9.0 miles.

Explorer Map OL27, - North York Moors (East)

This walk is ideal for Summer time, but could almost certainly be enjoyed all year round.
Use is made of Forestry tracks, minor roads, and footpaths over farmland.
Although there are plenty of ascents and descents, none of them are especially taxing. There were a couple of parts of the walk where it proved quite easy to miss the proper footpath, but even in taking the wrong direction it is difficult to get lost.
Navigation is certainly helped by having a large scale (1:25000) map and following the field patterns.
The highlight of the walk is along the valley of the May beck between Littlebeck and Falling Foss. This is a very popular section with many other walkers, and forms part of the Coast to Coast Walk.

For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)

Start from Forestry Commission car park at NZ88874 03607 (reached by a track off the B1416 road, Ruswarp to Fylingthorpe).
Head North East back up the road from the car park, past Newton Farm. Opposite Newton House Lodge take the waymarked bridleway North North West to Lousy Hill Lane.
Descend along Lousy Hill Lane (CARE! - traffic) to Littlebeck's village Hall. Here, turn right at the T-junction to walk a short distance up the minor road.
About 100 yards up the hill, there is a footpath on your left to Low Farm.
From Low Farm, take the minor road South West to Goathland Banks. At NZ87363 05344 there is a footpath South to Littlebeck. Unfortunately, this path is quite difficult to follow, as it doesn't appear to match the route on the Ordnace Survey. However, a kind farmer at Stray Head Farm helped us find the correct route.
Follow the road down into Littlebeck village.
Cross the ford, and soon afterwards there is a clearly marked footpath to the Falling Foss.
Take this footpath to the Falling Foss, and then the picnic area at NZ89280 02464.
Cross the May Beck at this point, and head South West up the road.
Where the road bends, there is a footpath South through the Newton House Plantation.
Follow this path, and then the tracks, to John Bond's Sheep House (NZ89850 01427).
From here, take the footpath North to the John Cross.(NZ900 027)
Return to the car park via the footpath to Newton Farm.