COCKAYNE in upper Bransdale might be the most out-of-the-way outpost in the North York Moors. A big house called Bransdale Lodge looks down the semi-enclosed part of the valley, the little church of St Nicholas caters for the few hardy souls, there's a house or two, and that's about it.

The snowdrops hadn't opened in the most sheltered beckside nooks and crannies, but the National Trust moles were busy on the valley floor pastures, as I seem to remember they were on my last visit, which was very misty.

Today, we had sunshine for the first steep climb out of Bransdale, up past the conifer line, where a few trees were down from the storms, and on to the heather, bilberry and grasses of Rudland Rigg. The Rigg is a great divide, at an altitude of 1,300 feet and narrow here between two long valleys.

Barely had we crossed its ancient track-cum road when four Tornadoes came from the north, one blasting so low the ground shook. Two mountain bikers won't have seen them coming as they wheeled down south. The only other sky warriors were two Harris hawks, which are not native and these were trained.

We aimed straight into Farndale, it's about the same number of contours down as it was up, 500 or 600 feet worth, again quite steep. The sight is of a wide deep array of pastures, filling the valley from its major fork almost to the end of its west arm. Three of the woods are National Trust owned; ponds are popular.

The Farndale road this side is a dead-end and pleasant to walk along, with no movement anywhere, bar a post van, and not even a tractor. The road goes past Wether Hill and a farm called Frost Hall that has fine barns. The sun still shone, it was warm.

Warmer still on the climb back out, again steepish, and partly in a shale ravine. In the manner of the season thus far, I'd chosen this walk for wet weather, not for the snow that's falling as I type. On the day it was not squelchy and it's a good route.

As the path flattened to a slope on to Rudland Rigg, again there was the chance of a view all the way through Farndale to Douthwaite Dale. By now we were more concerned with leaning into the stiff west wind and navigating. The path had disappeared, leaving half a mile of heather between us and The Rigg track.

The vegetation made for slow going, but we were pleased with our compass work, arriving a cool 50 yards off target, an intentional if rather tight offset. We had aimed to one side, so we could turn left on to the track and assess our two route options. The first, a bridleway, didn't look easy and as we'd done some rough stuff, we carried on a few hundred yards to a major track junction, and sped down into Bransdale past lots of grouse butts.

The valley floor pastures we did not paddle. The mill there is restored.

Fact file

Distance: Five-and-a-half miles.

Time: Three hours.

General location: North York Moors.

Start: Cockayne GR SE 620985.

Right of way: Public apart from a short deviation or two that have become usage routes.

Map: Drawn from OS Explorer OL26 North York Moors western area.

Dogs: Legal if you keep to the public rights of way.

Date walked: January, 2007.

Road route: Only from the south, from York via the A170, then via Helmsley or Kirkbymoorside.

Car parking: Above the church or in Cockayne by the road to Helmsley.

Lavatories: Plans for some, funding required, see details in church.

Refreshments: Nearest inns Gillamoor or Fadmoor.

Tourist and public transport information: National Park 01845 597426.

Terrain: Moorland and valley sides.

Points of interest: Book and record sale/exchange at the church.

Difficulty: Moderate if good weather.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Directions

1. From church, road downhill, ignore right turn, uphill.

2. Stile/fieldgate on left (signed) to track up through field, near wall, fieldgate to moorland track near conifer wood, then via wood corner.

3. Cross main stone track to grass track/path downhill (yellow waymark), then by gully to your left which ends at bank of shale, five yards across grass.

4. Path downhill via trees and by north edge of remains of walled field on moor, fieldgate, 100 yards.

5. Right to dead-end road. At Duffin Stone house, fieldgate on right to grass track uphill (signed), fieldgate, gateway, path in gully, small gate to moorland path.

6. Fork right at small cairn when just below level of nearby crags, 100 yards, cairn, path becomes indistinct for 100 yards, cairn. After few hundred yards path becomes indistinct again. Another cairn 100 yards before main track.

7. Left to main track (if navigation exact you should hit track at waymarked post).

8. Right to wide stone track at crossroads (no sign). In Bransdale, right to road and rejoin outward route.

Map of the walk>>