9.70 miles.
Outdoor Leisure Map No OL26 - North York Moors (West)
The classic time for making this walk is in late March
or early April, when the Farndale daffodils are in flower.
The walk would be enjoyable at other times of the year, however, as
the scenery in Farndale is classic North Yorkshire Moors dale scenery.
The walk starts from Church Houses, where there is very limited parking.
The outer leg of the walk takes you via farm footpaths and tracks down
the Eastern side of Farndale into Lower Farndale.
The daffodil displays in Lower Farndale are spectacular.
From Lower Farndale, the path climbs up onto Harland Moor on the Western
side of Farndale, before descending (steeply) into Low Mill.
Low Mill is where large numbers of visitors come (in their cars) to
view the daffodils in Upper Farndale. However, you will find that the
flowers in this part of the valley are not nearly as spectacular a sin
Lower Farndale.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above
link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)
Start from Church Houses. There is limited parking in
this hamlet, and we used the roadside beside the village hall. Park
as close to the hedge as possible. (SE66987 97548).
Set off along the road Eastwards and call in to St. Mary's Church.
FRom the Church, follow the road South Eastwards for a short distance
then take the signposted footpath on your right to Bitchagreen Farm
(going past Bragg Fram). At Bitchagreen Farm, take the farm entrance
track back onto the road. Continue Southwards along the road to Oak
Cragg Farm. Just past here, take the field footpath on your left to
Cragg Cottage and then on to Duck House Farm.
Follow the waymarks on this footpath, -they are all quite clear.
From Duck House Farm, descend to the road. Turn right and then almost
immediately turn left onto the track at Rawson Syke Farm.
Follow this track for a mile or so, until at SE684 928, a footpath (leading
on to a track) leaves the main track. This will take you to Hagg End
Farm and then onwards into Birch Hagg Plantation.
Descend to Birch Hagg House, and cross the River Dove by the bridge
here.
Turn right now, and follow the footpath (clearly marked) beside the
River Dove to Dale End Bridge,
From here, head Westwards up hill along the footpath that takes you
first to the road, and then after crossing the road (where the footpath
becomes a track) to Harland Moor. Continue to Harland Farm.
Now follow the waymarked footpath all the way along the edge of the
moor, until you descend steeply to Mill Lane and then Low Mill.
At Low Mill, the footpath leading to High Mill and Church Houses is
a broad track, suitable for disabled people.
It would be impossible NOT to be able to follow this footpath!