Snow show

I woke up one morning to find snow on the ground but blue sky. The little market town of Kirkbymoorside was quiet. The locals were shuffling from shop to shop but the normal daily influx of those from the moors and valleys to the north was subdued.

North, past the Kings Head, the place for lunch, to a steep road called Castlegate that is named after a long-gone castle, and then with the climbing done in ten minutes, a pause to admire the view over the rooftops, over Ryedale and towards the Howardian Hills.

I was here last summer when two walkers arrived, stopped and puzzled over a rival newspaper walk, they thought they were looking at Gillamoor and took a bit of convincing.

Our track skirts Low Park Farm and then follows the edge of woods for a mile. Through the ash, oak, pines and birch there is a glimpse or two into the deep valley of Douthwaite Dale where flows the River Dove. It was all peaceful and lovely, and this route is quite sheltered even if there is a gale from the north. It's a good way to travel over the fringe of the North York Moors.

After a plantation of conifers there was a windswept field. The locals were out for their constitutionals, tramping the virgin snow, or as I am chastised the more 'politically correct' pristine snow.

At the most northern point of this little foray there are some smashing views, up Farndale (daffodils soon) and towards the village of Gillamoor a mile away. And here the snowdrifts are usually the best, they were welly deep.

A view bench is by an acreage of pheasant pens; structures made of netting, awaiting the season's cannon fodder.

Turning south, we descended slowly, past Cockpit Hall and then High Park Farm that has the most expansive views. The track after this is a wide-grass verge, a gallop for horses. There is a golf course to one side, fields the other.

To finish, we took the top path through the Manor Vale Woodland, a nature reserve with an interesting ecology, including the rare oedemera virescens, a wood-boring beetle.

Fact file

Distance: Four miles.

Time: Two hours.

General location: Southern North York Moors.

Start: Kirkbymoorside.

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

Date walked: Friday February 27, 2004.

Road route: Kirkbymoorside is on the A170 between Helmsley and Pickering.

Car parking: Car park (pay and display) or roadside.

Lavatories: In car park.

Refreshments: Five inns, four cafs.

Tourist and public transport information: Pickering TIC, telephone: 01751 473791.

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

Terrain: Pre-moors plateau.

Points of interest: The route is an easy mountain-bike ride, best up the tracks to Gillamoor then back down the road.

Difficulty: Easy.

Dogs: Suitable.

Weather forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418.

Directions

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

1. From Post Office, uphill to mini roundabout, right to Castlegate, right to Park Lane, fieldgate to metalled track, fieldgate to stone track, fieldgate to metalled farm track.

2. Cattlegrid and left to track (signed bridleway), ignore all tracks that go right and downhill.

3. Track takes a sharp left. Left at T-junction (viewbench).

4. Fieldgate on right to double concrete track in front of farm, fieldgate opposite farm to grassy track around field.

5. Gateway to wood and straight on to top track/path. Fieldgate at end of wood (info board and remnant of castle wall) track, right to road and down into town.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:33 Saturday, March 06, 2004