Distance: 6 miles Time to complete walk: 3.5 hours
Safety Tips: This is a long walk- take plenty of water with you. Give yourself plenty of time to complete the walk in daylight. If you feel you are lost at anytime use your GPS signal to get your bearings. There are steep parts to the walk towards the end.
Visit an amazing folly called the Druids Temple on this walk. Described as a mini Stonehenge, it is well worth a visit and there is a café nearby for a pitstop. The walk starts in the village of Fearby and the village pub The Black Swan is also a great way to start or finish the walk. The walk itself is a challenge due to its length and climbs at different parts of the walk. A map which includes this walk and other walks is available from The Black Swan website here: The Black Swan
The Druids Temple walk
Getting There
If travelling from Middlesbrough, take the A66 to Darlington and follow it onto the A1 and follow the A1 until you come to the Northallerton/Bedale turn off. Follow the road to Bedale which is the B268. Follow the signs to Masham and then from Masham follow the signs to the village of Fearby. Parking can be found at a car park to the right just after the Black Swan pub.
Druids Temple walk map
The Walk
From the car park in Fearby turn left and walk along the road until you come to a left turning where a school is. Turn left and follow the road down taking care to listen for traffic as the road is quite narrow.
Turn left at school
When you come to a metal bridge cross over and then turn right towards Broadmires.
Road to Broadmires
Carry on through the farm and go through the gate at the end of the farmyard.
Go through another gate heading for the woodland. Continue on the well worn track through two more gates.
Follow the track
Follow the track to the gate in the wall and keeping the wall to your right you the track will soon descend and keep your eyes peeled for a three directions signpost.
Signpost
This is an important signpost - you basically need to follow the direction of the Druids Temple 1 signpost. This feels unusual as you will literally be doubling back on yourself, however you will be taking a different route back. A tip would be to look for the signposts with green arrows on and you will be on the right path.
Go through gate
Go through gate
Follow the arrows
You will now be walking through open fields. This is a good time to check your GPS and you will soon realise you are heading for the Druids Temple. Continue on the track until you come to a gate and turn right and follow the track to the road which leads to Druids Temple. Turn right and you will arrive at the Druids Temple car park- follow the track to the right of the car park and you will soon arrive at the Druids Temple. Ideal for a pitstop and to take pictures.
Druids Temple
On leaving the Druids Temple, make your way back down the road from the car park and directly opposite the gate you came through turn right and follow the road past The Bivouac Café (again another chance for a pitstop)
Follow the road to the right
Follow the road past the Bivouac Café, go over a stile and then follow the track left behind the houses go over a stile to the right and follow the track downhill towards some woods.
Go over stile
Turn left keeping woods on your right
Head down the hill and then turn left at the bottom, keeping the woods to your right. When you come to a road, turn left and then immediately right over a gate (you may need to climb over some of the gates).
Go over gate on the right
Follow this grassy track and keep your eyes peeled for a hidden stile to the left. It will be well hidden in the summer months.
Look out for the stile on your left
Cross over the stile and you will soon come to a footbridge. Cross over this and follow the track to your left until you come to a gate.
Cross the footbridge
Go through gate
Follow the track steeply upwards and you will soon come to a road. Follow this road by turning right, right again and then retrace your steps back to Fearby.
Druids Temple
The Druids Temple, situated near Ilton, about 4 miles west of Masham is a folly created by William Danby of nearby Swinton Hall in 1820. The structure sits deep within a private forest and includes a large stone table, a sheltered cave and an altar stone. The temple is approximately 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, with some of the stones standing over 10 feet high.William Danby (1752-1832) was made High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1784. He created the temple to generateo work for the local population who were paid 1 shilling a day. A salary was offered for someone to live at the Temple as a hermit for seven years. I am unsure if anyone did stay the full seven year term, but I believe someone stayed for five years before going a bit mad.
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