9.53 miles
Explorer Map OL26 - North York Moors (Western Area)
A great walk for just about any time of the year.
The walk starts from the tiny village of Pockley, which is renowned
for its thatched cottages.
The highlight of the walk is the Anglo Saxon Church of St. Gregory's
Minster in Kirkdale. An "optional extra" is a visit
to the neaby Hyena's Cave.
The walk mostly uses farm footpaths,and there are no significnat
gradients.
There are one or two sections where the 1 : 25,000 map needs study
with respect to following field patterns.
The busy A170 has to be crossed twice, with the crossing in Kirkdale
needing special care.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the
above link.
(Overlay made with Version 5 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!!
Park outside the village hall in Pockley (SE63738 86038).
There are no special areas for parking in Pockley, and consideration
for the residents is suggested,
Take the lane South from the village hall. After three fields, turn
left. The footpath is NOT marked at this point, and is also to be
found on the right of the hedge line as opposed to the left side shown
on the map.
Continue along the hedge line to a gap in the wodland where the footpath
becomes a bit more obvious.
Follow the footpath Esatwards to Marr Wood, where you turn right and
keep the tree line on your left.
At the end of Marr Wood, turn left and cross High Lane. Continue Esatwards
on the field footpath to Howl Dale.
When you reach Howldale Lane turn right and continue to Beadlam.
Cross the A170. Walk down Gale Lane in Nawton, and after about 100
yards take the signposted footpath on your left. This leads to a track
that passes Lunds Farm, and then continues as a footpath to Wombleton.
In Wombleton, turn right and follow the main street South to the public
house. Here turn left and follow the lane to the CRicket ground.
Immediately turn right and take the field footpath to Welburn. Cross
the minor road in Welburn (Back Lane) and take the field footpath
past Tilehouse Bridge. Cross the A170 again (CARE!). Continue on the
field footpath until you meet the minor road in Kirkdale.
Here you can turn right to cross the ford and visit the nearby Hyena's
Cave.
Alternatively, continue ahead to St. Gregory's Minster.
Retrace your steps to the minor road, then take the field footpath
Northwards that runs beside the woodland of Kirkdale Wood West.
When you reach the minor road, turn left, then at the T-junction turn
right.
Take the track on your left to Lund Head Farm, and continue Westwards
to Guncroft Lane.
Here turn left and at Kirkdale Farm take the field footpath South
Westwards to Nawton.
In Nawton, make for the Southern end of Howldale Lane and now head
back up the lane.
At SE64400 86429, a signposted footpath on your left takes you up
a wooded bank.
Where this footpath exits the wood, immediately turn left and follow
the path on the outside of the wood until it meets the footpath to
Pockley. Here head West to Pockley.
Just before you reach Pockley, there is a stile in a gap in the hedge,
- BEFORE the cemetery, which takes you to the field footpath to Pockley.