Aysgarth Falls ~ Medium Walk

Distance Covered: 4 miles   Time to complete walk: 2 hours

Safety Tips: There are some steep climbs on the walk and care needs to be taken if walking on the stepping stones near waterfalls

This walks starts and ends at the village of West Burton and mid way through reaches the beautiful Aysgarth Falls. Perfect for a picnic at the falls, this walk will take around 2 and a half hours if you spend time at the falls for a mid-walk pitstop.

 

 

The Aysgarth Falls Walk

 



Getting There

 

From Middlesbrough, take the A19 south to the Northallerton turn off. Follow the A684 to the Yorkshire Dales and through the town of Leyburn. Shortly after Leyburn look for a left turn off to West Burton which is where the walk begins. Parking can be found on the side of the Green in the village.

 

  

 



Map of the Aysgarth Falls Walk

 

The Walk

 

Start the walk by leaving the village of West Burton by the village shop on the road to the right of it.

 

 

Sign opposite "Meadowcroft"

 

 

Look for a building called "Meadowcroft" and opposite this will be a signpost to the left signed "Eshington Bridge". Cross the road turn right and then left through a gate and down steps.

 

 

 

Gate beside the barn 

 

Go through a gate beside a barn, and continue to a stile at the bottom right of the field. Cross two stiles then bear right to a wall. Follow this and continue to a road.

 

 

 

Field track

 

Stile to road

 



Turn left and cross the bridge, and go up a lane until you reach a bend in the lane.

 

 

Lane after bridge

 

Stile signed Aysgarth

 

 

Go through the stile on the lane signed "Aysgarth". Climb past a stile and to the left of a barn. This is the steepest part of the walk and can be an effort to make it to the top. Continue to the left of the field bearing left to a gate near the corner, then continue diagonally across the next field.

 

 

Wall Gap



 

Keep left of a wall gap to a stile by another gap. Descend to reach a stile and a footpath sign. If you get confused with your bearings, remember the path will be well worn so is easy to follow if you stick to the well worn track.

 

 

Footpath sign

 







Take the Aysgarth direction which is the path ahead. Cross the field half left to a stile on to a lane. Turn left and then immediately on your right will be another stile signed "Aysgarth". Cross three stiles to a road.

 

 

Stile on Lane



 

Turn right and follow the road into Aysgarth village. Go past the George and Dragon then straight ahead to the Methodist Church.

 

 

George and Dragon

 

 

Methodist Church

 

 





Bear right along the lane. Cross a stile by Field House. Follow the wall and continue along a short track. Follow the path you are on through eight stiles until you reach the churchyard.

 

 

 

Church and churchyard

 



Enter the churchyard and pass to the right of the church and leave by a stile. Cross a field and go through a wood. 

 

 

Field

 

Go through the wood

 



 

Follow the path downhill descending steps to the river bank. Aysgarth Falls are comprised of the middle falls and the lower falls. The falls are a perfect spot for a pitstop and a picnic. Once you decide to leave the falls follow the riverside path to a stile.

 

 

Aysgarth Falls

 



Follow the riverside path to a signpost in a field. Bend to the right of the field until you reach the main road.

 

 

Sign in field

 



Turn left and cross the bridge, then turn right into woodland signed "Edgley", soon bearing left uphill to a stile.

 

 

Sign into wood

 



Go over the stile and walk over the meadow bearing right to a gate in the far corner to join a road. Turn right and look for a stile to the left about 150 yards along which is signed "Flanders Hall".

 

 

Stile to the left

 



Walk towards the two follies above keeping to the ridge below. A folly refers to an ornamental building with no practical use.

 

 

Two Follies above ridge



 

Walk under the follies passing Sorrelsykes Park to your right. Cross a track and bear left past a waymark to a signpost.

 

 

Signpost

 



Follow the direction of the footpath sign uphill and then turn right and head for the bottom edge of the field to cross a stile with stepped stones up to it. Follow the path ahead until you are opposite the barn at a gate.

 

 

Look for gate opposite barn

 



Descend through the gate and then two more gates. Bear left along the field on a well worn track to a stile. Continue onto a lane, turn right, cross a bridge and join the village road. Turn left heading back to the Green.

 

 



 



 



Aysgarth Falls

 

Aysgarth Falls are a triple flight of waterfalls, surrounded by forest and farmland, carved out by the River Ure over an almost one-mile stretch on its descent to mid-Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales of England, near the village of Aysgarth. The falls are quite spectacular during wet weather, as thousands of gallons of water cascade over the series of broad limestone steps.
Aysgarth Falls have attracted visitors for over 200 years; Ruskin, Turner and Wordsworth visited, all enthusing about the falls’ outstanding beauty. The upper and middle fall was featured in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
In addition to the falls, there are walks which wind through the wooded valley, offering views of the river and falls. Wild flowers appear in the spring and summer, and wild birds, squirrels and deer may also be seen. Nearby is St Andrew's church, which has a large churchyard, reputed to be the largest in England. The church has a medieval painted wooden screen rescued from the destroyed Jervaulx Abbey.
The name originates from old Norse, meaning the open space in the oak trees.
It was featured on the television programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the North