Boroughbridge ~ Easy Walk

Distance Covered: 4.5 miles Time to complete walk:  2 hours

Suitable for dog walking: Yes

Total Steps: approx. 9,000

Safety Tips:  The path can get muddy on the river bank- take a walking stick. Cross the roads carefully throughout the walk

A simple to follow walk ideal for a nice Autumn/Winters day. Walk on the river bank to the village of Aldborough and back to Boroughbridge. Pass the mysterious stone pillars known as the Devils Arrows which date back to pre-historic times. With road names like Druids Meadow in Boroughbridge, this walk has a very present mystical feel about it.

 

The Boroughbridge walk

Getting There

Follow the A19 from Middlesbrough southbound to join the A168 outside Thirsk.
Follow the A168 to meet the A1. Stay on the A168 which runs parallel to the A1. Turn left at a roundabout signposted to Boroughbridge and when entering the town look out for the signs to the car park which is in Back Lane. There is a honesty box for the parking fee.

   Map of the Boroughbridge walk

 

 

The Walk

 

From the car park go right onto Hall Square and turn left to pass a statue.

 

 

Statue in Hall Square

 

Turn left again into St James Square and pass a fountain and well.

 

 

 

Pass the fountain

 

Head onto Aldborough Road by keeping left at a fork in the road.

 

 

Head onto Aldborough Road

 

Keep ahead looking out for signpost on your left signed as a Public Footpath.

Head down the path to your left going through a small gate.

 

Sign to Public Footpath

 

Go through the gate

 

Keep on the path ahead

 

Head down to the River Ure and turn right to follow the path on the riverbank.

 

 

River Ure

 

Keep to the path on the riverbank

 

The path continues for some time until it bends sharply to the right and further on you reach a gate and a path and the river departs in a different direction.

 

 

 

Keep to the path as it bends to the right



 

Go through the gate ahead and then follow the path onto a wider road.

 

 

Go through the gate

 

Join the wider track

 

Follow the track ahead which soon joins a road. Turn right and follow the roadside path into the village of Aldborough.

 

 

Follow the track ahead

 

Turn right and follow the roadside path

Soon you come to a fork in the road. Follow the left hand road and keep on the path ahead.

 

 

Head to the left fork in the road

 

 

Keep on the path ahead

 

The village green is quite interesting as there are some stocks and a tall maypole. After visiting these, keep on the road ahead and keep on it as it turns right.

 

 

Stocks on the village green

 

 

Maypole on the village green

 

Follow the path as it turns right

 

 

Keep to the pavement

 

Turn right at the T Junction

 

Follow the road back down passing the village green

 

There is a pretty church straight ahead at the bottom of the road to visit. Otherwise, turn left and follow the road out of Aldborough.

 

 

Detour to a church

 

Follow the road to the left out of Aldborough. 

The road continues back into Boroughbridge.

 

Follow the path ahead

In the village keep to the left pavement and head towards The Black Bull pub.

 

Keep on the pavement on the left

 

Head to the Black Bull

Immediately to the left of the pub, head onto the road St Helena. Keep to the left and cross a zebra crossing.

 

Head down St Helena

 

Cross the zebra crossing

Turn left and then straight onto Roecliffe Lane.

 

 

Turn right onto Roecliffe Lane

 

Head down the lane



Follow this lane to the end of the houses to a road titled Boroughbridge Marina to your right.

 

 

Road signed to Boroughbridge Marina

 

Instead of turning right- at this moment cross the road and the first of the Devils Arrows will appear next to a sign on the left. 

 

 

A Devils Arrow

 

 

Thought to have been erected in 2000 bc these stone monoliths are fascinating and a bit spooky.

When you have finished head back down the road signposted as the Boroughbridge Marina.

Notice the two other Devils Arrows to your left in a field.

 

 

Devils Arrows

 

 

Head to the right into a fence walkway which ends up on the road called Druids Meadow.

 

 

Turn right at the fence

 

Head onto Druids Meadow

 

Turn left and follow the road as it loops onto Chatsworth Close.

 

 

Turn left onto Druids Meadow

 

Follow the road as it bends to the right

 

Head onto Chatsworth Grove

 

Head straight ahead and then left onto the main road into Boroughbridge.

 

  

 

Keep ahead to the road

 

Turn left onto the main road

 

Follow the signs for the parking which is a right turn and another right turn to the car park.

 

 

Devils Arrows, Boroughbridge

 

The Devil's Arrows are three standing stones or menhirs in an alignment approximately 660 feet (200 m) to the east of the A1(M), adjacent to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire, England, near to where the A1 road now crosses the River Ure (grid reference SE390666)

Erected in prehistoric times and distinctively grooved by millennia of rainfall, the tallest stone is 22.5 feet (6.85 m) in height, making this the tallest menhir in the United Kingdom after the 25 feet (7.6 m) tall Rudston Monolith. The other two stones are 22 feet (6.7 m) and 18 feet (5.5 m) tall respectively and it is thought that the alignment originally included up to five stones. William Camden mentions four stones in his Britannia, noting that "one was lately pulled downe by some that hoped, though in vaine, to finde treasure." One was apparently displaced during a failed 'treasure hunt' during the 18th century and later used as the base for a nearby bridge over a river. The stones are composed of millstone grit, the most likely source of which is Plumpton Rocks two miles south of Knaresborough and about nine miles from where the stones stand today.
The outer stones are 360 and 200 feet (110 and 60 m) away from the central stone and form an alignment that is almost straight, running NNW-SSE. It is thought that they may have been arranged to align with the southernmost summer moonrise. The stones are part of a wider Neolithic complex on the Ure-Swale plateau which incorporates the Thornborough Henges.
The name is mentioned by John Aubrey who visited and drew the stones in 1687. There is a legend, which goes back to 1721, that says the Devil threw the stones, aiming at the next town of Aldborough. He stood on Howe Hill and shouted, "Borobrigg keep out o' way, for Aldborough town I will ding down!". However, the stones fell short and landed near Boroughbridge instead.



Blakey Topping ~ Hard Walk

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

Suitable for dog walking: No - livestock in most fields

Total Steps: approx. 13,500

Safety Tips:  A walking stick is required to clear the bracken on the climb up Blakey Topping. Do not attempt the walk after rain as the descent down will be slippery.

Blakey Topping is a lesser known hill that lives in the shadow of the other "topping" Roseberry Topping. Not half as busy as Roseberry Topping, this is still a challenge but is a shorter ascent to the top with rewarding views around. As it is within the realm of Dalby Forest a fee of £9.00 per car is payable at one of the many pay stations around the forest. To get to the Crosscliff View car park enter the forest  entrance barrier and then follow the road around until you reach a barrier and if you follow this road around you will then come to the Crosscliff View car park which is the start of the walk. The walk is a simple there and back route with some ancient standing stones to pass along the way.

         The Blakey Topping walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough follow the A171 up Birk Brow and then follow the road in the direction of Whitby. Before Whitby, turn right at a roundabout signed to Sleights which is the A169. Follow this road up Blue Bank. Look for a left turn for Dalby Forest. Follow this road into Dalby Forest through the barrier and follow it to another barrier and the Crosscliff View Car Park is on your left. Parking is £9.00 per car and payable at one of the pay stations dotted around the forest.

 

Route of the Blakey Topping walk

 

The Walk

 

From the car park go through the double gateway indicated as the Crosscliff View trail.

 

 

Go through the gateway

 

Soon you come to a picnic area - turn left and follow the path in this direction.

 

 

Picnic Area

 

Soon you come to a junction of paths. Take the immediate path on your left and double back on this path.

 

 

Follow the path to your sharp left

 

Keep on this path as it descends through the forest.

 

 

Follow the path into the forest

 

Go through a gate and follow the path down to a junction.



 



 

Go through the gate

 

Follow the path down to the junction

 

Turn left at the junction and follow this path until you reach a ford.

 

 

Turn left and join the path

 

Keep on the path ahead

 

 

Reach the ford

 

Go over the ford and pass some cottages on the right. Keep on the path ahead until you reach a gate.





 

Pass the buildings on your right

 

Go through the gate

 

The path now joins the moor and continues for sometime with Blakey Topping coming into view.

 

 

Blakey Topping in the distance

 

Go over a stile in a gate and keep on the clear path ahead.

 

 

Go over the stile

 

Keep on the path ahead

 

The path soon veers to the left and follow it to an open gateway at a fence.

 

 

Follow the path as it veers to the left

 

Arrive at the open gateway

 

Ahead are a set of standing stones which are said to have mythical status. Back at the gateway turn right and keep to the fence ahead.

 

Standing Stone

 

Turn right and keep to the fence

 

Look for an opening in the corner of the field and you will then come to a stile on your left.

 

 

Follow the path in the corner of the field

 

Go over stile on your left

 

Use your walking stick to clear the bracken as you make your way to the top of Blakey Topping keeping to the path.

 

 

Follow the path through the bracken

 

Path up Blakey Topping

 

At the top there are impressive views all around.

 

 

View from the top

 

 

When you have enjoyed the view descend the hill very carefully and make your way back on the same paths you came in on.

 

Blakey Topping

 

Blakey Topping standing stones is a small group of standing stones near the Hole of Horcum in the North York Moors. It sits at the foot of Blakey Topping hill
There are at least four standing stones currently surviving in this group, although some of them are of uncertain status. The tallest stone is 1.9 metres high and is much-weathered and leaning. A second stone is 1.0 metres high and appears to have had its top broken off. A third stone is 1.3 metres high but has been roughly squared off and is currently being used as a gate post. A fourth stone, 1.4 metres high, occurs in an old field bank and is much-weathered and leaning. There may be a fifth standing stone, and two or three hollows in the ground may indicate the former position of other stones.
It has been suggested that the stones are the remains of a stone circle about 17 metres in diameter. Alternatively the stones may have formed part of a curving alignment, or possibly two parallel rows.