The Grey Panthers

A walk in a delightful part of the country that is straightforward to follow and presents no difficulties with respect to gradients or terrain.
The walk starts in Thornton-le-Dale, which is a village well established with visitors, - having houses, streets and gardens which attract artists and photographers alike.
Pickering is also a town popular with visitors, - with its remarkable church, the Southern terminus of the North York Moors Railway, and the Beck isle Museum of Yorkshire Life.
After walking through woodland, the final leg of this walk takes in Ellerburn where there is a church dating back to the 11th Century.

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 car park in Thornton-le-Dale (SE83537 82992), - fee payable.
Walk along the main road out of Thornton-le-Dale towards Pickering. At the top of the hill there is a minor road on the right and just past this is the footpath to Pickering. This takes you over agricultural fields to Hagg House, then continues past Hagg House towards the Southern end of Howl Dale.
Here the footpath continues to Pickering.
When you enter Pickering, continue Eastwards until you meet the Whitby road (A169). Cross the road at the pedestrain crossing and turn left. At the roundabout, continue into the town centre, via St. Peter and Paul's church.
Continue Eastwards past the railway station and then the Beck Isle Museum.
Immediately past the musuem, a footpath runs Northwards to meet the North Yorks Moors Railway at Newbridge.
At Newbridge, cross over the level crossing by the signal box, and take the lane immediately on your right. This takes you to Park Gate.
Beyond Park Gate, continue on the track until you come to the crossing at SE823 862.
Cross the railway tracks then take the footpath Southwards to Howl Dale (crossing the A169).
Turn left in Howl Dale and follow the track in a North Easterly direction until you come to the track at SE835 853 which takes you in a South Easterly direction to meet the Kingthorpe Common road (this road can be surprisingly busy).
Continue Northwards on this road until you come to a T-junction. Take the road on your right (towards Dalby Forest).
At the first bend in this road, where it meets woodland, take the track on your right.
There are two tracks as you enter the woorldnad, - the right hand track is the one you want.
Where the track splits again, take the CENTRAL track. Follow this track until it exits the woodland at a meadow and continue to the hamlet of Ellerburn, where a visit to the church is called-for.
From Ellerburn, cross the beck at Low Farm and immediately turn right to follow the footpath back to Thornton-le-Dale.