The Grey Panthers

A pleasant walk through farmland using the Foss Walk footpath, farm tracks, and farm footpaths.
There are several stiles, one or two of which are fairly steep, and no especial gradients.
The walk passes through the small village of Oulston with its attractive village green. The half-way point of the walk is the village of Husthwaite, with the village green and the Church of St. Nicholas. There are several highly attractive cottages in this village.
There was a significant problem with the footpath at the "Peep 'O' Day" farm. The 1:25K OS map clearly shows a footpath through the farmyard. BUt having passed through the farmyard, we were approached by a farmer who first asked whether we had an appointment to visit the farm. He then told us that the farmyard was off-limits to people without an appointment, and that we should have used a footpath that ran parallel to the farm. As far as we were concerned this particular diversion wasn't shown, and even if it HAD been signposted the one stile we saw was barely fit for purpose.

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!!

Start from the Southern end of Millfield Lane in Easingwold, where there is a small car park (SE52873 70157).
Head Northwards up MIllfield Lane (part of the Foss Walk). The lane eventually becomes a wooded track.
Where this track end, there is a stile on your left (ignore the footpath ahead) which takes to down to a field.
Follow the field boundary on your right, then cross the field to a gate that is in the corner of the field.
Once on the road, turn left and head Northwards. Where the road bends, there is a farm track on your right leading to Thornton LOdge Farm. Continue of field footpaths past the farm (in a North Easterly direction) towards Oulston.
Walk up the road into Oulston, and then turn left at the village green to walk Westwards along the farm road that heads to Yeoman Course House Farm.
Continue on the track where it crosses a minor road. Where the track ends there is a footpath in a sunken lane.
Continue on the waymarked footpath to pass "The Old Lodge". Now turn right, - this takes you to the minor road that leads to Husthwaite.
At the road junction, turn right, then almost immediately take the footpath on your left into Husthwaite.
FRom the village green opposite st. Nicholas' Church, head South along the road until you come to Alford House.
Here the is a signed footpath to the "Flower of May" farm.
Follow the waymarks through the farm, then turn left and walk South through fields until you come to the road just before Acaster Hill farm.
Turn left into the farm, and before you enter the farmyard enter the field gate that takes you onto the footpath North Eastwards.
Where this footpath meets the field boundary, the footpath that heads South Eastwards to "Peep 'O' Day" farm is signposted.
Follow this footpath along the field boundary all the way to this farm.
Although the OS map clearly shows the footpath passing through the farmyard, were informed by a farmer that this way was off limits. According to the farmer, there is a footpath that runs to the East of the farm and avoids passing though the farmyard.
We didn't notice this footpath>
Once past the farm, retrace your steps back to Easingwold.