Bainbridge ~ Medium Walk

Distance Covered: 5.5 miles   Time to complete walk: 3 hours

Safety Tips: Take care in lambing season April/May as the sheep can be protective at this time of year. Be careful at the road junctions in Bainbridge, the cars can go faster than usual on all the roads within the village.

A slice of Wensleydale starting from the village of Bainbridge and then following a former railway line beside the River Ure and returning on a path through farmland and a nice detour to the picturesque little hamlet of Skell Gill. Some small climbs but nothing too strenuous.

 

The Bainbridge Walk

 

Getting There

 

From Middlesbrough follow the A66 through to Darlington and then join the A1 south to junction 51 and follow the road signs to Leyburn on the A684. Keep on this road until you reach Bainbridge. Parking in Bainbridge is nearby the village green and free but has a donation box.

 

Map of the Bainbridge walk

 

The Walk

From the roadside at the village green, head towards the Rose and Crown Hotel.

 

Head towards the Rose and Crown Hotel

 

To the right of the hotel head down the road which passes the Friends Meeting House.

 

 

Walk past the Friends Meeting House

 

Head over the bridge over the River Ure. Straight after crossing the bridge look for a squeeze stile to the left.

 

 

 

The River Ure

 

Squeeze Stile to the left

 

 

Go to the right up the hill diagonally to join the former railway line bed. Go through a kissing gate.

 

 

 

Head up the hill to the right diagonally

 

Go through the kissing gate

 

Follow this easy grass track following the River Ure and going the several stiles and gates most of them waymarked. 

 

 

Go through gates and stiles

 

 

At a dip in the track go to the right slightly and back to the left over a stile

 

 

 

Go over stile at the dip in the track

 

Keep following the obvious track following the course of the river through more gates and stiles

 

 

Keep on the track

 

Go over the stile

 

Eventually the track bends to the right, but instead of following it head to the left and over a stile before some farm buildings.

 

 

Follow the track to the left

 

Go over the stile

 

Keep to the edge of the small field and pass through a kissing gate onto a lane

 

 

Go through the kissing gate

 

Turn left onto the lane

 

Follow the lane past Cams House until it comes to Old Cams House where the road ends. Go past the house and the road swings to the right over a cattle grid.

 

 

Old Cams House

 

Follow the track past Old Cams House

 

Go over the cattle grid

 

Look for a turn off to the left and diagonally up a grassy hill. Follow this over the top of the hill.

 

 

Follow the grassy track over the hill

 

Head to a gate which leads to a road

 

 

 

Head towards the gate

 

Go through gate and over the road

Head through the gate on the opposite side of the road

 

 

 

Go through the gate opposite



Follow the track which veers to the left up another climb. Half way up look for a gate to the right

 

Follow the track to the left

 

 

Follow the track up the hill

 

Go through the gate

 

 

Through the gate, keep on the walled track keeping the wall to your right.

 

 

Follow the track with the wall to your right

 

View to the right

 

As you come to a farm which is West Shaw Cote look for a permissive path which is signposted and will take you above and past the farm and over a small bridge.

 

Go through the stile to your right signposted as permissive path

 

Go over the bridge



Go through a gate to your right and then through another gate and then follow the path passing some farm buildings

 

Gate to the right

 

Go through the gate

 

Go past the farm buildings

 

 

Keep on the track with the wall to your right past a signpost and shortly look for a signpost up a grassy path to your left and head for a signpost near a wall

 

 

Head up the grassy track

 

Look for a gate near the wall

 

Follow the track down to the left keeping the wall to your right

 

 

Look for the signpost at the wall

 

Follow the track down

 

 

Keep following the track down going through a gate and keep on the walled track until you come to the pretty hamlet of Skell Gill

 

 

 

Follow the track down

 

Walk past a pretty cottage in Skell Gill and to a small humpback bridge

 

 

Humpback bridge at Skell Gill

  

For a nice diversion or pitstop head through a squeeze stile to the right before the bridge. Great spot for a picnic.

 

 

Squeeze Stile to the right

 

Skell Gill

 

 

Head back over the bridge and follow the road out of Skell Gill

 

 

 

Follow the road out of Skell Gill

 

 

At a junction in the road turn right

 

Turn right at the junction in the road

 

 

Turn left at the next junction and  then right to head back over the bridge over the River Ure and back into Bainbridge

 

Turn right and then left back into Bainbridge

 

Waterfall before Bainbridge

 

Bainbridge

 

Bainbridge is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census was 480. The village is situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, near the confluence of the River Bain (England's shortest river) with the River Ure. It is 27.5 miles (44.3 km) west of the County Town of Northallerton.
The civil parish includes Raydale, and a large area of moorland south of the village. It also includes the hamlets of Worton, and Cubeck east of the village.The Roman name for Bainbridge was Virosidum and the remains of a Roman Fort are located just east of Bainbridge, on the other side of the river, on Brough Hill, where various Roman remains have been found. These have been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Nearby is Cam High Road, which follows the line of a Roman Road.
At the time of the Norman invasion there was no village, and hence no entry in the Domesday Book. The site of the modern town was at that time covered in forest and known as The Forest of Bainbridge, alluding to the bridge crossing both the Bain and Ure at this location. The lands after the Norman invasion were in the hands of Count Alan of Brittany.
Between 1146 and 1170 Conan Earl of Richmond granted the wardship of the forest to the lords of Middleham. It was they who built the manor and village of Bainbridge. Towards the end of the twelfth century a dispute arose between the Abbot of Jervaulx and Ranulph, son of Robert Fitz Randolph, over the building of more houses in the village. Ranulph's argument was that the town existed before he became lord. Ralph Earl of Chester was requested to resolve the matter in 1229. Ranulph stated that "the town of Beyntbrigg belonged to his ancestors by service of keeping the forest, so that they might have abiding there 12 foresters, and that every forester should have there one dwelling-house and 9 acres of land." The lords of Middleham had not held the office of Forester since 1280, when Peter of Savoy, Earl of Richmond, had distributed land in the manor to tenants to hold. The manor was valued at more than a third of the revenue of the earldom at that time.
Bainbridge followed the descent of the manor of Richmond till 1413, when Henry IV granted to Ralph Earl of Westmorland the manor, town and bailiwick of Bainbridge. The Neville family were also lords of Middleham at the time and followed its descent until 1628 when it was granted to the City of London. The City sold it in 1663 to eleven of the principal inhabitants, who held the manor in trust for the freeholders.
The village's only pub, the Rose and Crown, is reputed to be one of Yorkshire's oldest having been in operation since 1445.

 

 



 

 



 

 

 



 

Harewood ~ Medium Walk

Distance Covered: 9 miles   Time to complete walk: 4.5 hours

Safety Tips: Take care crossing over the roads as they are busy ones.
Take plenty of water as a lot of the walk is in the open without shade. Wear sunscreen if a hot sunny day. Keep out of the private areas which are well signposted.

A walk around the countryside surrounding the beautiful country house of Harewood House. Visit the house before or after your walk. A good challenging walk for those who don't relish the orienteering part of walking. All the paths are obvious, there are steady inclines on the walk. Look out for birdwatchers at the beginning of the walk looking to catch sight of the magnificent Red Kite which are prominent in the area. For more information on Harewood House click the link: https://harewood.org/

   

The Harewood Walk

 

Getting There

 

From Middlesbrough follow the A19 until it joins the A1 southbound. Take the exit which is junction 47 and will be signposted to Leeds Bradford Airport. Follow the signs to the airport until you come to a roundabout clearly signposted to Harewood House at the left turning which is the A61. Park in the car park at the Village Hall. The parking is free but there is an honesty box.

 

 

Map of the Harewood walk

 

The Walk

 

From the car park turn right and follow the estate road.

 

 

Follow the estate road to the right

 

The road emerges to a view of Almscliffe Crag to the right. Keep on the estate road until you come to a junction.

 

 

Emerge to the view on your right

 

Reach the junction

 

Turn left at the junction and pass some estate buildings and over a bridge.

 

 

Go through gate and pass by estate buildings

 

 

Head over the bridge

 

Keep ahead at a junction of paths passing by the buildings and follow the path as it swings to the right passing by a high wall.

 

 

 

Follow the path as it swings to the right and past a high wall

 

 

Pass through a cattle grid and follow the path as it turns to the right

 

 

 

Follow the path as it bends to the right

 

Follow the road up past some buildings and into the woods ahead

 

 

Follow the path to the buildings

 

Head past the buildings

 

 

Enter the woods

 

Follow the track in the woods and look for a sharp left turn after 100m

 

 

Look for a sharp left turn

   

Follow the track up and then take the track signposted to the Leeds Country Way to the left

 

 

 

Follow the Leeds Country Way

 

 

Follow the track as it meanders through the woods until you come to a bridge

 

 



Reach the bridge

 

Go over the bridge and through the gate onto the path which crosses over pastures. You will glimpse Harewood House in the distance to your left.

 

 

Head through the gate

 

 

Follow the path ahead

 

 

 

View of Harewood House

 

Eventually the path leads to a gate to a busy road.

 

 

 

Go through the gate

 

 

Cross over the road carefully. Head onto the country road ahead

 

 

 

Follow the country road ahead

 

Look for a public bridleway sign to the left

 

 

 

Join the track to the left

 

 

Continue on the track through a gate onto fields until you come to Biggin Farm

 

 

 

Go through gate

 

And another

 

Biggin Farm

 

Walk past the farm buildings and continue on the track ahead

 

 

Follow the track ahead

 

Go through a gate and keep to the path with the hedge to your left

 

 

Go through gate and keep the hedge to your left

 

 

When you come to another gate go through it and turn left following the signpost

 

 

 

Follow the signpost to the left

 

Follow this path as it winds to the right and past the entrance to Gateon House Farm. Look out for a sign to the left at a white bungalow.

 

 

 

Follow the track as it bends to the right

 

Look for a sign to the left near a white bungalow

  

Follow this track passing the bungalows to your right and through some woods until you eventually come to a minor road.

 

Follow the track through the woods

 

Join the road ahead

 

Turn left passing a farm and turn left again

 

 

 

Pass the farm

 

Keep to the right again staying on the road

 

 

Keep on the road to your right

 

Keep on the road until you reach a junction. Cross the road and pass by some cottages and through a gate onto a field

 

 

Pass to the right of the cottages

 

Head through the gate

 

 

Keep to the left and  head down the field until you come to an open field

 

 

Head down the track

 

 

Look for a clear yellow post ahead and walk towards it across the field

 

 

Cross the field heading towards a yellow pole

 

 

Arrive at the yellow pole

 

Follow the yellow pole trail until you come to a stile onto a field

 

 

Follow the yellow pole

 

 

Cross the stile and head to the right and a grassy track on the banks of the River Wharfe

 

 

 

The banks of the River Wharfe

 

Go over stile



This path follows the river for some time. Eventually look for another yellow sign to the left.

 

 

Follow the River Wharfe

 

Turn left at the signpost

 

Head up the rocky path until you come to the main road

 

 

Keep on the rocky road

 

Arrive at the main road

 

Cross this road very carefully as it is very busy. Head to the left back into Harewood and take the road to the right which is Church Lane and follow the road back to the Village Hall carpark.

 

Harewood

 

Harewood (/ˈhɛərwʊd/ HAIR-wuud) is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The civil parish population at the 2011 census was 3,734.
The A61 from Leeds city centre to Harrogate passes through the village. The A659 from Collingham joins the A61 outside the main entrance to Harewood House (/ˈhɑːrwʊd/ HAR-wuud) to descend the slopes of the Wharfe valley before continuing towards Pool-in-Wharfedale.
The Harewood Arms public house and hotel is located opposite the entrance to the Harewood Estate.
Other facilities in the village include a Post Office, a medical centre, mobile library, community cafe, and a village hall.
It is the location of the UK's longest motorsport hillclimb, Harewood speed Hillclimb (pronounced HAIR-wuud). The exterior set for the soap opera Emmerdale is located in the Harewood estate.
Harewood House, a country house was designed by architects John Carr and Robert Adam and built between 1759 and 1771 for Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood. Its garden was designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown and spans 1,000 acres (400 ha).

 

Harewood House

 

Harewood House (/ˈhɑːrwʊd/ HAR-wuud, /ˈhɛər-/ HAIR-)is a country house in Harewood near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Designed by architects John Carr and Robert Adam, it was built between 1759 and 1771 for wealthy plantation owner Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood. The landscape was designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown and spans 1,000 acres (400 ha) at Harewood.
Still home to the Lascelles family, Harewood House is a member of the Treasure Houses of England, a marketing consortium for ten of the foremost historic homes in the country. The house is a Grade I listed building and a number of features in the grounds and courtyard have been listed as Grade I, II and II*.
The Lascelles family claim to have arrived in England with William the Conqueror, during the Norman Conquest of England. The family had settled in Yorkshire by 1315 as the "de Lascelles". Prosperous members of the county gentry, the Lascelles served as members of parliament and held prominent military positions. In the late seventeenth century the family purchased plantations in the West Indies, and the income generated allowed Henry Lascelles to purchase the estate in 1738; his son, Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, built the house between 1759 and 1771.
Edwin initially employed the services of John Carr, an architect practising in the north of England and previously employed by a number of prominent Yorkshire families to design their new country houses. The foundations were laid in 1759, with the house being largely complete by 1765. The fashionable Robert Adam submitted designs for the interiors, which were approved in 1765. Adam made a number of minor alterations to Carr's designs for the exterior of the building, including internal courtyards.The house remained largely untouched until the 1840s when Sir Charles Barry was employed by the Henry Lascelles, 3rd Earl of Harewood, the father of thirteen children, to increase the accommodation. Barry added second storeys to each of the flanking wings to provide extra bedrooms, removed the south portico and created formal parterres and terraces.