Nunnington to Harome

NUNNINGTON is nice and over the River Rye there is a smart, but shyly positioned, sign pointing down a track. It set us briskly through the farmland, over the pasture and past the ploughed alluvial soil. On the horizon was the North York Moors.

A hatch of large midge types did their thing by a thorn hedge. Thirty rooks left a tall tree and flew in different directions, others including fieldfares flitted and fluttered one tree to the next. There were pheasants, rabbits, maybe a fox and maybe the tracks of a pre-ban hunt. Half a mile away there was the groan of tractors on a big dung-spreading doings.

We reached the River Riccal. It's hardly a river, a few yards wide but very clear, and swirling with water crowfoot that will flower in the summer. Walking up the river brought us to the old fields of Harome, and one of these long narrow pastures took us to the village's late model red brick Wesleyan 'Church'.

Thatched roofs catch the eye. Here there is a firm called Bella di Notte that does mail order designer and thermal underwear. I once bought some black silk long-johns but they were lacy around the ankles and a more intimate zone and so unsuitable should one need the mountain rescue.

We rounded the corner of the main street, passed red Zetor and blue Landini tractors rearing from the yard of an agricultural engineers, then passed right by the famous Star Inn and under a fine sycamore to the Star Inn Corner Shop. Here we bought a bag of goodies and popped off to the bench by the village pond to feast.

A couple in a big silver car pulled up at the pond. The man got out with his chihuahua and bags of bread. The ducks went into a frenzy but they got not one crumb of our crab and saffron quiche and chocolate ganache tarts.

I feared for a dog that would be no match for the thuggish birds. A moorhen swam decorously, the muck spreading team roared past in green John Deere livery, huge wheels spinning.

The pond flows out past more thatch, past the mill and to the Riccal. Then we took ten minutes of metalled road to Harome sidings with its railway cottages. The railway is gone, but the road ends at the River Rye, perfect for us.

Our footpath follows the flow, runs and eddies of the river for a couple of miles. There are wild brown trout in the water, alders, bulbs and the rest on the banks. This is a very erosive river. I have watched it remove a yard of earth in a flood. There is an island with saplings that won't be there much longer, and a place where a meander is only 20 yards from being an oxbow lake/pond.

This walk is a treat for footbridge fans. You will see different styles, in various states of repair (the ones we use are all right).

Two 12-foot side-stream models lie in poignant juxtaposition, the new in timber, the redundant in rusted tubular steel. This style of painted metal bridge is shown off in a very elegant span that you will use to cross the river about a mile from the finish.

fact file

Distance: Five and a half miles.

Time: Three hours.

General location: Northern fringe of the Howardian Hills.

Start: Nunnington.

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.

Date walked: Friday February 11, 2005.

Road route: From York via Strensall and Sheriff Hutton, 20 miles.

Car parking: Roadside.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: The Royal Oak, Nunnington Studios, and Nunnington Hall at Nunnington. The Star Inn and shop and the Pheasant at Harome.

Tourist and public transport information: Helmsley TIC 01439 770173.

Map: Based on OS OL26 North York Moors western area.

Terrain: Lowland riverside.

Points of interest: Nunnington Hall.

Difficulty: Easy/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

directions

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

From corner by notice board, bridge over River Rye, 200 yards on track.

Left on main track (waymark on telegraph pole), about 50 yards before wood, right 11 o'clock across field (waymark), fieldgate, left ten yards, right on field-edge margin (hedge to left).

Left over stream to fieldgate (waymark) and straight on (hedge/ditch to left), snickelgate, cross field, stile by white post at 1 o'clock, footbridge to field-edge path (ditch/hedge to right).

Right at corner, left to path beside River Riccal.

Footbridge on right (stiles) over River Riccal, 200 yards across field, left at fence (fence to right), 50 yards, stile on right and cross field.

Right to road, left through village. At bend opposite church, left to lane, pass pond, right at junction (dead-end sign).

Fieldgate to grass track (waymark) then riverside path.

Footbridge over side stream, stile, left 5 yards, stile (broken) and right along floodbank. Fieldgate, 50 yards across grass.

Footbridge over River Rye then angle 2 o'clock for 150 yards to wood corner and join track.

Left at wood corner (fingerpost), left at next corner (waymark), 20 yards, right (waymark).

Riverside path to Nunnington.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:51 Saturday, March 19, 2005