The Grey Panthers

Explorer Map 300, - Howardian Hills and Malton

This walk takes in two villages that are amongst the finest in North Yorkshire. If you choose a sunny day with good visibility, then the walk is immensely rewarding scenically.
The route uses a mix of farm footpaths and farm tracks, with very short sections involving minor roads.
The only gradient of note is in going up the bank above Stonegrave.
In Summertime the farm footpaths can be quite overgrown.
Navigation is fairly straightfoward, but there are two points where a bit of care is needed. These are described in the route description below.

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 available 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 web site, - just use QUO!!

Start from the car park for the National Trust Property of Nunnington Hall (SE669 795).
Cross the River Rye by the road bridge (CARE : traffic) and head up the hill to a point just past the Village Hall.
Here take the field footpath to Nunnington Mill and then onwards to Ness Bridge.
At Ness Bridge, turn right and follow the road past West Ness Hall Farm.
Just to the left of the road junction take the broad track of Caulkleys Lane. After about 200 yrads there are fole farm buildings where you turn left to follow the field footpath South until you come to a hedge line. Here turn left for a short distance to find the footpath continuing South through a gap in some hedging (this is quite overgrown and is only seen close to).
When you reach the farm road at Beech Tree House Farm, turn left until you come to the road.
Turn right and after a short distance turn right again to take the fram track to South Holme Farm.
Follow the footpath that goes behind and round the farm.
The OS map shows the footpath following a route that is to the East of the hedgeline South of the farm. The actual footpath, though, is to the West of this hedgeline and is reached by lifting a gate in the elctric fencing.
Past a small copse, the footpath then continues Southwards by following a route to the West of the hedgeline (though shown as being to the East on the OS map).
The footpath then meets a track near Tuft House Farm, which, in turn meets Socarrs Lane that takes you into Hovingham.
Take time to explore Hovingham.
From Hovingham, take the road that runs beside the beck until you come to a small recreation ground.
Here follow the broad track that is signposted as being the Ebor Way, but very shortly turn right to take the track and then footpath to Stonegrave.
South of Stonegrave this footpath crosses a beck at a small gap in the hedge. This gap can be quite easy to miss.
In Stonegrave, turn left and walk along the road for about 100 yards (CARE : TRAFFIC).
On your right is a broad track heading Esat through a gate. Once past the gate, take the left track that heads uphill and onwards to the North of Caulkleys Wood.
On your left is a broad track that takes you back to Nunnington.