Kepwick ~ Medium Walk

Distance Covered: 5 miles Time to Complete Walk 2.5 hours

Suitable for dog walking: Yes- Sheep on the moors though

Off the beaten track, this walk starts in Kepwick and head up to woodland and the open moors. An exhilerating for a fresh dose of Yorkshire air - and ideal Autumn walk to see the colours of this season in all its glory. A gradual climb at the beginning and downhill from the moors back to Kepwick. Parking can be found in a car park next to the church in Kepwick or on the roadside.

General Safety Tips: Climbing up the narrow path at the start of the walk can be muddy after rain. Ideally walk if its been dry weather. 

                                            The Kepwick Walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough head onto the A19 until you come to the Over Silton turn off which is called Low Bank. The road is very narrow so take car however there are plenty of passing points. At Nether Silton turn left at the junction and head towards Kepwick. Turn right at the junction into Kepwick and the car park is on your right before the small church.

Maps of the Kepwick walk

The Walk

From the car park turn right and head past the small church on your right.

Head past the church and look for a gate on your left next to a bridleway sign. Head up the field following the tree line to a gate at the top.

Head through the gate and follow the path which makes its way up to the top of the hill.

The path makes its way between two hills and eventually emerges in grassland.

Head up the grassy track near the trees on your right.

Head towards the gate and go through it.

Keep on the track through the woodland keeping near the wall to your left.

Emerging from the woodland back onto the moors keep on the path.

Follow the path as it veers to the left.

The path becomes more open again and you arrive at a gate

Got through the gate ignoring the gate to your left and head straight on the path ahead and follow this shortly to arrive onto a wider track.

Turn left following the grassy track to a fork in the path.

Head right staying on the main track as it heads into a plantation.

Follow the track as it widens through the plantation until you come to a crossing of paths.

Keep ahead to another junction at the top which is the Cleveland Way and head through the gate and turn left.

Go through the gate on your left noticing the remains of an ancient cross on your right and head onto the Cleveland Way.

Head along the Cleveland Way for 1.4 km and look for a gate to your left heading onto a tarmac road.

Head down the road as it winds it way down.

Head down through a gate and towards the Kepworth Hall Estate and back to the car park.

Kepwick

Kepwick is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, on the North York Moors and near the A19. The population according to the 2011 Census was fewer than 100 and, whilst the details are included in the civil parish of Nether Silton, North Yorkshire County Council estimated the population to be about 90 in 2015.

The village is mentioned twice in the Domesday Book as either Chipuic or Capuic in the Allerton hundred. Chipuic or Capuic is translated from Old Scandinavian as meaning market-place. At the time of the Norman invasion the manor was split among Orm, son of Gamil, Arnketil and Gillemicel. Afterwards some of the land remained with the Crown but some was granted to Hugh, son of Baldric as the main tenant. Until the 13th century the lands were granted to the Mowbray family, who installed mesne lordships to the Nevill and Malbiche families. The manor then passed to Nicholas de Punchardon, who in turn sold to Ingram Knout around 1316. After the Knout family ran into financial trouble, Margaret Knout married into the Lepton family to retain some of the land, with other parts being owned by the Bransby family at the start of the 15th century. When the Lepton family also ran into financial problems, they sold their land to Thomas, Lord Fauconberg of Newburgh in 1640 and they retained this land until 1808.

Remnants of the quarrying of limestone, sandstone and ironstone can be seen on the hills to the east of the village as well as the line of the tramway that connected them to the lime kilns. The tramway was not used after 1890. The remains of those Lime Kilns to the west of the village are designated a scheduled ancient monument.

There a chapel dedicated to St Margaret was built around 1300 but it disappeared at the time of the reformation. A private chapel was built in 1894 by the local landowner where Wesleyans held services. This has since passed into private hands.