The Grey Panthers

Outdoor Leisure Map OL26, - North York Moors (West Area)

A walk that takes in mostly well used tracks and footpaths, with just a short bit of farm footpath.
There is one steep descent down a fairly difficult footpath, and one ascent up a bank that is about 1/4 mile long and a 20 degree slope (albeit the ascent is up a well made track).
Navigation is straightforward.
There are some stupendous views to be had, and given a fine day this walk is highly enjoyable.

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!!

Start from the parking area known as "Square Corner" that on the minor Osmotherley - Hawnby road. This parking area is overlooked by the Black Hambleton hill. (SE 47970 95900).
Walk down the road towards Hawnby. After a few hundred yards there is a shooters' track on your left.
Follow the shooters' track all the way to the Swainby Shooting House.
Turn left along the shooters' track at this building (do NOT take the right hand track).
Follow the track until you see the footpath that descends into Scugdale (at this point the shooters' track bears left).
The descent into Scugdale is quite steep and the footpath isn't always completely obvious. (On the map there appears to be a track, but there isn't one.)
Down in Scugdale, follow the farm track past Harfa Bank Farm and Harfa House Farm.
About 100 yards past Harfa House Farm a finger post indicates the field footpath to the road just West of Sunnyside Farm.
Follow the road to the T-junction, where you turn left past Hollin Hill Farm until you come to the footbridge over the Scugdale Beck.
Having crossed the beck, take the Cleveland Way footpath as indicated by the finger post.
Follow the Cleveland Way footpath all the way to Scarth Nick.
When you reach the road, turn left and follow the road (there is a footpath beside the road for most of the way) to reach the car park at Sheepwash.
Now take the footpath to the Cod Beck Reservoir, and follow the path along the Western bank of the reservoir.
At the dam, turn left and follow the Forestry track until it meets another Forestry track heading roughly North-South. Here turn left, and walk a few yards until you meet the Forestry track that heads Eastwards until you exit the forest.
Turn right onto the track (high Lane) and continue until you meet the Osmotherley-Hawnby road.
Here turn left and follow the road back to Square Corner.