The Grey Panthers

10.7 miles.

Explorer Map No 299, - Ripon and Boroughbridge

Although this is an "all year" walk, it would be doubly pleasurable in the Spring or Summer on a clear day.
This is because the walk starts out beside the Ripon Canal, which in itself can be very scenic. After leaving the canal, the walk passes through Bishop Monkton, which is a highly photogenic little place. And on the return leg, the walk passes Markenfield Hall, which, with its moat and mediaeval buildings is well worth visiting.
Navigation is very straightforward, and there are no gradients to speak of.

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 a small car park just past Ripon Race Course (on the B6265 road from Boroughbridge just before you get to Ripon (GR 324705). This car park is right beside the Ripon Canal.
Walk along the canal towpath Southwards, with the Race Course on your left. Past the end of the Race Course, a bridge crosses the canal with the footpath on it.
Continue almost to the point where the canal meets the River Ure. Just before this point, a footpath heads up a grassy slope, and away from the main Ripon Rowel Walk footpath.
Continue on this footpath Southwards across fields to Ashbrook Farm. From the farm, take the track that takes you to the village og Bishop Monkton.
Head South Westwards through Bishop Monkton, heading for the parish church.
Where the village street meets the minor road at this point, turn right and walk for a hundred yards or so.
On your left there is a lane (Mains Lane) which is followed all the way to meet the A61 main road at Wormald Green.
Cross the road (GREAT CARE) and walk beside it (on the pavement) downhill past the public house.
Turn right into the minor road leading to Markington, then almost immediately take the (somewhat hidden) footpath on your right that leads you to Horse Mill Lane.
Continue along Horse Mill lane until you come to a minor road. Here turn right, and then almost immediately turn left down Strait Lane.
Not far down Strait Lane, the footpath North (the Ripon Rowel Way footpath) to Markenfield Hall is indicated.
Follow this waymarked footpath Northwards, past Markenfield Hall until you come to the outskirts of Ripon at Hell Wath Corner.
Turn left and walk past the football field, and before you reach Hell Wath bridge turn right and follow the footpath beside the River Skell into Ripon itself.
The basic instruction for navigating through Ripon is to head Eastwards beside the River Skell, and then to follow the footpath beside the Ripon Canal (which passes under the A61) back to where you started.