St Gregorys Minster ~ Medium Walk

Distance: 2.5 miles   Time to complete walk: 1.5 hours
 
Safety Tips:  A walking stick is essential for this walk. The return to St Gregory's Minster is through woodland and bushes which can be overgrown. Also a good idea would be to check the ford behind the church to see if it is too flooded to cross over on the return journey.

A short and sweet walk from a wonderful ancient church and over fields and then paths and a finally a steady climb back to the beginning. An ideal walk for Autumn or over the Christmas period, as you can complete the walk after a Christmas service. There is a steady and fairly challenging climb back after you leave the water mill. 

 

 

The St Gregory's Minster walk

 



Getting There

 

Travelling from Middlesbrough, follow the A19 south to Thirsk. Follow the road from Thrisk which is the A170 up Sutton Bank. Follow the A170 signposted to Scarborough which will eventually pass through Helmsley. Follow the road out of Hemlsley and drive through the village of Beadlam. Just after Beadlam look for a left turn where the road bends to the right which will be signposted for the minster. Park in the overflow car park or if attending a church service park in the car park spaces outside the church.

 

 

 

Map of the St Gregory's Minster walk

 

The Walk

 

From the car park backtrack to just before the road you drove down and look right to a signpost which is s short climb up the field at the top.

 

 

Climb up to the field

 

Turn right onto the field and follow the path until you come to a gate onto a path to the right into the wood.

 

 

 

Go through gate and onto path in the wood

 



Follow the path through the trees until you emerge onto a lane. Turn right and follow the lane down passing a hidden lime kiln to the left.

 

 

Follow the lane down

 

 

Hidden kiln to the left

 

Soon you will arrive at Hold Cauldron. Cross a stone bridge in front of an old water mill and look for a gate on the right which will rise steadily through the trees.

 

 

Walk past the old water mill



 

Follow the track and at a fork bear left and continue to climb passing another fork to a junction at the top. Go left and through a gate out of the trees above. Walk away ahead across the field and at the far side of the field follow the perimeter of the field to the right. Soon you will reach a gate from which a path descends onto a track.

 

Take a sharp right turn and walk down into a woodland valley, keeping left at two forks in the track. Look for a three fingered bridleway sign at the bottom. Go left above the stream bed.Take the right branch at the next fork to emerge in a meadow.

 

 

Take right fork to emerge in a meadow.

 

Keep ahead until you come to the ford which you hopefully inspected at the start of the walk to see if it was ok to cross. Cross over and follow the grass track to a gate back to St Gregory's Minster.

 

 

Inside the church

 

 

 

St Gregory's Minster

 

 

St Gregory's Minster is an Anglo-Saxon church with a rare sundial, in Kirkdale near Kirkbymoorside, Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
The minster was built c. 1060 on the site of an earlier church, and is dedicated to St Gregory, who was pope 590–604. The church building is similar in style and age to St Hilda's, Ellerburn.
The church is open during the day and for evening services with volunteer stewards helping visitors on summer weekends. The maintenance of the fabric of the building is helped by financial contributions from The Friends of St Gregory's Minster. The Friends Annual General Meeting is followed by the Kirkdale Lecture about the parish and its environs.
The Parish of Kirkdale is a local ecumenical partnership with the church of St Hilda's, Beadlam.

 

 

 

 

Strid Wood to Barden Tower ~ Medium Walk

Distance: 5 miles   Time to complete walk: 2.5 hours

Safety Tips: Be extremely careful when on the banks of the River Wharfe on the return journey of the walk. The Strid part of the river is one of the most dangerous parts of a river anywhere in the UK. This stretch of the river has a 100% fatality record due to the underwater caverns and  strong currents. Stay clear from the edge of the river - it may seem calm on the surface, however the powerful force of the river lies well beneath the surface. 

A magical walk to complete on a fine Autumn day, or in fact all year round.  Starting from the Cavendish Pavillon near the magnificent Bolton Abbey, you will discover amazing views of the river valley along the way. Woodland paths take you through the Strid Wood and towards the mysterious Barden Tower and back on a return journey where you get to hear and see the River Wharfe up close and personal. A walk that you will want to come back and complete again and again.

 

 

The Strid Wood to Barden Tower walk

 

 

Getting There

 

From Middlesbrough follow the A66 to Darlington and then follow it to the A1 Scotch Corner. Keep on the A1 south bound and look for Junction 47 which is signposted to Harrogate. Follow the A59 road through Harrogate and follow it out of Harrogate until you come to a roundabout for Bolton Abbey on a right hand turn. Drive past the Bolton Abbey car park and look for the Cavendish Monument on the right. Follow the road down to a toll booth- the price of admission is the same as Bolton Abbey and is £8.00. Park in the car park just outside the café and near the bridge.

 

 

 

Map of the Strid Wood to Barden Tower walk

The Walk

 

From the car park walk over the bridge which is opposite the Cavendish Pavilion and turn immediately to the left to commence the walk on the path ahead.

 

Turn left over the bridge

 

 

The path follows the river upstream. Go through a gate and then take the stepped path which is to the left.

 

 

 

 

Take the path to the left

 

 Follow the path until you come to Posforth bridge. Cross over the bridge.

 

 

Posforth Bridge

 

Cross over the footbridge 

                                                                                                                            

After crossing over the footbridge keep on the path which rises gradually. You will soon come to a stone shelter and you will have an excellent view of the river below.

 

 

 

Shelter 

 



Follow the path which continues high above the river below. As well as excellent views there are plenty of seats if you need to stop for a break or to take in the amazing view.

 

 

View of the river

 



The path will soon fall and then leave the wood into a clearing and then will   head towards a bridge.

 

 

Head out of the wood

 

Bridge

 

Don't cross the bridge and follow the path ahead into an open meadow until you come to another bridge.

 

 

Follow the path into the meadow

 

Go over the bridge

 



Go over the bridge and follow the road ahead which climbs steeply. Look for a stile to the left which leads to Barden Tower. There is a café near the tower and is an interesting diversion on the walk. There is a history of the tower on a plaque on the furthest side of the tower.

 

 

 

Barden Tower



 



Retrace your steps down the road and before you come to the bridge, look for a small gate to the right to join the path back to the riverside.

 

 

Gate to the right

 



Follow the path past the bridge and over a footbridge over the stream and back into Strid Wood.

 

 

Footbridge into Strid Wood

 

Ignore a track to the right and after rising to a view point at a fork take the lower path which will take you down closer to the river.

 

 

Take the lower path to the left

 



At another split take the lower path to the left again which will take you to near the river at a point called The Strid. This is a dangerous spot, you will see danger signs, however if you keep away from the river edge you will see the river in all its glory.

 

 

 

Take the lower path

 

Views of the Strid

 



Downstream ignore the path to the Ludstream Islands and take the path ahead and you will then emerge back at the Pavilion Café- time for a Cappuccino and some cake maybe?

 

 

Take the path to the right

 

Cavendish Pavilion

 

The Strid

 

 

The Strid (Grid Reference: SE064565) is a series of waterfalls and rapids associated with a deep underwater channel caused by the dramatic narrowing of the River Wharfe from approximately 30 ft (9 m) wide just to the north of the start of the Strid, to the width of a long stride less than 100 yd (91 m) later. It is especially dangerous as both banks are undercut, and it has been the scene of a number of fatalities including those of a honeymoon couple. The Strid walk is very popular and is accessed from the car park at Bolton Abbey.

 

 

Barden Tower

 

Barden Tower is a fine ruined hunting lodge on the edge of the road leading up Lower Wharfedale between Bolton Abbey and Burnsall in the Yorkshire Dales.

Nearby attractions include Barden Bridge (where a road forks over the River Wharfe to Appletreewick) and the treacherous channel of river known as "The Strid" (actually part of the Bolton Abbey estate). [N.B. Barden lends its name to the so called "Barden Triangle" an area of supposed supernatural activity which includes the magical Elbolton Hill near Thorpe and the nightmarish ravine that is Trollers Gill near Appletreewick.] Above Barden, and to the west is Barden Moor and Barden Fell.

 

 



Hutton-le-Hole ~ Medium Walk

Distance: 4 miles   Time to complete walk: 2.5 hours

Safety Tips:  The part of the walk just before you enter Lastingham has a very sharp decline. Take care if there has been wet weather and when using the stepping stones to go over the beck make sure they are safe to walk on first.

A walk from the charming village of Hutton-le-Hole, which includes fields and woodland areas. The walk passes through the peaceful village of Lastingham and a detour to the church, which includes a Norman crypt is highly recommended. Both Hutton-le-Hole and Lastingham have some very nice places to eat so a pitstop either at the end of the walk or mid way through the walk are also highly recommended. There are some steep declines along the way so a walking stick will come in handy particularly after rainfall. A visit to the open air museum the Ryedale Folk Museum in Hutton-le-Hole is also a recommendation. 

 

The Hutton-Le-Hole walk



 



Getting There

 

From Middlesbrough, go to the top of Ormesby Bank and then head towards Stokesley. At the roundabout just outside Stokesley follow the B1257 to Great Broughton and follow it all the way to Helmsley. When you arrive at Helmsley take the turning to Scarborough which is the A170. Follow this road and look for the turn off for Hutton-le-Hole which is a left turning shortly after you pass through Kirbymoorside. Follow the road through Hutton-le-Hole and parking can be found at a right turning on the edge of the village, the parking is £4.50 for a longer stay if over 2 hours. 

 

 

 

Map of the Hutton-le-Hole walk

 

The Walk

 

From the car park follow the road back to pass a pub and the Ryedale Folk Museum. Look for the chapel and look for a well hidden signpost on the left just after it. Its easy to miss, its a small gate.

 

 

Footpath Sign



 

Keep to the path and walk past keeping to the left of the bowling green. Cross a series of fields on the well worn path and through a woodland area over a footbridge which passes over Fairy Call Beck.

 

 

Go over the footbridge 

 

Follow the path onto the road and walk ahead keeping on the grass verge near the road.

 

 

Join the road and follow it ahead

 

Look for a sharp bend in the road to the right and instead of following the road, join a track to the left.

 

 

 

Join the track to the left

 

Follow the track heading to the right and keeping the field boundary wall to your right. Keep on the track until you come to the farm buildings of Camomile Farm. 

 

 

Pass by Camomile Farm

 

Turn left away from the farm keeping the boundary wall to your right. Soon you will come to a steep decline and a beck. Be careful on the decline down the steep bank and use the stepping stones to cross the beck.

 

 

Stepping Stones

 

After crossing the beck look for a bench and then turn right onto a lane that heads into the village of Lastingham.

 

 

Follow the lane into Lastingham

  

Following the road down into Lastingham you can now turn right and make a slight detour off the walk to visit the Norman crypt at the parish church of St Mary. If you choose to a pit stop at one of the cafes this can be done as Lastingham is a particularly peaceful village.

 

 

The crypt at St Marys

 

When you re-join the route keep going on the lane down through Lastingham and look for a road to the right with some cottages on it. Follow the sound of water and at the end of the road just past the last cottage follow a path to the right and climb the path.

 

 

Climb the path

 



Climb the path which can get muddy In wet weather, keep following it at a waymark until you eventually come out onto a road. Turn right and at a set of junctions head right signposted to Spaunton.

 

 

 

Take the road to the right signed to Spaunton



Walk through the village of Spaunton until you come to a T junction. Turn right and then left into Grange Farm.

 

 

Turn left into Grange Farm

  

Follow the waymarks through the farm buildings and then join a track. Follow the track as it turns to the left and pass more farm buildings. Look for a signpost to the right and follow the track again.

 

 

 

Follow the track round and to the right

 

Now follow the waymarked track down which eventually goes downhill and through sparse woodland. Keep following the waymarks and you will eventually come to the road into Hutton-le-Hole. Turn right to get back to the car park or to visit the museum or for a bite to eat in Hutton-le Hole. (Using your GPS on your phone comes in handy for the last part of the walk however just following the waymarks is easy)

 

 

 

Ryedale Folk Museum

 

 



Hutton-le-Hole

 

Hutton-le-Hole is a small village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England, about seven miles (11.3 km) north-west of Pickering. Hutton-le-Hole is a popular scenic village within the North York Moors National Park. Sheep roam the streets at will.
The Merrills World Championships took place annually at the Ryedale Folk Museum in Hutton-le-Hole until 1997. The museum contains 13 rescued and reconstructed historic buildings, including an Iron Age round house, period shops, thatched cottages, an Elizabethan manor house, barns and workshops. They display the lives of ordinary people, up to the present day. There is a cafe, a shop, a gift shop and (in season) craft workshops.
The Quaker minister John Richardson died in Hutton-le-Hole in 1753 at the age of 87.

 

Lastingham is a village and civil parish which lies in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the southern fringe of the North York Moors, 5 miles (8.0 km) north-east of Kirkbymoorside, and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east of Hutton-le-Hole. It was home to the early missionaries to the Angles, St. Cedd and his brother, St. Chad  At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 96, increasing to 233(including Spaunton) at the 2011 Census.

There is reason to believe that the original name for Lastingham was Læstingau. Læstingau first appears in history when King Ethelwald of Deira (651-c.655) founded a monastery for his own burial. Bede attributes the initiative to Ethelwald's chaplain Caelin, a brother of Cedd, Chad and Cynibil. Bede records that Cedd and Cynibil consecrated the site, and that Cynibil built it of wood. Cedd ruled the monastery as the first abbot until his death, combining this position with that of missionary bishop to the East Saxons. In 664, shortly after the Synod of Whitby, in which he was a key participant, St. Cedd died of the plague at Læstingau. Bede records that a party of monks from Essex came to mourn him and all but one were all wiped out by the plague. Cedd was first buried outside the wooden monastery but, at some time between 664 and 732, a stone church was erected, and his body was translated to the right side of the altar. The crypt of the present parish church remains a focus for veneration of Cedd. His brother St. Chad took his place as abbot.
Not much is known of this house, though all who spoke of it spoke well. Perhaps the best indication of its standards is that, in 687, one of its graduates, Trumbert, transferred to Wearmouth-Jarrow and became scriptural tutor to a youthful Bede.
We have no knowledge of what became of the Anglo-Saxon house. Destruction by the Danes is nowhere attested, and seems to be entirely the product of modern conjecture. A start was made on rebuilding the monastery in 1078, when St. Stephen, prior of Whitby, and a band of monks moved from Whitby due to a disagreement with William de Percy, who was abbot of Whitby at the time.
They received support from King William 1 and Berenger de Todeni in the means of one carucate of land in Lastingham, six carucates at Spaunton, and other lands in Kirkby etc. They only remained for eight years however, due to persistent harassment by bandits. In 1086 they moved to York, and founded St. Mary's Abbey, to which they annexed the lands of the monastery at Lastingham.
There is a War Memorial.