11.2 miles.
Explorer Maps No 298 and 302 - Nidderdale / Northallerton & Thirsk
An all-seasons walk which is MOSTLY a walk that can
be enjoyed by anybody.
The majority of the walk uses well-defined footpaths, lanes, and
minor roads. When we walked the route, the traffic on these minor
roads was extremely light but this cannot be guaranteed (obviously).
There is one reasonably steep hill to climb, - up to the hamlet
of Ilton. As well as being quite steep in parts, this hill is on
a minor road and traffic could make it somewhat tricky.
There was one section of the walk where the footpath (if you can
call it that) was very tricky. Just South of Ilton, although the
footpath is marked by the Ripon Rowel Way marker, it was totally
overgrown and dropped steeply down into a bog.
That difficulty apart, the walk is a very pleasant oneto undertake,
and the highlight is in visiting the curious DRuid's Temple.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the
above link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)
Some new mapping software is now availabe which you may want to try, - QUO mapping. You can download the software for free from the link below, complete with demonstration maps. Having installed QUO, you can import and export Memory Map overlays. Thus YOU DON'T NEED Memory Map to use any of the overlays provided on the Grey Panthers website, - just use QUO!!
Start from the main car park in the centre of Masham
(SE22489 80703).
Head West out of Masham on the waymarked Ripon Rowel Walk. The footpath
takes you across fields to Micklebury Lane (a minor road), where you
turn left and follow the road for a short while until you come to
Low Moor Lane (a farm track).
At the end of Low Moor Lane, turn left and head down the hill on the
minor road.
Cross the River Burn by the road bridge, and turn right on the minor
road. Head uphill past Stonefold Farm, continuing on the minor road.
At the next road junction, turn sharp left and contune until you come
to the road to the Druid's Temple Plantation on your right.
Follow the track on the right, in the plantation, to reach the Temple.
Retrace your steps, and at the lane leading to High Knowle Farm follow
the Ripon Rowel Way marks to take the path downhill, over rough pasture,
to the plantation by Sole Beck.
Take the minor road uphill (quite steep) to Ilton.
As you leave Ilton, the Ripon Rowel Way footpath is waymarked, and
indicated by a finger post, in a South Easterly direction. This section
of the footpath is quite difficult to follow, and leads you across
pasture land to a wall bordering a grouse moor. Cross this wall as
best you ca, thenturn left and follow a faint path until you come
to a line of grouse butts.
Here turn right, until you come to a lane.
Follow the lane Esat to the plantation on Nutwith Common.
When you reach the Masham - Grewelthorpe Road (quite busy), turn left
for a short distance, then take the minor road to Low Swinton.
From Low Swinton take the road back to Masham.
Just past the entrance gates to Swinton Park, the road becomes quite
busy and care is needed.