9.28 miles.
Explorer Map No OL27, - North York Moors Eastern Area.
A perfect walk for the summer time. Both Pickering and
Thornton-le-Dale are deservedly very popular with visitors, and the
first part of the walk links these two towns.
The walk returns alongside the North York Moors Railway line between
Grosmont and Pickering.
There are no especially challenging gradients on the walk, which mostly
follows well defined tracks and footpaths.
Although navigation is straightforward, there were two or three places
where it was neccessary to keep an eye on the map to make sure that
you followed the correct path. These places are indicated in the route
description, below.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above
link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)
Start from the long stay public car park in Pickering
(SE79980 83863).
Leave the car park by the exit on the North side, and headNorth up the
A169 for a very short distance. Turn right into a residential street
and walk East along the street for about 1/2 mile. At the end the street
becomes a farm track., which, in turn, becomes a field footpath following
the edge of a field.
Where the path enters Howl Dale Wood, take the right-hand fork, leading
you Eastwards past Hagg House farm.
Past Hagg House farm, the footpath initially follows a fram track. However,
at a bend in this track there is a stile leading to the footpath to
Thornton-le-Dale, - this stile is easily overlooked, and you need to
keep an eye open for it.
Follow the footpath directly to Thornton-le-Dale, and continue through
the town to the (pedestrian) lane that runs alongside the Thornton Beck
and Beck Isle Cottage.
At the end of this lane you can turn right to visit the parish church,
or turn left towards Thornton Mill.
Near Thornton Mill, the footpath to Ellerburn, following the Thornton
Beck, is clearly indicated.
At St. Hilda's Church, Ellerburn, take the footpath North up Kirkdale
Slack into the woodland. Where the footpath meets a minor road, turn
left onto the road (CARE, - traffic).
Follow the road for a short distance, and turn left onto the Thornton-le-Dale
to Whitby road (CARE, - traffic) and follow this for 1/3 mile.
Turn left onto a farm track, and then follow the footpath West from
this track taking you into Howl Dale Wood.
Once in Howl Dale Wood, the footpath that heads North West to Scalla
Moor Plantation needs to be looked out for. The turning is on your right
at SE828 849, and is partly hidden.
Follow the footpath past Scalla Moor Plantation, crossing the busy A169
Pickering - Whitby road, to Little Park Wood.
As you enter this wood, turn right. The path descends to a footbridge
that crosses the Pickering Beck. A little bit beyond the footbridge
is the North York Moors Railway line.
Turn left before the footbridge to follow the very well defined footpath
to Pickering.
At SE813 856 the path leaves the woods and appears to head for the railway
line. However, the footpath you need to follow at this point heads South
West to a gate at the edge of woodland.