The Grey Panthers

The walk starts at Danby's Moors Centre where there is a tea room / restaurant, as well as ann information centre and exhibition area.
The walk goes to Lealholm, where there is a good pub and shops where refreshments can be bought.
There is a fairly steep climb up to Danby Moor, using a track with a highly broken surface. This same track is used for the descent.
The descent into (and ascent out of) Lealholm is moderately steep, and uses an ancient trod. It is possible to not use this trod, but doing so involves using the main road which is not advisable due to traffic.
Otherwise the described route should present no difficulties.

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!!

Park at the North York Moors Visitor Centre car park. (NZ71766 08309).
Walk along the road towards Houlsyke, and take the field footpath on your left to Park House Farm.
Past the farm, continue for a short distance along the road, until you come to the track on your left which ascends Oakley Side.
At the top of this track, turn right and follow the minor road for the next couple of miles until there is a sharp right hand bend (for much of this stretch there is adequate walking on the grass verge on the right of the road).
When you reach the sharp right hand bend, follow the road down into Lealholm. Part of the route into Lealholm uses the stone flagged trod that is located beside the road.
In Lealholm, turn right past the War Memorial and continue until you come to the Wesleyan Chapel on your left.
Here there is a lane which leads down to the steps over the River Esk.
On the chapel wall, there are marks showing the height which floods have reached in previous years.
Retrace your steps, but where the road turns left along Oakley Sides continue ahead to follow the Esk Valley Walk across Lealholm Moor to Danby Beacon.
At the Beacon continue along the road in a South Westerly direction until you come to a minor road on your left.
This road returns you to the track that now descends Oakley Side.
From here return to ParkHouse Farm and the Moors Centre.