The Grey Panthers

Explorer Map 304, - Darlington & Richmond

A walk that is based on a "Figure-of-Eight" route that can be adjusted to suit needs. The route starts from the centre of Richmond (a car park that was previously used, and which would make the route a bit shorter, now has a 3 hour time limit so is not practical).
There is much of interest, - Richmond itself, the Richmond Falls, the Drummer Boy Stone, Easby Abbey, St. Agatha's Church, and the River Swale.
Navigation is quite straightfoward and the route is well marked with waymarks and finger posts. Much of the route follows the Coast-to-Coast Walk, and the return leg follows the Swale Way (though this isn't signposted).

(*) Unfortunately, on the day this walk was made sections of the footpath were closed and diversions were in place.
The closures were VERY clear, and alternative routes were provided on attached notices. The diversions added about 1 mile to the length of the walk, but the footpaths should be open again by end 2014. The route described below is for the route with no diversions in place.

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 Nun's car park in Richmond. (NZ16796 01098). Walk towards the Market Place (via Finkle Street), and cross the Market Place to drop down to the River Swale via Millgate.
Take the footpath by Richmond Falls that follows the River Swale to the Mercury Bridge.
Take the footpath under the bridge and beside the river, and then walk up to Easby Low Road. This road becomes a track, and past the Drummer Boy's Stone becomes a footpath that takes you to Easby Abbey.
From Easby Abbey (and St. Agatha's Church) take the track past Abbey Wood to the old railway bridge over the River Swale.
Now head past the sewage works on the old railway track bed, until you see a finger post on your left that directs you to the Coast-to-Coast footpath.
Follow this footpath through Park Woods to the ruins of Hagg Farm. Here turn left to take the farm track.
Follow the Coast-to-Coast waymarks and finger posts to Colburn Hall.
Past here the footpath has been diverted, but is clearly signed onwards towards Catterick Bridge.
From St. Giles Farm continue to Catterick Bridge, then cross the River Swale using this bridge.
Now take the footpath beside the River Swale thast heads Westwards to eventually join the minor road between Brompton-on-Swale and Richmond.
This road is busy, but there is first a pavement and then a fairly broad verge that protects pedestrians.
Just past a commercial enterprise called "Millbry Hill" there is a right hand bend in the road, and an entrance to Brompton-on-Swale Caravan and Camping Park. At this point there is a footpath that takes you to Easby and Easby Abbey.
From Easby Abbey take the track past Abbey Wood to the old railway bridge over the River Swale and follow the track back to Richmond Station.
From here return to the Nun's car park.