Kirkbymoorside

A diminished amount of traffic came in off the North York Moors, and the slipping, spinning and sliding made it a great day to walk. The temperature was zero and justifiable calorie bombs called yum-yums were squidged into the sack.

We left town on Swineherd Lane, crossed half a dozen old narrow pastures and reached Keldholme, a satellite settlement on the River Dove.

The next fields over Keldholme Heights were bigger, windswept and bleak, the postage stamp snowflakes horizontal. I followed the crunchy footprints of my navigator on a new path for me.

Then the edge of Spaunton Quarry, limestone has been extracted here and hereabouts for ages. Not that this portion looks like a quarry now, you see a cleft that is landscaped and planted with trees. The air swirled with pigeons and crows and the ground was busy with pheasant and rabbit tracks.

The quarry suggested a turn, a half mile something of a ridge with overarching trees and scrub, and then a similar length that was once named Green Lane.

Sloe berries hung tight and shrivelled to the blackthorn. All the branches held their white stripes so, although the snow had stopped, any movement brushed out cascades.

There was a sight to the North York Moors and the sun had come out, the steel-grey sky changed to brilliant blue.

We were moving on down, herons lifted, and we reached a ford and a footbridge at Yoadwath Mill, and crossed the River Dove again many miles after its gathering in Farndale.

Once the valley here was named Yoadwath Vale. A metalled road starts at Yoadwath and took us steep out, shooters came down past Ravenswick Hall on a tractor trailer. The woods nearby are called, I kid you not, Cockshot Plantation.

A farmer ploughed the lanes. Around here these are metalled spurs and loops that become tracks with names such as Park Lane and Back of Parks Road, they make for very pleasant dog walking, running and cycling.

The day held further joy, the grey again sky replaced by a pink glow over Ryedale, though this is a lovely view anytime. And we dropped back into town at its top end of Castlegate.

There are two ex-castles within a quarter of a mile, one is a square moat, one a bit of wall. And in the middle of Kirby there are many places for food, drink and whatever. We warmed with wholesome soup at the Penny Bank Café.

Directions

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1 From Market Place in Kirkbymoorside, downhill, left at Summit Books to Howe End, first left to Swineherd Lane, 300 yards.

2 Snickelgate/fieldgate (sign in hedge), 11 o'clock across field, hedge gap, cross next three fields (snickelgates), one o'clock, snickel-gate (waymark) and diagonally across large field, snickelgate and steps.

3 Left to road in Keldholme (pavement), left at junction (verge), 100 yards, track on right (sign), fieldgate, track by fence then across field uphill and head for tree on horizon then by hedge to your right for 25 yards.

4 Hedge gap, left for ten yards, into next field and right so fence to your right.

5 Stile into quarry scrub and immediately left (opposite way to waymark) on grassy path, becomes track. Ignore paths downhill until a right fork (note that the left fork leads to a big tree and a field after 100 yards), path descends gently but keeps within 100 yards of fence to left, 200 yards.

6 Fieldgate 25 yards to left of path to old hedged path/track. Right to main road for 100 yards, some verge, track on left downhill, ignore a fieldgate and keep by edge of wood, ignore left forks into fields.

7 Left to track, footbridge by ford over River Dove, left to road uphill, right at T junction.

8 Cattlegrid/fieldgate on left to metalled farm road, left-hand bend, fieldgate to track, fieldgate, fieldgate and into Kirkbymoorside, road downhill.

Fact file

Distance: Five miles.

General location: North York Moors.

Start: Kirkbymoorside.

Right of way: Public and Open Access Land.

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

Date walked: January 2008.

Road route: Via A170.

Car parking: Roadside in Kirkbymoorside.

Lavatories: At short stay car park.

Refreshments: Five pubs/hotels and four cafés.

Tourist and public transport information: Pickering TIC 01751 473791.

Terrain: Land between the plains and the moors.

Dogs: Legal at time of writing. Check with Natural England.

Points of interest: Kirkbymoorside is set to become a Transition Town.

Difficulty: Moderate.

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