Kirkham Priory ~ Medium Walk

Distance Covered: 4.5 miles Time to complete walk:  2.5 hours

Suitable for dog walking: Yes - check for livestock in fields though

Discover the remains of a monastery at Kirkham Priory. Nestled near the River Derwent, explore the Priory and discover why Winston Churchill paid it a visit. Then make your way through woods onto open pastures passing a railway. Make your way back alongside the River Derwent. A great walk with bags to offer. Book your tickets to the Priory ahead which is £5.00. Parking is outside the Priory and free to visitors. The Priory has a gift shop and toilets.

Virus Awareness: Wear a mask on entering the Priory for your ticket. On the walk itself social distancing is easy to maintain.

General Safety Tips: Try and do this walk after a dry period of weather as every walkers dread- mud- will make the riverside return precarious. Take a walking stick and remember to use branches off the beaten path to avoid the mud. The last field before the river can be marshy. Negotiate the field by looking for other routes which are easy to spot. There is an initial steep climb into the woods. Take care at the level crossings.

The Kirkham Priory Walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough follow the A19 to York. Approaching York take a left turn on the A1237. Follow this to a roundabout and turn left onto the A64. Follow this until you come to a right turning to Kirkham Abbey which is the name of the village. Follow this down over a bridge and Kirkham Priory is on your right and the car park is small but is directly outside the Priory.

Map of the Kirkham Priory walk

The Walk

Explore the Priory first - the ruins have information panels dotted around the site - in particular look for the Winston Churchill panel. Give yourself enough time to explore it. It is a tranquil setting which is fitting for a monastery.

Entrance to the Priory

Look for the panel about Winston Churchill

Exploring the Priory

Begin the walk by turning left and cross over the bridge you came in over and pass the railway line.

Cross over the railway crossing

Look for a path on your left which is a steep climb through the woods.

Turn left into the woods

Keep to the right at a fork in the path. The climb is steep but is fairly short. 

Keep right at the fork in the path

Turn right when you come to a fence as you exit the woods.

Turn right when you come to the fence

The path then comes to a road. Turn left onto the road.

Follow the road to the left

Shortly you come to a gate on the left. Go onto the path through the gap to the left of the gate.

Go through the gap in the left of the gate

The path skirts the edge of the woods for a while until it enters into the woods.

Follow the path into the woods

Follow the path through the woods.

Follow the path through the woods

Soon you come out into a pasture and a gate.

Arrive at the gate

Go onto the field and immediately turn right to follow the field edge which then bends to the left.

Follow the field edge to the right

Follow the field to the left

Head down to the road at the bottom and follow it out as it goes over a cattle grid.

Head down to the road

Go over the stile at the cattle grid

Go over another stile at another cattle grid just before you reach a junction. Turn left and follow the road. 

Turn left at the road junction

Go over another level crossing on the road.

Go over the level crossing

Follow the road out and keep your eyes peeled for a sharp left turn onto a field signalled by a signpost.

Look for the signpost 

Follow the path through the field

Go through a small gate and through another field and over a footbridge.

Go through the gate

Go over the footbridge

In the next field the gate is another straight walk over. If the field is waterlogged look for another way over by following the field edge to your left and towards the gate.

Follow the path through the field

Go through the gate

Turn left and follow the path which sticks to the river. There are a variety of terrains and this is a pleasant walk beside the River Derwent.

Follow the riverside path

Platform on the riverside path

Eventually you will enter back into the woods. If the path is muddy, use your stick for support and look out  for any branches in the path to avoid the muddiest areas. Keep on the path until you enter a small clearing before the bridge.

Turn right and cross the bridge and follow the road back to the Priory.

Kirkham Priory

The ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 1120s by Walter l'Espec, lord of nearby Helmsley, who also built Rievaulx Abbey. The priory was surrendered in 8 December 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Legend has it that Kirkham was founded in remembrance of l'Espec's only son who had died nearby as a consequence of his horse being startled by a boar. The area was later used to test the D-Day landing vehicles, and was visited by Winston Churchill.[2] The ruins are now Grade I listed and in the care of English Heritage.

The Gatehouse of Kirkham Priory, built c. 1290–95, is a specimen of English Gothic medieval architecture. It is a rare survival of such a gatehouse, comparable to that of Butley Priory in Suffolk. It has a wide arch of continuous mouldings with a crocketed gable running up to the windows, with sculptures of S.George and the Dragon on the left, and David and Goliath to the right. Above the arch is Christ in a pointed oval recess, plus two figures below of St. Bartholomew and St. Philip, in niches. There are also many escutcheons with the armorials of the various benefactors of the Priory, including the arms of de Ros, Scrope, de Forz, Vaux, FitzRalph & Espec (3 cart-wheels, each with 6 spokes).

During the Second World War, the priory was used by the military in training for what became the largest seaborne invasion in history, the D-Day landings which took place on 6 June 1944. Amongst units moved to Kirkham were the British 11th armoured division, the aim being to give drivers experience of manoeuvring and to test various waterproofing compounds and to gain experience with equipment to be used in the landings. Tanks, jeeps and other military vehicles destined for the landings were put through their paces at the priory and on the banks of the River Derwent. Troops made use of the high wall of the Western Cloister in training with scrambling nets, which they would subsequently use to make their way from the main transport ships into the smaller landing craft during the invasion. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and King George VI visited the priory in secret to monitor preparations, an indication of Kirkham’s significance as a training ground.

Buckden ~ Medium Walk

 

Distance Covered: 7 miles Time to complete walk:  3 hours

Suitable for dog walking: No

This is an amazing walk which showcases all that Wharfedale has to offer. Make your way from Buckden alongside the River Wharfe to Hubberholme with its beautiful church where the cherished novelist J B Priestley chose for his final resting place. Then return on the grassy terraces above with superb views of Wharfedale below. Then end your walk passing cascading waterfalls. Everything we love about Yorkshire is included on this walk.

Virus Awareness: On the walk, social distancing was maintained and if the path became narrow, walkers did give way to maintain social distancing. Pubs along the way are practising the Rule of Six which is currently in force at the time this blog was updated. There are various pub websites to check, especially the George Inn in Hubberholme. Latest updates from the parish of Buckden can be found here: Buckden Virus Update

General Safety Tips: Take care on the rocky path once out of Yockenthwaite- take a walking stick. If the weather is hot take twice as much water as you usually do. Take extra care on the waterfall section of the walk as the rocky path will be slippy. This walk includes some brief climbs.

The Buckden Walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough, follow the A66 to Darlington and then join the A1 southbound. Take the Catterick turnoff which is Catterick Road then follow this road as it becomes Range Road. This then joins the A1608. This then takes a left turning to Bellerby. Follow it through Leyburn which then joins the A684 through Wensley and then Swinithwaite. Go through West Burton and stay on the B6160 to pass Cray and then arrive at Buckden. The car park is as you enter the village on your left and is £4.80 for all day parking. 

       Map of the Buckden walk

The Walk

From the carpark walk down passing a Dales Way information panel. Turn left and cross over to Dubbs Lane.

The Dales Way information panel

Head down this road for a while in the direction of Hubberholme.

Head down Dubbs Lane

Look for a sign to your right which is The Dales Way sign to Hubberholme and go through the gate.

Join the Dales Way to your right

This path is a pleasant path beside the River Wharfe.

Follow the path beside the River Wharfe

When you arrive at a gate to a road, join the road to your right taking care for traffic.

Go through the gate onto the road

Follow the road to your right

You soon pass the renowned pub in Hubberholme - The George Inn. Turn right and cross the bridge into Hubberholme.

Pass The George Inn

Cross the bridge 

You will then see the church where J B Priestley was laid to rest. Look for a farmyard to the right of the church.

Church at Hubberholme

Turn left into the farmyard

Got through the way marked gate on your left and take the lower of two paths.

Go through the gate on your left

Take the lower path on your left

The path soon joins the River Wharfe and runs beside it

Follow the path beside the river

The path stick to the river, through gates and stiles and a footbridge and is a pleasant walk with the sound of the river beside you.

Follow the path

 

Go over the footbridge

As you approach Yockenthwaite look for a path which climbs to your right to a step stile.

Climb to the step stile

Look for a gate to some farm buildings and head towards the buildings.

Go through the gate

Follow the track to the farm buildings

Follow the track passing the building and keep on it as it veers to the left

Follow the track 

Follow it as it curves to the left

You then come to a signpost to Cray and Hubberholme. Follow the sign to another signpost. Then climb the path which is a short but steep climb.

Follow the signpost

Keep on the path as it climbs steeply

Look for a gate to your right which is half way up the climb

 

Gate to your right

Go through the gate and follow it to a signpost and then bear left and up a rough section to another signpost. 

Go through the waymarked gate

Go through a rough section as the path climbs

The path now becomes a pleasant grass terrace with amazing view of the landscape below.

Follow the grassy path

View from the terrace

Soon the path leads upwards over a footbridge into some woods

Climb up the path to the left

Go through the gate

Path in the woods

Leave the woods via a small gate and then follow the grassy path to another gate.

Go through the gate

Go through another gate

Go through that gate and follow the path until you reach a signpost above a rocky area and a house.

Signpost beside a house

Climb above the rocks and you will then see a route ahead on a grassy path

Signpost to Cray

Head for the path above the rocks

Join the path ahead

Follow this path for a mile or so until you come to a small gate onto a footbridge

Gate onto a footbridge

Go over the footbridge and turn right and ascend to reach a barn above.

Turn right and follow the path

Ascend to the barn

Go through gates as the path descends towards Cray.

Go through the gate

Head down to Cray

Go through a gate to farm buildings and when you reach a signpost turn right onto another track heading away from the farm

Turn right at the signpost

Path to the right

Follow the path ahead

Look for a gate to your left near a signpost for Stubbing Bridge

 

Gate to your left

Signpost to Stubbing Bridge

Go through the gate and follow this path down the hillside to a small gate

Follow the path down the hillside

Go through the small gate

Take care on the path which now takes you passed some wonderful cascading waterfalls.

Cascading Waterfalls

Go over a step stile in a wall and through a field and then look for more waterfalls on your left

Go over the step stile in the wall

Head down the field and through another stile and to another stile in the wall near Stubbing Bridge

Follow the path to the stile

Go over the stile near Stubbing Bridge

Turn left over the bridge and join the country road heading out of Hubberholme

Follow the road out of Hubberholme

Road out of Hubberholme

Be careful on this narrow road. You will soon come to a junction. Turn right and head on the road back to Buckden and the carpark is on your left

Turn right at the junction

Arrive back in Buckden

Buckden

Buckden is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Buckden is situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and on the east bank of the River Wharfe in Wharfedale. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Cray and the whole of Langstrothdale. According to the 2011 Census the parish had a population of 187.[1]

The etymology of the name derives from the Old English words of bucca and denu meaning he-goat and valley respectively.[2][3] A bridge at Buckden was destroyed in a flood in 1748. A later and present bridge is known as 'Election Bridge', as a prospective MP made the promise of a replacement bridge an electoral pledge.[4]On 5 July 2014, the Tour de France Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through the village.[5]

Hubberholme

Hubberholme is an old village in Upper Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England, at the point where Langstrothdale meets Wharfedale. It is quite secluded and the nearest village is Buckden.[1]

The village was a favourite place of writer and playwright J.B. Priestley who described it as the smallest, pleasantest place in the world. The Norman church is the resting place of his ashes.[2] The old inn, The George, is opposite the Church. This is notable for the lit candle that sits on the bar to indicate the pub is open and serving. The tradition dates from distinctive auctions for agricultural land or grazing that are still held in The George. The last bid to be received before the candle extinguished is the winner.[3][4]The George Pub in Hubberholme opens throughout the year (with the White Lion at Cray and the Buck Inn at Buckden the closest alternative watering holes). After the George Inn, there is no pub on the Dales Way until the Sportsman Inn at Cowgill in Cumbria. The church holds regular Sunday services, normally at 11.00 am.

St. Michael and All Angels' Church

This small Norman church is open for regular services. There is a small cemetery in its grounds which contain the ashes of J.B. Priestley. The church dates mostly from the 12th century, the oak roof however was completed in 1558. The church's oak pews were crafted by Kilburn's Robert Thompson, whose trademark mouse can be found in the woodwork.[4] The tower contains two bells, both cast by John Taylor and Co of Loughborough in the early 20th century. These bells replaced an older bell, cast by William Oldfield in 1601, which is now on display in the church.[5] The heavier bell is able to be rung full-circle.[6] The George Inn, opposite the church, was originally the vicarage for the church.

The church was featured in the final episode of the BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small as the venue for the wedding of Franco and Katharine Pedretti.