The Grey Panthers

With the sun shining, this is a walk to savour.
The walk starts from the North York Moors Visitor Centre at Danby, which is worth visiting on your return for a cup of tea / coffee in their cafe.
The walk is straightforward to follow, and the only gradient of note is the hill that takes you up to Castleton village.
There are a couple of stone stiles to cross in Danby, and a couple of "regular" stiles along the way.
The half-way point of the walk is St. Hilda's Church, which is located South of Danby and Castleton, in Danby Dale.
The church and churchyard are well worth visiting.

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).
Cross the road outside the car park, and almost immediately take the signposted footpath that heads South West over the River Esk and the railway line to Easton Lane.
Turn right in the lane, and walk towards Danby village.
Cross the River Esk again, and the railway line, and head for the village centre.
To the left of a church hall there is a footpath (reached by a stone stile) that takes you to the road between Danby and Castleton.
Head left along the road until you come to the Esk Valley Walk that takes you through Danby Park Woods towards Castleton.
At Park Nook, a footpath (that follows an ancient trod) takes you down to the road just North of the railway station. Continue past the Eskdale Arms hotel and cross the River Esk by the road bridge.
Here turn right and follow the road for about 1/4 mile until you come to a finger post indicating the Eskdale Way footpath heading North up the bank to Castleton village.
At the top of the bank, turn right and after a short distance follow the signposted Eskdale Way to Didderhowe Farm.
Continue in a South Easterly direction on the footpath past the farm, with the footpath then changing to a Southerly direction at a field boundary.
When you reach the minor road, continue a short distance South to take the signposted footpath East that takes you over a beck and up a slope to St. Hilda's Church.
From the church, head North up Toft's Lane until you come to the track leading to Rowantree Farm.
From Rowantree Farm, head North along the farm road to Bramble Carr Farm.
Continue to the village of Ainthorpe.
Just past the pub in Ainthorpe, take the track Eastwards and then South Eastwards to Castle Houses Farm.
From the farm, take the road to Danby Castle and the Duck Bridge, returning to your starting point via Easton Lane.