Yearsley Woods ~ Easy Walk

Distance Covered: 3 miles Time to Complete Walk 1.5 hours

Suitable for dog walking: Yes

Yearsley Woods is just outside Ampleforth and is a great place for an Autumn walk and for a dog walk. It also has multiple branch offs for further exploring. This walk follows the main path to the pond at the far side of the woods. 

General Safety Tips: 

Be careful of hidden tree stumps in the woods and cyclists when it is busy. Take care near the pond. 

The Yearsley Woods Walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough head onto the B1257 to Helmsley. Head out of Helmsley on the A170 towards Sproxton and follow it down until you come to the first right hand turn to Ampleforth. In Ampleforth head left up Station Road onto Mill Lane and then onto Thorpe Lane. Yearsley Woods Car Park is on your left before you come to Yearsley village and is free of charge

Maps of the Yearsley Woods Walk

The Walk

From the car park head left into the first entrance into the woods

Head down the path and keep ahead at a crossroads

Keep right and right again at two forks in the path

Follow the path as it bends to the right

At a junction head left to follow the path 

At another junction head left

When you come to a bench head down towards a small bridge

Head left on the path passing a pond

Further on you come to a bigger pond on your left

Head on the path to your left still until you come to a junction - head left to pass the other side of the pond

Head forwards on the path above the pond

Cross over a small footbridge and head left onto the path into the woods

Keep left on the path passing a small jetty on your left

Soon the path widens into the woods

Follow the path as it bends joining another path from the left

When you come to a junction head right

Climb the path as it rises and heads back up to the car park

Yearsley Woods

This national forest offers a unique blend of ecological preservation and recreational opportunities.

Experts in sustainable forestry practices, the site boasts rich biodiversity, making it an ideal location for ecological research and nature-based tourism. The management team implements cutting-edge conservation techniques, ensuring the health of the ecosystem while providing visitors with immersive experiences. Nature trails, guided tours, and educational programs underline their commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of natural habitats.
Their focus on community engagement and environmental stewardship positions them as a leader in promoting responsible outdoor activities, attracting eco-conscious visitors and researchers alike.

Scaling Dam ~ Medium Walk

 

Distance Covered: 4 miles Time to Complete Walk 2 hours

Suitable for dog walking: Yes

Scaling Dam is a reservoir which is also used for sailing and birdwatching. Theres also a good circular walk ideal for a dog walk or short walk. Please note that if the ground is boggy the circular route may be cut short towards the end. This is good however as this lengthens the walk as a there and back walk and becomes a decent sized walk!

General Safety Tips: It can windy near the dam, dress for the weather.The second half of the walk can get overgrown - take a walking stick in case you need to negotiate the path.

                                         The Scaling Dam Walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough Head onto the A171 towards Whitby. Scaling Dam can be found on a right hand turning just before Tranmire. There is ample parking and  parking is free of charge.

Maps of the Scaling Dam Walk 

The Walk

From the car park head right to a bird watching hut if you are interested in bord watching!

Return back to the path and head right onto a path signed to the toilets

Head onto the grass path besides the reservoir

Head onto a grassy path on the left signed as the circular path

Follow the path around with the embankment below

Follow the path passing a car park and through a gate

Head over a footbridge

Follow the path over a series of footbridges and boardwalks

The route passes close to the moors and there is a picnic are on the right.

Continue on the path and over a stile

Head through some thick undergrowth and down and then right through a gate

Head over another footbridge and if able to you can head onto the beach are near the reservoir. Swimming is banned though!

At this point the ground becomes boggy and may be cordonned off. However you now are able to retrace your steps back to the start!

Scaling Dam 

Scaling Dam Reservoir is a freshwater man-made lake on the edge of the A171 road in North Yorkshire, England. The reservoir is near to the hamlet of Scaling from where it derives its name, and was built in 1958.

The reservoir lies inside the North York Moors National Park and the western half is in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, whilst the eastern half is in the Borough of Scarborough.

Scaling Dam Reservoir was built between 1952 and 1958 at a cost of £450,000 and is the largest lake in the North York Moors.The area that the reservoir is built in was named Scaling Dam long before the reservoir was built in 1958; mapping and records show a hamlet of Scaling Dam in the early nineteenth century, and the name is mentioned in Camden's 17th century "Britannia".The dam was constructed by the Tees Valley and Cleveland Water Company and despite being in North Yorkshire (though its on the border between Redcar and Cleveland and the Borough of Scarborough), the dam is owned and regulated by Northumbrian Water. However, fresh water from the dam was historically supplied to Yorkshire Water, though this practice stopped in 2012.

Unusually, the dam wall is long, running along the width of the reservoir on the northern side. Dam walls are usually narrow against the water that they hold back. As such the deepest point, near the dam wall, is only 30 feet (9 m).

Water leaving the dam exits as Dam Beck, which on its 3.7-mile (6 km) journey to the North Sea via the fishing village of Staithes, changes to Roxby Beck, Easington Beck and then finally Staithes Beck.

As the Environment Agency classify the water quality as being good, Scaling Dam Reservoir is a suitable venue for angling, walking and swimming. The dam also is home to the Scaling Dam Sailing Club. There is a visitor centre and shop which sells angling supplies and parts of the reservoir are accessible for disabled anglers.

Besides the fish (which have been introduced for angling), the site is noted for a regular appearance of ospreys during the spring and summer months, and the Nathusius' pipistrelle bat. As Scaling Dam is located close to the North Sea coast, it is an attractive site for migratory birds during the winter months, when human activity on the dam is not allowed.

The western edge of the reservoir is also the site of a nature reserve, and whilst there is no public access, people can walk around the edges of the reserve and the reservoir.