NORTH YORKSHIRE - Pickering

Steam Trains, forest and farmland - on the southern edge of the Yorkshire Moors

Fact File

Distance	13km (8½ miles)
Time	4 hours
Map	OS Explorer OL27 (North York Moors East)
Start/Parking	On street, or in car parks in centre of Pickering (Grid. Ref: SE 797 841)
Terrain	Field paths, bridleways & minor roads with two steady climbs.
Grade	*** moderate
nearest Town	Pickering
Refreshments	Plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafes in Pickering
Toilets	At main car park and at railway station
Public Transport	Yorkshire Coastliner 840, Leeds - York - Scarborough/Whitby, Scarborough & District 124 Scarborough - Helmsley, plus Moorsbus services in the summer.
Suitable for	for everyone.
Stiles	1

1. (Start) From the crossroads by the NYMR station head west, crossing the bridge over Pickering Beck. Turn right to Beck Isle Museum. Walk by the left-hand side of the museum through a gate onto a track. In a further 200yds, where this track swings right keep to a narrow path on the left. This keeps below a bank on the left then at a stile enters an open grassy area. Ignore a waymark post and head diagonally across, down a bank to a gate. Continue along a track with evidence of former industry (kilns) on your left. Pass in front of a cottage with interesting sculptures in its grounds. At a gate before row of cottages an arrow indicates a right turn. So go through the gate and turn right, through a cottage garden to cross the railway and Pickering Beck. Turn left along the road to Newbridge Crossing.

2. (1.6km, 1 mile) Follow the road across the railway. A short distance up the road (opposite a quarry entrance), take the lane on the right. In half mile, just past Park Gate farm, fork left through gate to follow a bridleway (Skelton Tower logo) up through woods. A steady climb brings you to another gate into open country. Bear left to follow the field side past a barn. Continue forward through fields swinging round towards the buildings of West Farm - taking the right-hand track bypassing the farm. Continue along this track to arrive at Blansby Park Farm.

3. (4.2km, 2¾ miles) Turn left round the corner after the farm then fork right along a clear track through another gate heading for the pine forest ahead. At a barn – shown as High Blansby on the map, bear right and drop down the hillside to a gate into woodland. In the trees this track swings round to descend quite steeply down to Farwath. Here several tracks and paths converge to cross the railway and Pickering Beck, by Farwath Cottage. It is also a pleasant, sheltered spot at which to take a break.

4. (6.4km/4miles) Unfortunately you are now faced with a steady climb up the track from the ford back into open country. Continue straight on a crossroads and up a slight rise bringing you to the highest point on this walk (162m/525ft). There are views west towards Newton-on-Rawcliffe and Cropton Forest, and east towards the Fox & Rabbit and Dalby Forest. This lane heads straight down to the Pickering to Newton road where you turn left along the road as far as the second of two farms - Yatts Farm.

5. (8.8km, 5½ miles) At Yatts Farm turn right down past barns. Enter a field by a gate opposite the farmhouse and follow a faint track down a depression to the right, through trees. Follow the trend downhill through this Wolds-like valley. Fork left to follow a faint path through the tussocky grass (do not follow the main track which swings up to the right). This leads down to a gate where you enter woodland. It is now just a matter of following this path down the valley. Initially there is mixed woodland which being open does give rise to a lot of undergrowth – so brambles, etc across the path can be a nuisance. As the woodland becomes more dense, the path widens and the undergrowth disappears. However the track does become rutted and muddy instead. Soon you encounter the first warning notice regarding a rifle range ahead. This range is in use from April until October - if it is in use you will have heard gunfire already! A lookout will be posted before you reach the range and will ensure that firing stops and will see you safely through the site – the path crosses the range just in front of the targets!

6. (11.2km, 7 miles) Safely through the rifle range, continue down the valley. Ahead you will see a gate into Newbridge Quarry - you must not walk through the quarry site. Look out for a path forking left off the track soon after the range. This follows an embankment through the trees, safely above the quarry. As you near the quarry entrance, the path turns down a few steps to join the quarry access road - a dedicated footpath has been created with the walker protected from quarry traffic by large stone blocks. At the road turn right and go back over Newbridge Level Crossing.

7. (12km, 7¼ miles) A few yards along the road turn right to retrace your steps over the beck and the railway, and past the cottages. Turn left through the gate and retrace your steps past the cottage with sculptures. In the next field, follow a path to the left towards the beck. Steps in a wall lead to a narrow path alongside beck crossing it by a footbridge. Go right into the NYMR car park to find another footbridge re-crossing beck. Turn left along a track, which brings you back to Beck Isle Museum and the centre of Pickering.

   Along the Way

   Pickering is the southern terminus of the 18 mile long North York Moors Railway from Grosmont and Goathland. Trains operate over this scenic route on weekends throughout the year and also on weekdays in the summer and at other holiday times. Pickering is also famous for its Castle, which dates from Norman times. Other attractions include the Beck Isle Museum and a trout farm, both near the NYMR station and the Castle.

   Arnold Underwood & Caroline Gowthorpe (Nov 2003) & LWC (March 2004)