Lealholm ~ Easy Walk

 

Distance Covered: 3 miles Time to Complete Walk 2.5 hours

Suitable for dog walking: No - Sheep along the walk

A nice short walk from the Esk Valley village of Lealholm. A typical pretty village with easy access by car or train along the Esk Valley line. This walk starts at the village and then up through the station and then up on the moors passing a standing stone and then the walk is back to Lealholm on the road.

General Safety Tips: Although an easy walk, there is a steepish climb up to the moors. Be careful on the road back into Lealholm, which although not too busy, you need to keep a sharp eye out for cars. 

    

                                                                    The Lealholm Walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough follow the A171 past Guisborough and up Birk Brow towards Whitby. Then look for a turn off to Lealholm on your right. The drive is short into Lealholm and the car park is on your left before the village centre and is free of charge

Maps of the Lealholm walk

The Walk

From the car park head left and before the bridge head right up the road towards the Post Office.

Just before the Post Office head right up a driveway to a gate 

Head over the train track carefully and head into the station and through a gate

Out of the station head left and then right up to a gate.

Head up the field keeping left on the path and when you come to some gates, head left on a path which meanders down and up the slope on the other side.

When you climb up the other side go ahead as far as the fence on your right and then head left onto a path

Follow this path until you come to a gravel path which leads to a farm on your left. Head right up this track.

Eventually you come to a road, turn right and follow the road until you come to a sharp bend on the right. 

Leave the road on a narrow flagstone path across the moors which leads to a standing stone.

Keep on this path across the moors until you come to a larger path coming from the left.

Turn right and follow this path to a road.

Follow this path which eventually leads back into Lealholm and the car park on your left.

Lealholm

Lealholm is a small village in the Glaisdale civil parish, in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is sited at a crossing point of the River Esk, in Eskdale which is within the North York Moors National Park. It is 9.5 miles (15.3 km) by road from the nearest town of Whitby, and approximately 27 miles (43 km) from both Middlesbrough and Scarborough. The village is typical of those found all across the North York Moors which straddle the main through-routes along the valley bottoms. It is mostly built of local stone with pantiled or slate roofs.

Settlement around modern-day Lealholm can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, with entries concerning the Manor of Crumbeclive and "Lelum" at the site of Lealholm Hall, Lealholmside.  Lealholmside is a hamlet by Lealholm, and was a popular location with the photographer Francis Meadow Sutcliffe. A honeypot during the summer months, Lealholm is located midway along the Esk valley between the villages of Glaisdale, to the east and Danby to the west. Lealholm is on the route of the Esk valley railway line, which runs from Whitby to Middlesbrough, and is served by Lealholm railway station. A large part of the community is involved in farming due to the high fertility of the slopes in Eskdale, whilst other members of the community are involved in tourism or commute to industrial centres such as Middlesbrough. This led to the economy of the area being hard hit by the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis.

Lealhom was a place of affection for Irish-born poet John Castillo, who wrote "Ah lovely Lealholm! Where shall I begin. To say what thou art now and once hast been?"

Millington Dale ~ Medium Walk

Distance Covered: 3 miles Time to Complete Walk 2 hours

Suitable for dog walking: Yes

Although a short 3 mile walk, this walk packs a punch with a long ascent in the middle of the walk and has extensive views of Millington Dale very typical of the Wolds. A great walk for Spring/Summer and Millington village is great for a pitstop.

General Safety Tips: There is a steep climb in the middle of the walk. There may be a bull in the fields, however none were spotted on the walk. The drive into Millington is via typical narrow lanes with passing places. 

Getting There

From Middlesbrough head towards Great Broughton on the B1257 and through Helmsley. Turn right out of Helmsley and follow the A170 through Sproxton. Then follow the B1257 again through Malton. Head out of Malton to Leavening. Turn left and then right down Roman Road and turn left onto the A166. Turn right and follow the road into Millington. Head out of Millington towards Millington Wood and the car park is situated on a bend and is free of charge.

Maps of the Millington Dale walk

The Walk

From the car park head out and then turn right up a path which is a shortcut to the road above.

At the top turn right and follow the road back to Millington

Arriving at at a junction keep ahead

At the next junction near the church head left and down into Millington.

At the bottom turn left and head past the telephone box and on a bend in the road head right at a signpost for Minster Way.

Head down the lane and at a for in the path take the right hand path and walk over a stream.

Keep right on the path and head over a boardwalk on Minster Way.

Head through a gate and on the flag path and head up the field to a waymark in the distance

At the top keep right and head up the path keeping to the right of the fence

Head through a gate and keep ahead climbing to a gate ahead

Head through the gate and turn left heading past the entrance to a farm

Head past the farm entrance and then turn left at the signpost

Head along the path beside the hedge and then bend left heading down to a gate on your right

Head through the gate and head down to the bottom and a path to the left

Head to the left along the path and head through a kissing gate onto a narrow path which emerges onto a road

Head left and follow the road back to the car park.

Millington Dale

Millington is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Pocklington.

The civil parish is formed by the village of Millington and the hamlets of Great Givendale and Ousethorpe. According to the 2011 UK census, Millington parish had a population of 242, an increase on the 2001 UK census figure of 217.

Nearby is Millington Woods and Millington Pastures. Millington Woods is one of the few remaining wooded dales in the Yorkshire Wolds. The woods includes Millington Springs, which formerly supported beds of watercress. Millington Pastures holds a stock of highland cattle, and is used for bike riding and walking.

The name Millington derives from the Old English mylntūn meaning 'mill settlement'.

The church dedicated to St Margaret was designated a Grade I listed building in 1967 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.

Millington has a public house called The Gait Inn and also a licensed restaurant and tea room called The Ramblers Rest.

The Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail, a long distance footpath passes through the parish, to the east of the village.

In 1823 Millington was a village and civil parish in the Wapentake of Harthill and the Liberty of St Peter's. The ecclesiastical parish living was under the patronage of the Dean of York. Population at the time was 282. Occupations included three farmers, a blacksmith, a wheelwright, a corn miller, a shopkeeper, and the landlord of The Gate public house. Resident were a school master, the parish vicar, and a gentleman.