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

Gormire Lake ~ Hard Walk

Distance Covered: 2.5 miles   Time to complete walk: 2 hours

Safety Tips: The return from Gormire Lake back up to Sutton Bank is a serious climb. Take in plenty of water and regular stops.
 

This walk starts at Sutton Bank and reaches a hidden lake, Gormire Lake. The journey back up from the lake is quite strenuous but worth the extra effort.

 

Gormire Lake

 



Getting There

 

 

Follow the A19 south until you reach the Thirsk turn off. Follow the road signposted to Sutton Bank which is the A170. Park at the Sutton Park National Park Visitor Centre which is where the walk starts. This is at the top of Sutton Bank.

 

 

Gormire Lake Walk Route

 



 

The Walk

 

 

Start the walk by crossing the picnic area and car park behind the Visitor Centre to the junction of a lane with the main road at the top of Sutton Bank. Cross the lane to a footpath opposite signed "Cleveland Way" and "Sneck Yate", which follows the top of Sutton Brow.

 

 

 

Statues at Visitor Centre

 





Initially in woodland, the path emerges onto more open heath which gives brilliant views across the Vale of Mowbray.

 

 





 

After about three quarters of a mile, the path loses height before turning right around the overgrown corner of a wall.

 

 

 

Views from the path

 





A little farther on, leave the Cleveland Way, going sharp left onto a descending bridleway, signed "Thirlby Bank".

 

 

View of Gormire Lake

 

 

After first falling across shrubby heath, the route soon drops into woodland, winding steeply down through the trees along the course of and old banked way. Ignore side paths until, eventually you reach a junction at the bottom of the hill by a three-fingered bridleway sign.

 

Turn left and then almost immediately fork right along a gently undulating track towards Gormire Lake. Keep left with the main path where it later splits again, soon arriving at the lake shore, which is a great spot for a picnic and if you're more daring even a swim...

 

 

Gormire Lake shore



 





After spending some time at the lake shore, look for a signpost a little farther on and turn from the waters edge to climb through the trees on a path signed to the National Park Centre.

 

 

Large boulder on path



 

The route to the top is steep. Drink plenty of water if your lucky to have hot weather. Over a stile part way up, keep on through the Garbutt Wood Nature Reserve to a fork. Go right, shortly passing a large isolated boulder at the edge of a clearing, Beyond, the gradient, having briefly eased, resumes its upward trend and there is a final stiff pull to the top of Sutton Bank Here you will rejoin the Cleveland Way. Turn right and follow it back to the visitor centre.

 

Sutton Bank

 

Sutton Bank, also known as Roulston Scar, is a hill in the Hambleton District of the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire in England. It is a high point on the Hambleton Hills with extensive views over the Vale of York and the Vale of Mowbray.
At the foot of Sutton Bank lies the village of Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe; at 27 letters long, it has the longest placename in England.
The A170 road runs down the bank with a maximum gradient of 1 in 4 (25%), and including a hairpin bend. Vehicles have to keep in low gear whist travelling up or down the bank, and caravans are banned from using the section.

 
The hill is the site of one of the most important prehistoric monuments in the region—a massive hillfort built in the Iron Age, around 400 BC. It was the approximate location of the attack of the Scots in a major victory Battle of Old Byland they defeated the forces of King Edward II and John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond.
Because it faces the prevailing westerly winds, Sutton Bank has been used for ridge soaring since the early 1930s for the sport of gliding. The Yorkshire Gliding Club is based at the top of the hill.^[2]
Also at the top of the hill is the Sutton Bank National Park Centre, where a high-tech Lime & Ice exhibition tells the story of how the iconic landscape and view came to be through the dramatic action of ice age glaciers. There is also an official tourist information centre, a tea room and a gift shop. Outside, there is a car park, from where pushchair and wheelchair friendly paths leading to a viewing platform, which offers views of Roulston Scar, Hood Hill, Lake Gormire and beyond.
There are lots of other walking trails close by, including southwards to the popular White Horse of Kilburn. The 110-mile (177 km) long Cleveland Way National Trail crosses over Sutton Bank. It includes a spur to the White Horse of Kilburn.
The North York Moors National Park Authority has developed new cycle trails, which use a mixture of natural and man made trails similar to those found in a purpose built trail centre. Using the same style of trail marking, the mountain biking trails available are:

• 'Cliff' - 3 mile green mostly level, circular off-road cycle trail for families that in part follows the famous cliff edge. The trail opened at the end of 2013^[3]

• 'Fort' - 9 mile blue trail with 361m ascent/descent (70% stone, 30% natural surface) runs out past the site of the Iron Age fort at Boltby Scar. A shorter loop of 6 miles avoids the ascent/descent and is suitable for families. The Fort route also includes part of the Cliff Trail along the cliff edge.

• 'Paradise' - 17-mile 'red' trail, making use of existing bridleways that have been upgraded but are shared with walkers and horse riders.

There is also a purpose-built bike skills area and a new cycle centre, Sutton Bank Bikes, offers cycle hire, training and skills courses, a bike wash, repair and servicing and a fully stocked cycle shop.
Sutton Bank is an official Dark Sky Discovery Site, one of two in the North York Moors

Whitby ~ Easy Walk

Distance Covered: 2.5 miles   Time to complete walk: 1h 30m

Safety Tips: The climb up the 199 steps is a steep incline however take a few pitstops and you will be fine

A walk which includes all of the landmarks of this gem of a coastal town, including the Abbey, the 199 steps, the whale bone arch, Captain Cooks statue and museum, the harbour and not forgetting the fish and chips!

 

The Whitby Walk

 

 



 

Getting There

 

From Middlesbrough, go up Ormesby Bank and at the first roundabout turn left onto Guisborough Road. Follow the A171 to Whitby over the North York Moors. Parking can be found to the east of Whtby. Follow the signs for the Abbey and this will be the start of the walk.

 

The Walk

 

 

Map of the Whitby walk

 





Leave the car park at the bottom corner through a gate below the Abbey entrance.

 

 

Gate at bottom of car park

 



Follow the path down alongside a field. When the path splits take the lower path, half right. Descend more steeply and go through another gate. 

 

 

 

 

Go right for a few paces and then left to descend flights of steps. At the bottom go through a narrow gap between buildings onto a busy road. Turn left and then cross the road after about 46 metres to reach the Captain Cook Museum. This is worth a visit to discover more about this intrepid explorer.

 

 



 

Painting in the museum



After visiting the museum, follow the path to the left until you come to the swing bridge.

 

 

View from the bridge



 

Turn right when you cross the bridge and follow the road along the quayside. Now would be a great time to stop for fish and chips. Follow this road as it bends left then right.

 

 

Left Turning



 

Following this road look for a left turning which is hidden away and a narrow passage. Look for the sign Bakehouse Yard to the right of the Star Inn.

 

 

Bakehouse Yard

 



At the top cross over to some steps and then then turn right to a terrace with views of the town. Follow this road until you reach the Whale Bone arch and Captain Cooks statue.

 

 

 

Captain Cooks statue



 

Descend throught the arch and down the steps to the road. Turn left and follow the road back to the quayside. Follow the quayside road back to the swing bridge. Now when crossing you need to turn left into Sandgate. Theres plenty of shops to peruse selling chocolates and even the towns specialty- jet. Turn right and go past the little Town Hall.

 

 

Little Town Hall

 



Turn left here and follow the road until you reach the 199 steps.

 

 

199 steps

 

 

At the top of the steps you will reach the church graveyard. Leave the grave yard by the iron gate and go past the Abbey entrance taking the road on the left. Follow this road until you reach the car park on your right.

 

Whitby

 

Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Borough of Scarborough and English county of North Yorkshire. Before local government reorganisations in the late 1960s, it was part of the North Riding of Yorkshire. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has an established maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Cliff is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey, where Cædmon, the earliest recognised English poet, lived. The fishing port developed during the Middle Ages, supporting important herring and whaling fleets and was (along with the nearby fishing village of Staithes) where Captain Cook learned seamanship.
Tourism started in Whitby during the Georgian period and developed further on the arrival of the railway in 1839. Its attraction as a tourist destination is enhanced by its proximity to the high ground of the North York Moors National Park, its Heritage Coastline and by its association with the horror novel Dracula. Jet and alum were mined locally. Whitby Jet, which was mined by the Romans and Victorians, became fashionable during the 19th century.
The earliest record of a permanent settlement is in 656, when as Streanœhealh it was the place where Oswy, the Christian king of Northumbria, founded the first abbey, under the abbess Hilda. The Synod of Whitby was held there in 664. In 867, the monastery was destroyed by Viking raiders. Another monastery was founded in 1078. It was in this period that the town gained its current name, Whitby (from "white settlement" in Old Norse). In the following centuries Whitby functioned as a fishing settlement until, in the 18th century, it developed as a port and centre for shipbuilding and whaling, the trade in locally mined alum, and the manufacture of Whitby jet jewellery.
The abbey ruin at the top of the East Cliff is the town's oldest and most prominent landmark. Other significant features include the swing bridge, which crosses the River Esk and the harbour, which is sheltered by the grade II listed East and West piers. The town's maritime heritage is commemorated by statues of Captain Cook and William Scoresby, as well as the whalebone arch that sits at the top of the West Cliff. The town also has a strong literary tradition and has featured in literary works, television and cinema, most famously in Bram Stoker
's novel Dracula.
While Whitby's cultural and historical heritage contribute to the local economy, the town does suffer from the economic constraints of its remote location, ongoing changes in the fishing industry, relatively underdeveloped transport infrastructure, and limitations on available land and property. As a result, tourism and some forms of fishing remain the mainstay of its economy. It is the closest port to a proposed wind farm development in the North Sea, 47 miles (76 km) from York and 22 miles (35 km) from Middlesbrough. There are transport links to the rest of North Yorkshire and North East England, primarily through national rail links to Middlesbrough and road links to Teesside, via both the A171 and A174, and Scarborough by the former.
According to the 2011 UK census, the town had a population of 13,213, a decrease on the 2001 UK census figure of 13,594.