Yorkshire Walks

Setting off from the car park at the Dutch House Cafe

Footbridge over the River Foss in the cafe garden

The Crayke Estate Walk passes through the cafe garden and from the car park we set off along the route of the Estate Walk. We followed the path through the cafe garden and across a wooden footbridge over the River Foss. From the cafe garden we crossed the Brandsby Road and followed the route of the Estate Walk on a permissive path along the track opposite.

This morning my wife & I drove from Easingwold, through Crayke along the Brandsby Road to the Dutch House Cafe at map ref. SE 567 715. Today is our monthly walk with a group of friends and this month's route is led by our friend Robert who had arranged with the cafe owner for us to park there and for use of the toilets.

Permissive path along a farm access track from Brandsby Road

Following the permissive path along a farm access track from Brandsby Road

Turning off the farm track on to a public footpath

We turned right over the footbridge across Ellers Beck

Across the bridge we turned right and followed a permissive path round the corner of the field and then up the hillside for about 300m to a wide farm access track coming from Home Farm.

We walked along this track for about 450m and then turned left off the track to follow a public footpath along the edge of a field next to the hedge. At the end of this field we crossed a wooden footbridge over a small stream called Ellers Beck.

Following the public footpath along the field edge

Permissive path around the field from the footbridge

We turned right here along the track coming from Home Farm

Permissive path along the track from Home Farm

Permissive path along the track from Stocking Hall

At this junction we turned left to walk away from Stocking Hall still following the permissive path along the access track until we reached a minor road called Crayke Lane.

At this track we turned right and followed the permissive path along the track for about 500m. Here we came to the junction of the track with the access track to Stocking Hall, to our right.

Nearing the left turn at the junction in the tracks

Our left turn on to Crayke Lane N of Crayke

Looking back across the valley to the ridge at the top of Yearsley Bank

Walking along Crayke Lane to Crayke

Crayke Castle to the left of the road

Public footpath up the stone steps from the road to the church

Path through the churchyard

We crossed the lane to a public footpath up some stone steps into the churchyard at St. Cuthbert's Church. We walked round the edge of the churchyard and out of the gateway to the top of the steep bank leading down to the Durham Ox pub in the village. There were some seats here where we stopped for a drink and a sandwich.

At the lane we turned left and walked along the lane into Crayke. We climbed up along the lane past Crayke Castle on our left to a sharp right hand bend in the lane. From the bend there was a steep descent to the Durham Ox pub in the village but at the bend we kept straight on.

The hill into Crayke below Crake Castle

Bend in the road at the top of the hill by the church

St. Cuthbert's Church at Crayke

Gate from the churchyard to our lunch stop at the hill top

Setting off down the hill after our lunch break

We turned right off the road on to this footpath

From the cul-de-sac we turned right on to the road

The path took us to a short cul-de-sac that led us out to the road opposite the village primary school. At the road we turned right for about 25m where we crossed the road and turned left to follow a public footpath across the fields out of the village.

After our break we walked down the road towards the pub at the bottom. A little over half way down we turned right off the road to walk along a public footpath between the houses and gardens.

The footpath came out at this cul-de-sac

After a few metres we turned right off the road

Public footpath across the fields from Crayke to Daffy Lane

Footbridge over a field ditch

Walking along Daffy Lane

We walked along Daffy Lane to its junction with Crayke Lane where we turned left back towards Crayke village for just a few metres before we turned right off Crake Lane to follow Mosswood Lane.

We crossed a small wooden footbridge over a ditch and followed the public footpath out to a minor road called Daffy Lane. True to its name the verges of the lane had a few daffodils in full bloom.

Field path to Daffy Lane at the house ahead

Junction of Daffy Lane and Crayke Lane S of Crayke

Turning right off Crayke Lane on to Mosswood Lane

Walking along Mosswood Lane

Following the route of the Foss Walk towards Crayke

The path turned left through the hedge

The path then turned left and passed through the hedge into the next field. We continued along the field boundary with the village sewage works over the hedge on our left. Improvement works were under construction at the sewage works site. There were mosaic plaques about 50cm square at intervals along the permissive path. The first one we noticed showed a curlew.

We walked along Mosswood Lane for about 500m and then turned left off the lane to follow the route of the Foss Walk along a public footpath across the field heading towards Crayke. At the top edge of this first large field we turned right and rejoined the route of the Crake Estate Walk along a permissive path. The path followed the field boundary on our left going round the corner of the field.

Turning left off Mosswood Lane on to the Foss Walk

We turned right at the end of the field on to a permissive path

Curlew mosaic by the path

Passing the village sewage works where new works were under construction

Permissive path along the field edge

Mosaic of a rabbit by the path

From the access road we kept straight on along the grassy track

After about 100m the access road bent to our right and at the bend we kept straight on the permissive path along a grassy track. At the start of this track there was another plaque showing a farmer riding a large bull. I think that this represents the farmer from Home Farm around the millennium.

The permissive path continued along the field boundaries on our left and just after a small wooden footbridge we came to a mosaic showing a rabbit. A little further on the field path joined a surfaced farm access road. At the access road we turned right and walked along the access road round a left hand bend.

We turned left over the footbridge

Joining a surfaced access road from the field path

Mosaic of a farmer riding a bull

Permissive path into the wood, Hall's Plantation, from the bridge over Ellers Beck

Permissive path through Hall's Plantation

Permissive path from the bridge over the River Foss

Path through the cafe gardens

At the end of the field we came to a field gate at the edge of the Dutch House Cafe gardens. We walked through the garden to the courtyard at the cafe where we sat outside for a coffee and cake before setting off home at the end of our walk. The whole route had been about 7km and it had taken us around two and a half hours to walk including our lunch stop on the seats by the church in Crayke.

As we followed the grassy track there was a buzzard circling not far above the tree tops on our left. After about 200m the track crossed Ellers Beck and then turned left into some woodland. We followed the path as it zig-zagged through the woodland to emerge at the northern side of the wood where there was a bridge over the River Foss. From the bridge we continued bearing left to follow the path across the field with the River Foss to the left of the field.

Permissive path through Hall's Plantation

Gate from the field into the cafe gardens

Path through the gardens to the cafe

Courtyard at the cafe where we had a coffee at the end of our walk