the path

Path climbing up towards the road below Delves

I sat for a few minutes to give my old knees a rest. We continued along the route of the Esk Valley Walk along the old pannier way. After about 500m from the seat we came out of the wood onto a road at map ref. NZ 793 046 below a farmstead called The Delves.

From here the path began to climb away from the river and there were a few rocky outcrops amongst the trees. The old stone slabs of the pannier way were mostly still in tact here. We came to a seat with a pleasant view along the path.

. . . paved pannier way in East Arnecliff Wood

Seat by the path where I rested my old knees

Heavy wooden planks across the path to limit erosion

Gate where the track joins the road below Delves

Turning left off the woodland path on to the road still following the route of the Esk Valley Walk

The Esk Valley Walk followed the road down the hill

Continuing along the road towards Egton Bridge

We had another rest on this seat by the road

We continued along the road for another 400m to a ford across a tributary of the River Esk called Butter Beck. The ford was dry with the normal flow passing in pipes under the road, but there is a footbridge to our right for pedestrians to use when the ford is flooded.

At the road we turned left and followed the road down the hill side. A large tractor equipped for hedge flailing passed us on the narrow road where there was little room to squeeze into the hedge to be clear of the tractor and its equipment. After about 400m on the road we came to the bottom of the slope.

Looking from the road across the valley of Butter Beck

We squeezed into the hedge to let the tractor pass

We continued along the flat land with the river to our left

Ford across Butter Beck with a footbridge to the right when the beck is in flood

Passing a cafe on our left as we neared a road junction

From the road junction we at once turned right off the road

We followed the path by the river side

The water level was almost 400mm below the top of the stones so we decided to cross on the stepping stones. When the river level is too high we could have avoided the stepping stones altogether by staying on the road into Egton Bridge and crossing the river on the road bridge. We crossed this first set of stepping stones onto an island in the River Esk.

From the ford we walked another 300m along the road to a road junction at the edge of Egton Bridge. At this junction we turned left and then turned right off the road to follow a footpath down to the River Esk. We followed the path along the edge of the river for about 25m to some stepping stones. The stepping stones were is good condition but with the centre of each stone worn into a hollow.

Turning left at the road junction

Path from the road down to the River Esk

The path led us to these stepping stones to an island

Jim was first to cross the worn stepping stones to the island

Path from the stepping stones across the island

Path from the river bank towards the road

Then we continued along a public footpath out to the road on the other side of the river. This is the road that our bus took to Glaisdale at the start of our trip.

We followed a short path across the island to a second set of stepping stones from the island to the far bank of the river. We crossed this second set of stepping stones to the far river bank.

Stepping stones from the far side of the island to the river bank

Path to the road between the fence and the overgrown hedge

Path out to the road

At the road we turned right

We followed the road uphill to the car park

This walk is high on quality with lovely woodland enhanced by the river and the old pannier way and an exciting finish over the stepping stones all packed into just 3km. The first 1.5km is mostly up hill and the whole walk took me and my knees almost two hours to walk including a couple of rests on the seats along the way.

At the road we turned right and walked along the road for about 200m back along the road, past the public toilets on the right, to the road junction is Egton Bridge. At the road junction we turned left and walked along the road past the Catholic church and the primary school back to the car park and the end of our walk. I have to say that my knee troubles mean that I have to opt for quality not quantity for our walks now.

We passed the public toilets on our right and at the road
junction we turned left up the hill

Car park entrance just past the primary school

The car park in Egton Bridge at the end of our walk