George Wilkinson soon loses himself in the peace at Hutton Buscel, near Scarborough

SAINT Matthew's in Hutton Buscel has a Norman tower and a sundial with an awkward homily that reads 'Time wasted is existence, time used is life'. Today's toddle is no time waster, just fine at the end of a working day, a delightful sundowner.

I left the churchyard, with its rooks busy in a Scots pine and a song thrush still hard at its singing and displaying, and took a raised cobbled path back to the main street. This is effectively the only street, very pretty and quiet with just the odd late-home Audi pulling up to a 19th century cottage or an Arts and Crafts house. Scarborough is five miles away east, the A170 is 500 yards south, but you would not know it.

What had caught my eye on the map was the oblong box of back lanes that lead north from the village. From the West End runs Great Moor Road, eventually into Wykeham Forest. Parallel and at the far end is Far Lane. And down the middle is Middle Lane, all are highways.

I turned up Middle Lane. After a quarter mile, old Tarmac gives out to a dirt and stone track, to all appearances used only now and then by a Land Rover. Each side is a keyboard of fields that you glimpse occasionally through openings in the very high hedges. Plus the track is sunken; one would pass unnoticed by a tractor driver. I saw no signs of walking, only a set of pony prints.

By halfway up (it's a very gentle climb), the track has narrowed to single file hemmed in by greenery - garden escapes, head-high grasses, waist-high buttercups, deep blue geraniums, arches and tunnels of sloes and elder, roses about to burst. I left a cloud of pollen in my wake. For a distance the walking surface is laid-flat stones like a trod.

From the closed-in line of Middle Road you burst into the open. You might have noticed Flamborough Head through a gap, now it's unmistakable, a wonderful long distance view, the sun was catching the high white cliffs.

We are on road now, but little used. Far Lane runs straight down, all the way wide views of valley, namely The Carrs, and beyond the northern flank of the Wolds. In a tree a pair of yellowhammers chirped. Far away cars glinted with late sunshine on the York to Scarborough road.

Fact File:

Distance: Three miles.

Time: One or two hours.

General location: Five miles west of Scarborough.

Start: Hutton Buscel.

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

Date walked: Friday, June 22, 2001.

Road route: From York the A64.

Car parking: Roadside.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: None.

Tourist & Public Transport Information: Pickering TIC 01751 473791

Map: Based on OS OL 27, North York Moors eastern area.

Terrain: Green between fields track/path, and back lane.

Points of interest: Views and track/path.

Difficulty: Easy.

Dogs: Suitable.

Weather forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418

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.

1. Path to church, left after church, left at gates out of churchyard, raised path by wall back into village, right to village street, pass Old Cowgate.

2. Left at phone box to Tarmac lane (signed Middle Lane), Tarmac turns to track then path.

3. Right to lane.

4. Right and back into village.

Click here to view a map of the walk