Book Six

So far we have come from Nottingham via D.H. Lawrence country, the highest point in Nottinghamshire, a couple of country parks, Hardwick Hall, Bolsover Castle, Creswell Crags, The Chesterfield Canal, Roche Abbey, Conisbrough Castle, Brockadale and Aberford to the little village of Potterton.

Head northwards along Potterton Lane. This is now closed off to vehicles at its junction with the A64 and so there is very little traffic. An occasional dog walker will park along here to join those from the Dog’s Trust just up the road.

About 80m along the way another footpath is signposted to take you over the fields to the Fox and Grapes pub. If you are drawn towards that, so be it. You will certainly get fed and watered there as it is open all day. However it will mean a rather risky crossing over the A64 afterwards. I would recommend continuing along Potterton Lane. In the verges along here there are snowdrops, celandines and dog’s mercury in the Spring and various umbellifers and geraniums later.

When you reach the A64 you will see that you have been walking along the West Yorkshire Cycle Route. Turn left here and there is a stretch of roadside path for about 150m. Across the road is the entrance to Mangrill Lane. Now, the traffic here is restricted to 50 mph. and visibility both ways is not bad, so you have some chance of survival as you try to cross over.

If you really couldn’t resist the Fox and Grapes you would find crossing the main road there is a bit riskier, as you can’t see so far along the way. There is no roadside path here either. There is though, a field path running beyond the roadside hedge along a grass field to the start of Mangrill Lane but it is not easy to spot where it starts.

Mangrill Lane is a bridleway and probably part of an ancient trackway from Barwick in Elmet to Wetherby. It is also part of the West Yorkshire Cycle Route. It is to be hoped that any passing cyclists will be using an audible device to warn of their approach.

A pylon line crosses the track and immediately after this is a stile on the right at the entrance to the Bramham Estate. This the southwest corner of Jenny Sober Plantation. A few metres of path takes you to the track running eastwards. The wood is made up of beech, oak and birch with some holly. It has been coppiced in the past and would be described as “coppice with standards”. After about 350m a signpost points you to the left and northward. On the east side there are beech trees at first and an increasing density of Scots pine. You will come to an area on the left that has been clear felled and replanted with conifers.

It has been said that along here in Summer you can see self-heal, red campion, creeping cinquefoil, yellow pimpernel, ground ivy, wood avens, speedwell and even enchanter’s nightshade.

We are now entering Bramham Park and taking to the sole PRW across the estate. As you leave the woods you are entering the proper parkland. Now the scale of the landscape changes - you have to think big. The park is roughly circular, 3km in diameter with the house near the centre. It covers about 200ha (500 acres) and is made up of landscaped parkland ornamented by a series of follies and avenues. There is about 500ha (1,235 acres) of arable farmland surrounding it. It was laid out in the 18th century according to the new fashion in natural landscape design begun by Charles Bridgeman and William Kent, who in turn were to open the door for Capability Brown. John Wood (who later designed much of Bath) is believed to have worked on the layout of the estate but probably under the direction of Robert Benson, first Baron Bingley. Bingley had completed his formal education with a grand tour in 1697, and whilst in Italy he began to envisage his new Bramham Park.

Bramham Park © D S Pugh

The house was begun in 1698 and completed by 1710 and subsequently the gardens and park were developed. Pevsner says “If ever house and gardens must be regarded as one ensemble, it is here. Bramham is a grand and unusual house, but its gardens are grander and even more unusual. They are with Hampton Court and perhaps one or two others the most remarkable example in England of the planning of a park in the French manner of Louis XIV.”

Bramham Park is home to Horse Trials held on the second week in June each year, as well as the Leeds Music Festival on August Bank Holiday weekend. It would be as well to avoid this area on those dates.

Having entered the park, you are greeted by a footpath sign pointing you to the right and eastwards along a farm road. You can’t miss a stand of majestic old beech trees that have probably been there since the beginning of the park. In the distance to the north you will see the ha-ha that protects the gardens from animals on the pastureland. The idea of the ha-ha was introduced from the continent by Charles Bridgeman and this is probably one of the earliest examples in this country.

The road takes you down into a valley to meet another road coming from the left. Turn right here and after climbing up the other side you turn left just before reaching a gate. Looking forwards from the gate you may see the “Temple of the Lead Lads” about 300m up the ride. This gets its name from lead statues that once stood on the pediment and that were stolen.

The road takes you along the edge of some mixed woodland containing oak, ash, hawthorn, Scots pine and hazel with a glimpse of the Obelisk along one of the rides. Ahead is the Rotunda or Round House. It is constructed of sandstone in the form of a circular Ionic temple and is protected by another ha-ha. This provides a couple of the jumps on the cross country route of the horse trials. The road follows this round. Looking north-westwards an avenue of trees leads the eye up to the chapel that is situated in the gardens at the back of the house. There are another five rides radiating from here including one to the south-eastwards where you get a clear view of the Obelisk. This was erected in memory of Robert Benson, the grandson of the founder, in 1773. It in turn is situated at the centre of ten rides heading out in all directions one of which is a continuation of the avenue from the chapel.

The Round House © John Slater

Continuing along the road you may see some copper beech and chestnut in the woodland before reaching a left turn where on the right is the White Gate leading into Black Fen. There are some more stately beech trees here. Anywhere within the park you may see buzzards or red kites soaring above. There is also a population of roe deer on the estate.

As you continue to follow the signposts you come to another right turn and up a slope to go past what looks to be an old quarry. Here you are surrounded by pastureland. Much of the nutrient poor limestone grassland on the estate is managed for wild flower conservation and many plant species typical of this type of countryside can be seen at the right time of year. For example meadow cranesbill, ladies bedstraw, knapweed, yellow vetch and even common spotted orchid have all been recorded.

To the west there is the best view of the house, although it is about 700m away. Bramham Park is now a Grade 1 listed building and was constructed of Magnesian Limestone in the Palladian style. A restricted area of the grounds is kept as gardens and run as a tourist attraction. Visitors can also tour the house but only in pre-arranged parties. The interior of the house was completely restored in the early part of the 20th century, having mostly been abandoned after a fire in 1828.

After a complicated family history (the Bingley baronetcy has died out three times) the Fox Lane family took over the estate that was later inherited by George Fox Lane (1931-2012). Today it remains a private residence in the hands of George's son, Nick and his family.

On reaching a gate the track continues along the side of a wood, after which it becomes an avenue of young beech trees. As we leave the parkland we come to a track bounded by hedges leading to Well Hill Farm. Behind the farm you will see Bowcliffe Hall. Recently added to this is the Blackburn Wing that may be visible from here through the trees. More on that story later. There is a path avoiding the farm and the attached wood yard, that takes you through a spinney to rejoin the access road to the farm. Turn left here and go down the hill.

It is noteworthy that along the way through the park wheelie bins have been strategically placed to receive litter.

At the bottom of the hill the road from Bramham Park house comes in from the left. Follow the exit sign to the right.

On the left is Bramham Biggin, now empty and boarded up although it is still Grade 2 listed. This is described as a 17^th century manor house. It was built on the site of a chantry to Nostell Priory and was part of Bramham College, a boys’ boarding school in the mid 19^th century.

Next door, set back off the road is College Farm. We are then on the long access road to Bramham Park lined with beech and holly with some very tall Scots pines. In the woods on the right is a noisy rookery. At the end of the road is an electronically controlled gate but it has a kissing gate to the side. Go right after this and up the hill until reaching the entrance to Bowcliffe Hall.

Bowcliffe Hall is an important building in its own right. It was built between 1805 and 1825 and is Grade 2 listed. From 1828-1907 it was occupied by the Fox Lane family after the fire at Bramham Park. In 1917 it was bought by Robert Blackburn the aviation pioneer. He was chairman of Blackburn Aircraft Ltd who in later years produced numerous aircraft types, from 1909 through to the Beverley and the Buccaneer in the 1960s. After beginning production in Leeds a new factory was built in Brough in East Yorkshire in about 1915. The company was absorbed by Hawker Siddeley and the name dropped in 1963.

Amy Johnson, Louis Bleriot and Winston Churchill are thought to have been part of Robert Blackburn’s social circle. He left Bowcliffe Hall in 1950, five years before his death. It subsequently became offices and is now run by the Bayford Group as their head office and a corporate and private events venue. The Hall has been extensive refurbished and the Blackburn Wing added. This is an award-winning 2,000 sq.ft. tree house shaped like an aircraft wing nestling in the woods behind the Hall. It is used as a wedding venue.

Cross the bridge over the A1(M) and walk up to the traffic lights. Turn left along Paradise Road noting the exposure of rocks on the right hand side. This is a sandy coloured type of the Magnesian Limestone with the mineral barite coating some of the surface. .

Take the right fork into Bowcliffe Road and with new houses on the left travel down the hill until reaching the war memorial and the Red Lion pub (where food is available at the time of writing). Turn right and right again up Town Hill until just past The Swan. Here, turn left down Church Hill and ahead you will see All Saints Church. This route should give you a feel of the village. Almost all is limestone built; hardly a brick in sight, and it is hillier than most places we have met on our journey. A conservation area covers the southern half of the village and although the general impression of the place remains, there was some loss of character with some of the cottages that were built before this was established.

As well as being on the Great North Road, Bramham is where it is crossed by the ancient road from York to Ilkley made use of by the Romans. So it has always been a communication hub. In the days of the coaches, Bramham was as important as Wetherby. Now it has two pubs, a post office, a store, and a garage.

Go through the lych gate into the church yard. This is extraordinarily large and roughly oval in shape. The accepted view is that it is Anglo-Saxon and incidentally the only one of its kind known in Yorkshire. However since many churches were built on pre-existing pagan sacred sites I would guess that this enclosure goes way back into prehistory. At least it could have been a tribal meeting place.

The church itself has a tower believed to be Norman in origin, built in about 1150, but subsequently altered and added to. Much of building is in the Early English style which would make it 13^th century.

The churchyard is now managed for the benefit of wildlife. The trees are mainly native species and the limestone grassland has many wild flowers growing naturally. There are many birds, bats, butterflies, bees and amphibians taking advantage of the facilities. It is maintained on the principles of the York Diocese Living Churchyards Scheme in conjunction with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

The earliest gravestone is thought to be from 1745 but the dead from numerous battles in the area are believed to be buried here – Bramham Moor (1408), the Battle of Towton. (1461) and Marston Moor (1644).

Continue to the east end of the churchyard and follow Vicarage Lane up the hill, emerging at the road junction where Toulston Lane and Windmill Road meet. Toulston Lane is part of the Roman Road running east to west. Take Windmill Road and just after Prospect Bank you will see Heygate Lane on the right. An information board here tells you that there are a number of permissive paths provided by the Bramham Park estate under the Environment Stewardship Scheme run by DEFRA. Grass margins in the fields are intended to provide habitat for wildlife as well as buffering hedges and ditches from agricultural operations.

Heygate Lane is shown on O.S. maps as a public way and takes you on a (mainly) hard surface north-eastwards. It is a favourite with dog walkers. On the left you will see a windmill and although only the tower remains it was Grade 2 listed in 1986. There could well be yellow hammers in the hedgerow with their “little bit of bread but no cheese” call anywhere along here. Ahead lies Old Wood beyond a pylon line and after going round a bend, houses in Boston Spa come into view.

A footpath that runs from Windmill Road to Oglethorpe Whin Covert crosses the lane after which you can see Clifford church tower sticking up through the trees to the northwest. This is St. Edwards Roman Catholic Church. It is Victorian, not being opened until 1848, and is in the Romanesque (Norman) style. The interior is really magnificent and it has some beautiful stained glass windows. Slightly older (1842) is the Anglican St. Luke’s church. Although neither of these are on our route, if you are looking for a short cut to Boston Spa, Clifford would be the way to go.

Just after another footpath comes in from Windmill Road we turn eastwards along a farm track that continues across gently rolling open countryside where Oglethorpe Whin Covert and Toulston Wood make an appearance to the south. After about 300m it meets another track where you turn right again. The way-marking is a bit erratic in this area but very shortly our route takes a stile eastwards into an arable field where there is a clear field-side path. After passing through a metal gate things get better, as there is excellent way-marking provided by North Yorkshire County Council. What’s more, you enter a pasture field behind Oglethorpe Hall Farm.

Oglethorpe Hall was the home of the Oglethorpe family until it was lost as result of them supporting the Royalist cause in the Civil War. Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle, officiated in the coronation of Elizabeth I.

Strictly speaking the path follows the field edge to the north until reaching another gate where it goes into a narrow copse. Here is where you enter North Yorkshire again at least for a while. From this point you go round another field-edge path approaching Toulston Hall Farm where a farm track comes in.

There is a stile here taking you into the pasture field that once contained part of the medieval village of Toulston. There is now just an isolated stone barn. The full extent of the village isn’t clear but there do seem to be humps and hollows in the field on the other side of the valley beyond the pond, on the north side of the path. How the village disappeared isn’t really known but it may have been as a result of the Black Death in 1348.

There is a second pond on the south side of the path as you arrive at what remains of Toulston village today. It is really a hamlet as it doesn’t have a church. It shares the parish with its neighbour, Newton Kyme. Although it has some nice houses, the only place of real note is the Organic Pantry farm shop and the access to that is not from our route. Look for a small plaque and ask what happened one day in 1782.

Continue eastwards along Watson’s Lane until reaching the crossroads where the Tadcaster Loop that began at Lead, rejoins the main route.

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The Tadcaster Loop.

From where we left the main route the next section is open countryside with rolling hills, scattered farmsteads and quite a lot of woodland. To the east Castle Wood stands out on the end of a promontory but I don’t think that there has been a castle here in historical times. Continuing northwards it’s nice to see a new hedge line bounding the bridleway before you come to a t-junction. The right turn would take you back to Saxton but our way is to the left towards Chantry Lane. There is a signpost there but at the time of writing it had been damaged. The bridleway carries on downhill towards Newstead Farm which has a moat close by, where some white geese were in residence. To the west of this is Bullen Wood.

Newstead Farm is red brick but the older farm buildings are as you might expect - limestone. The bridleway continues as a farm track and climbs up to a small copse. Here is a good place to pause and take in the wide open spaces. It is the last chance to say goodbye to Drax and Eggborough still just visible on the southern horizon.

Standing here on a still day you can just hear the hum of traffic on the A1(M) and the sound of a train in the distance and maybe the mew of soaring buzzards. They could be nesting in Hayton Wood or Hazel Wood that form the western backdrop to the wide open view. This is arable farming country and there are chunks of broken limestone visible in the ploughed fields.

To the northwest, Hazlewood Castle comes into view. The first record of a house here is in the Domesday Book. It was in the hands of the Vavasour family for over 900 years. At some point during the 13th century it was burnt down and subsequently rebuilt and later fortified and crennelated. During the persecution of Catholics through the reign of Henry VIII it provided refuge for Catholic priests. Mary, Queen of Scots is said to have stayed here while being taken from Bolton Castle to Tutbury Castle in 1569. In the late 18th century the house was substantially modernised and in the early 20th century it finally passed out of the hands of the Vavassors.

Within the body of the current building is a pele tower dating back to the time of the Baron’s Wars in the reign of Henry III, but the oldest remaining feature is the chapel, now separate from the house.

During the Second World War and later up until 1953 part of it was a maternity hospital and later a retreat for the Carmelite Friars. In 1997 the house was restored and re-opened as Hazelwood Castle Hotel. It is now a wedding venue and spa.

The next farm en route is Lodge Farm. This again is built of limestone but the adjacent cottage is browner sandstone. The bridleway continues along the farm road for about another 700m when it reaches Chantry Lane.

A left turn here would take you to Hazelwood Castle but our way heads eastwards for Tadcaster. We are on another bridleway following a farm road with open views across arable land to the south and a ridge to the north surmounted by a wood that protects the adjacent farm. The lane is bounded in places by new hedges with quite a lot of holly bushes. This area is only about 15km from Harewood House, where there was a release programme for red kites some years ago and they often appear round here. Pheasants seem to like it too.

You won’t have to walk far before having the chance to pass the time of day with a local dog walker.

White Quarry Farm is hidden behind some trees but a row of cottages are end-on to the road. Much of the hedgerow along here is covered with ivy and as the road goes up the hill there is a wood on the north side where many of the trees are covered in ivy as well.

The road continues past the entrance to Warren House Farm approaching a line of trees to the north, but before reaching that on the south side there is a strip of field margin about 10m wide set aside for wild life. We are warned to keep out! Many farmers have given over some of their land through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and seeded the areas with plants beneficial to birds. So many farmland birds are showing terrible declines over recent years and this plan is hoped to reverse their fortunes.

As we reach a wooded area, up on the bank on the north side of the road there is a cross about 2m high but so far I haven’t been able to find out anything about it. Wingate Hill to the east is the site of the Saxon court for the West Riding.

Coming in from the right at an acute angle is Old London Road. The next stretch of road is a proper tarmac surface but we leave that after a few yards to take another bridleway that is called Brant Lane (although at the time of writing there was no name visible at this end). The view now opens up to the north and below is the village of Stutton and beyond that is Tadcaster. If the wind is in the right direction there may be a hint of the scent of breweries in the air here and their chimneys stand out on the skyline.

On reaching the first house in Stutton the road is paved and it is a tarmac surface into the village. At the bottom of the hill after meeting Fanny Lane our route goes right. This is the point where until 1964 there was a railway crossing. This was the route of the Harrogate to Church Fenton line until Dr. Beeching had his way. Now most of the line of the railway is covered by new houses. One of these gives the game away though by being called Stutton Gates.

Crossing over the road into Manor Road, the Hare and Hounds comes into view where food and drink should be available as well as a chance to rest your feet.

Once restored, continue up to the bend in the road where there is a group of limestone buildings including Manor House Farm that dates back to 1697. Now on Weedling Gate, we continue round the bend until reaching Church Lane on the right. Here is a footpath sign indicating Tadcaster 1¼ km. Just off our route further along the road the old station house appears on the left. But we continue along Church Lane until it becomes a tarmac path. It takes a dogleg after the last house and follows the old railway track passing beneath the A64 and soon into the first housing estate on the edge of Tadcaster. You emerge onto a cul-de-sac called the Fairways. Following this out to Stutton Road, go right and after about 600m you will reach Leeds Road. Going right again there are traffic lights ahead. Continue straight on past John Smith’s brewery. Sam Smith’s is a little further along the road. Ahead is Tadcaster Bridge over the River Wharfe.

Throughout 2016 this bridge was famously out of commission following the floods of December 2015 when a large part of it collapsed into the river. There was always life on the other side but to reach it meant a 10 mile drive around country lanes. The powers that be hadn’t thought to have access to Tadcaster from the eastbound A64 when the bypass was built in 1978.

Tadcaster.

It is generally accepted that there has been a settlement here since Roman times. It was named “Calcaria” from the Latin word for lime. This reflects the importance of the area’s limestone geology as a natural resource for quarrying. Local stone has contributed to many notable buildings such as York Minster. Calcaria was an important staging post that grew at the crossing of the River Wharfe on the road to Eboracum (York).

The suffix of the Anglo-Saxon name Tadcaster is derived from the Latin word “castra” meaning “fort”. It was here that King Harold assembled his army, entering York and proceeding onwards to the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. In the 11th century William de Percy established a motte-and-bailey castle not far from St. Mary’s Church using stone reclaimed from Roman rubble. The castle was abandoned in the early 12th century, and although briefly re-fortified with cannon emplacements during the Civil War, all that remains today is the castle motte and some other humps and hollows.

The original river crossing was probably a ford near the site of the church, followed by a wooden bridge. Around 1240, the first stone bridge was constructed close by, possibly from stone reclaimed from the castle.

During the English Civil War in 1642 the Battle of Tadcaster took place around the bridge, between Sir Thomas Fairfax’s Parliamentarian forces and Sir Thomas Glemham’s Royalist army.

The bridge over the Wharfe was constructed on the foundations of the stone original in around 1700, although it has been substantially modified at least twice since. Historically, the bridge marks the boundary between the West Riding and the Ainsty of York. The Ainsty was the area to the west of York that was traditionally not part of any of the Yorkshire ridings. Important people would have been formally greeted here on their journey to York.

A market has been held in Tadcaster since 1270, when Henry de Percy obtained a royal charter from Henry III to hold “a market and fair at his manor of Tadcaster”, to be held each Tuesday.

Brewing has been carried out in Tadcaster since at least the 14th century. Much of this is down to the quality and accessibility of the lime-rich water. Today it is second in importance only to Burton-upon-Trent as an English brewing centre. Now there are three breweries - The Tower Brewery (Coors, formerly Bass), John Smith’s and Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, which is the oldest brewery in Yorkshire and only remaining independent brewery in Tadcaster. Sam Smith’s draft horses used to be a common sight on the streets of the town.

There is some overnight accommodation and there are a number of places to eat and drink in Tadcaster from tea rooms to hotels. A supermarket is on the east side of the bridge, as is the bus station.

John Smith’s Brewery was built in 1883 from limestone quarried at Smaws quarry just to the west of the town. More on that later.

Before reaching the bridge turn left along Kirkgate. On the left is the oldest building in the town. Known as “The Ark” it was built in the late 15th century but has been enlarged and altered many times since. Two carved heads on its front represent the heads of Noah and his wife, hence its name. The Ark has been a meeting place, a post office, an inn, a butcher's shop, a private house and a museum; it is currently the Town Council offices. In the 17th century it was known as Morley Hall, and was licensed for Presbyterian meetings. The Pilgrim Fathers are said to have met here and planned their voyage to America.

Ahead is the church of St. Mary. This dates from the 15^th century and is in the Perpendicular style. And yes, it is built out of Magnesian Limestone. It also has a Welsh slate roof. In 1875-77 it was taken down stone by stone and re-erected further back from the river and 1.25m higher to safeguard it from flooding. It has a three-stage west tower with pinnacles, an aisled nave, a south porch also with pinnacles and an aisled chancel. Inside there is evidence of earlier Norman work. The east window is by the Arts and Crafts designer William Morris and pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones.

Leaving the churchyard at the northeast corner you reach the riverside walk. Looking upstream there is one of the nicest views on the walk. Ahead is the weir and the backdrop is the viaduct. The scene is framed by trees on the west bank that shield the motte of the old castle. There are still humps and hollows showing where the castle was but all the stone walls have gone, some of which were used as building stone in the town.

The eleven-arch Tadcaster railway viaduct is 400m beyond the Wharfe bridge; it was built as part of the projected York and North Midland Railway (Leeds Extension) line from Leeds to York. Construction of the line was authorised in 1846, and much of the northern section including the viaduct had been completed when the collapse of railway investment in 1849 led to its abandonment. Between 1883 and 1959 the viaduct carried a siding that serviced a mill on the east side of the River Wharfe. The structure is a Grade II listed building and is owned by Tadcaster Town Council.

The next stage of our route takes you along part of Ebor Way, a long distance path that runs all the way from Helmsley to Ilkley. We will though only be covering the section as far as Thorp Arch.

The walk takes you along the bank of the River Wharfe as it meanders towards Newton Kyme. At each of the field boundaries there is a convenient gate.

There may be times when the river is very high and even in flood when this won’t be possible or advisable, so the alternative is to follow the A658 which at least has a good roadside path all the way. You would then have to turn off at Croft Lane to rejoin Ebor Way at Newton Kyme village.

Having passed under the viaduct the path follows the river bank through a pasture field. On the left there is the trace of an old mill leat that can be seen very clearly on aerial photographs.

The river here is about 30m wide and judging from the number of signs on the banks it is well fished. There are apparently barbel, chub, roach and dace. You might see swans and grey geese on the water and sand martins on the wing. After about 500m you come to the Tadcaster Gauging Station where a watch is kept of the river level. There is a measuring scale set up on the bank and the water does reach the top on occasions.

Just after this you come to a narrow tunnel which passes under a structure that looks as though it was for loading barges on the river. Nearby Smaws Quarry, now disused, would seem to be the origin of the cargo. It is said that York Minster was repaired with stone from here in the 1880s. It has been owned by the Smith family (the brewers) since 1758. It also provided stone for repairs to the York city walls, Cliffords Tower (in York), Bramham Church, Ripon Cathedral, Beverley Minster and for the rebuilding of Selby Abbey after its fire in 1906.

You then go into a narrow strip of woodland with sycamores and a nice mix of bluebells, ransoms and red campion beneath a small limestone crag. There is limestone bedrock in the path as well.

A footbridge takes you over a side stream and into another pasture field. In fact it’s all pasture now until you get to Newton Kyme. This is not really surprising as it is the river’s flood plain and has probably never been ploughed. Amongst thegrasses there are a lot of umbellifers and dandelions. Ahead you will see Silver Spring Wood that is almost entirely made up of willow trees.

The river banks are mainly open, with just a few willows and alders allowing views all round. You can see the tower of Newton Kyme church ahead sometimes but as the river meanders around, it’s easy to lose track of which way you are looking.

Another footbridge or culvert takes you into another pasture field. In the Spring all these fields are occupied by sheep each with a pair of lambs. Some of them seem a bit too close to the water.

Over on the other side of the river on a rise sits Easedike, a farm that is all that remains of a deserted medieval village.

Eventually you will come to some trees on the edge of Newton Kyme Hall grounds. This is as far as you can go along the river bank so go left down into a dip. This is a silted up “ox-bow” lake and can be the first to flood when the river is high. You are now in the park, so follow the wall and then the hedge round to the church. Within the gardens of the Hall are the very limited remains of Kyme Castle. Strictly speaking this was a fortified Norman manor house rather than a real castle that you might imagine. The only part remaining is a fragment of wall within the garden of the Hall. It is a scheduled ancient monument.

The park has a scattering of trees laid out in the Capability Brown manner with an avenue of lime trees leading from the south towards the Hall. Grazing sheep have been artistically arranged to complete the picture.

The original Hall is said to have been founded by Thomas Fairfax, Lord General of Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army, and stone from the “castle” was used in its construction. However the current building seems to be from the early 18^th century and was subsequently altered in the 19^th century. Once again Magnesian Limestone forms the bulk of its fabric. It has an interesting frontage with a broad pillared balcony and colonnade. There is a ha-ha to protect the view from the house across the park.

But what about the church? It does stand out. Although quite small it almost hides the Hall from some angles. It is dedicated to St. Andrew but isn’t quite as old as it looks. The nave and tower on the face of it appear to be Saxon but in fact it seems to have been first built in the 12^th century. There is a Norman window in the south wall of the chancel. It still has its original floor plan apart from the Fairfax chapel on the north side of the chancel.

The path skirts the church and Hall before accessing the road through a gate. You are now into Croft Lane. To the west are two magnificent Georgian houses - The Dower House and The Rectory. Kyme Lodge also stands up well. The village itself is a quiet cul-de-sac. It has no shop, pub or post office but it does have some pleasant limestone-built houses and cottages old and new, as well as a village pump and you can post a letter.

It is worth taking a stroll along Main Street just to feel the atmosphere. It is though off course.

Back on our route, head westwards along a quiet Croft Lane, leaving the village through a small wooded area that in springtime is full of snowdrops, aconites and daffodils. In the field after this you will see some rig and furrows from the medieval field system. After about 500m you will reach the A658. Cross this to the lane almost opposite. You have now left Ebor Way for a while.

After passing beneath a railway bridge (if you are over 14 feet tall you will have to duck) you will reach a crossroads.

This is where the Tadcaster Loop rejoins the main route.

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From the crossroads we now need to head northwards onto what is called Rudgate. This is shown on the map as a Roman road but may well have its origins much earlier. It certainly isn’t as straight as the ones usually set out by the Romans.

Passing Rudgate Cottage on the left you might manage to spot what is left of a small quarry. Up the hill you will pass over a railway bridge and looking down into the deep cutting you will see that the railway track has gone. This was a bit of the Church Fenton to Harrogate line. Just to the west of the bridge is the site of Newton Kyme Station.

Now reaching the A659 we cross the road to rejoin Ebor Way and continue northward along Rudgate. At this corner the map shows “Adaman Graves”. This seems to refer to some ancient burials that occurred here. Two inhumations took place and pottery from the 3^rd and 4^th centuries has been found associated with them. That of course makes them Roman.

Continuing northward we are certainly in Roman country. The map shows “Roman Fort site of” but this is only part of the story. According to Historic England the field to the east contains two Roman forts, two Roman camps, a vicus (Roman period settlement), an Iron Age enclosure, a number of Bronze Age barrows and a henge. Not bad for one field. But there are also a cemetery, field system and trackways that are of uncertain age. Much of this has been revealed from aerial photography.

On the left you might see a very inappropriate new housing development. It looks very urban but miles from any town. It was a “brown field site” where there was a works and when that was demolished, it was thought to be all right for housing.

Ahead, Thorp Arch Trading Estate comes into view before the track degenerates into a path, enters a narrow wood and drops down to the river. Here we turn left and follow the banks of the River Wharfe through a pasture field. The river forms the boundary between North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire and the boundary cuts right through a shingle bank, almost an island, which is lined by a number of willow trees. The edge of the field is a bit weedy with docks, nettles and hogweed with some comfrey. There is also quite a lot of jack-by-the-hedge or should that be jack-by-the-river.

Ahead is Wharfe Bridge that used to carry the Church Fenton to Harrogate railway line that we will become more familiar with later.

After that a fence shields us from the tip at the back of the “inappropriate housing” and a steep drop to the river on the right. Here along the shady path there are ramsons, forget-me-nots and red campion and after a while a stout wooden fence to save you from falling down the slope. Steps take you off a crag down through Ingle Bank Wood with bluebells and ramsons in Springtime. Here you pass into West Yorkshire. The trees are mainly sycamores and there is the sound of blackbirds and in the Summer, warblers. Ingle Bank Wood curves round to the south, and is on the old river cliff formed when the river meandered off beyond its present course.

We now follow the flood bank on the edge of the pasture field with hawthorn trees, sycamore and ash on the river-side. There might be sheep and cattle here. To the south there is Low Mills Farm just beyond the A659. A footbridge over Firgreen Beck leads to the edge of Boston Spa, just beyond a pylon line.

You continue along the shady riverside with a mixture of deciduous trees including some giant sycamores but the overwhelming thing along here is the bird-song. Wrens, blackbirds, robins, a song thrush, dunnocks, chaffinches and in the Summer, warblers of different kinds are all competing with each other.

Back gardens extend down to the path but you don’t see much of the houses until you come to Wharfedale Hall. A blue plaque tells us that it was built around 1850 as an impressive hotel with baths to take the spa waters. It was later known as the Victoria and Albert Hotel. Later still it became a school before being converted into private housing. It is now Grade 2 listed.

Continuing along the shady path with a thick hedge on the left and a wooded river bank on the right, there are some beech trees with quite a few saplings and some holly. The path broadens as a limestone crag appears on the left and you reach houses and a road.

You have reached the Spa Baths. These were built in 1834 for the Spa Baths Company to allow visitors to take the waters. There were two baths, one hot and one cold and also a pump room and a tea room. It was part of the Parlington Estate and belonged to the Gascoine family that we have met before. It was sold in 1911 and later converted into private houses. There are a number of opportunities to leave the riverside and head into town but the most scenic way is to bear right just after the Spa Baths and continue to follow the river. There is another section of shady path leading you to Thorp Arch Bridge. Continue beneath this and you will see the weir ahead, but before reaching it our path continues to the left and up the hill. It reaches the High Street next to St. Mary’s Church. This is late Victorian and of no great interest apart from also being built from Magnesian Limestone.

Boston Spa.

In 1744 John Shires discovered sulphur springs in the Magnesian Limestone which led to him establishing a spa town. It was known as Thorp Spa after the adjacent village the other side of the River Wharfe. However it subsequently declined when Harrogate became very popular as a spa town. In 1753, a turnpike was built on the Tadcaster to Otley road, which passes through Boston Spa. In the same year, Joseph Taite built a house to accommodate visitors that became the Royal Hotel. This is still standing, but has been converted into flats and shops. By 1819, Boston Spa had a population of more than 600, and several inns and other houses offering accommodation had been built.

Today, many of the houses in Boston Spa are characterised by the predominance of classically inspired Georgian architectural forms. The use of Magnesian Limestone as the dominant building material is a key feature. The stone most widely used is fine-grained and is pale cream in colour. While almost all the 18th- and 19th-century houses are roofed in slate, pan tiles are commonly used on lesser buildings such as outhouses. There was very little expansion of the village after 1850 until major growth in the late 1970’s, so there is considerable uniformity among the historic buildings. That contrasts with the post-war developments, which made little concession to the character or layout of the earlier buildings, until more recent developments which are more in keeping.

As well as a post office, Boston Spa has a small library, a filling station and a branch of the Leeds Building Society (alas since this was originally written this facility no longer exists - all things must pass). There are two public houses, (the Admiral Hawke and the Fox and Hounds). There is a small supermarket in the former Royal Hotel and several independent retailers in the village centre including a butcher, hardware shop and several takeaways, cafes and restaurants. There is also some bed and breakfast accommodation available.

On reaching the High Street turn left to taste the delights of the village. There is an information board just outside the library giving details of other walks around the village that take in more of the riverside and the geology. There are also some large chunks of the local stone standing almost as a mini Stonehenge.

We continue by turning left again down Bridge Street and down the hill to the river. Across the bridge there is a good outcrop of limestone as you enter the village of Thorp Arch. Just up the hill is The Green and not far beyond is The Pax Inn. This is another good opportunity to get fed and watered.

Almost opposite the Pax there is a footpath that takes you across the fields to St. Andrew’s Church. It’s a good opportunity (weather permitting) to check your watch here as there is a large sun dial on the south face of the tower. The church is mainly Victorian but it does include some Norman and even some Saxon elements.

Continuing northwards passing Dowkell Lane, you will come to the National Cycle Network Route 665. South-eastwards this runs along the edge of Thorp Arch Trading Estate.

This is on the site of the wartime munitions factory. It was oneAC 16 throughout the country and was where all kinds of ammunition from light gun ammunition to large bombs for the R.A.F. were filled with explosives. It operated from 1941 until 1958.

Also on the estate are the Northern Reading Room, Northern Listening Service and Document Supply Centre of the British Library, and Wealstun Prison. There are numerous retail outlets and a café.

We are at the site of Thorp Arch railway station. This was on the line from Church Fenton to Harrogate that we have come across on the Tadcaster Loop at Stutton and Newton Kyme. Opened in 1847 by the York and North Midlands Railway, in 1964 it was the first line to be chopped as a result of the Beeching Report. There was a loop line from here serving the munitions factory, which had four stations of its own. Lots of young women were brought over from Leeds and Castleford via Wetherby every day to work there. It was said that at times the girls could be seen dancing around to the music of Glenn Miller.

Route 665 runs north-westwards and is a good tarmac surface and being level enables easy cycling. It is wide enough for cyclists and walkers to co-exist as long as they have mutual respect. It runs through a cutting reinforced by stone walls and is sheltered by self-set trees. Some of these have been cut back and some of the stumps are inhabited by interesting looking fungi. Here bird song prevails and in Spring and early Summer a succession of robins pass you along from one of their territories to the next. There are a couple of bridges over the path, one of them - bridge 14 - is behind the large building connected with Leeds United’s training ground.

After bridge 15 the view opens out as we leave the cutting and before long we arrive at Walton Gates at the point where Wood Lane meets the road from Wetherby to Walton.

Cross the road here and continue along the old railway track.

Leaving Walton Gate, still on route 665, we have another 2km of cycle track walking before we get to Wetherby. It is quiet apart from when horse racing is taking place, which doesn’t happen too often. Wetherby race course lies ahead but there is plenty to see along this stretch. The track is lined with trees and scrub that provides a wind break or shade when you need it. There is quite a lot of hawthorn and blackthorn but oak trees, ash, elder, willow and crab apples are there too. There are a couple of woods and a number of reedy ponds that are said to have frogs and great crested newts, damselflies and dragonflies and there are certainly some coots. In Springtime there were wood anemones, violets, cowslips, celandines, dog’s mercury and white dead-nettle. There are said to be red campion, lords and ladies and burdock. And of course there are always umbellifers, docks and nettles. Robins, chiffchaffs and an occasional wren are around and you might just hear a curlew. There are usually a few crows and wood pigeons about too.

After about 1km, Spring Lane crosses our track. This leads to the southeast corner of the race course and is an access point on race days. After a while there is an open space on the north side of the track with grey shale lying around. This is the site of Wetherby Racecourse Railway Station.

By now the A1 is appearing ahead and you will see an underpass before you. If you go through there you will emerge in a housing estate and it is a bit of a maze. We go left along a track (that wasn’t sign-posted at the time of writing). This is quite new and is there as a result of the upgrading of the A1 to motorway standards in 2004. As yet it is a bit barren but it is slowly being colonised. There is quite a lot of bramble, some dandelions, colt’s foot and an unusual member of the parsley family.. A few cowslips that are around will probably spread as they have done on the banks of the A1 near Micklefield. You might see magpies and wood pigeon around. Some large holes in the bank on the left are probably a badger sett.

When you reach an approach road going to a house on the right, cross that and go up to Walton Road. A sign-post pointing back says “York Road and Railway Path”. You will have to negotiate the traffic to cross here and head for a track across the way. There you will see a sign-post to “River Wharfe” but that was lying down at the time of writing.

Go along the bridleway towards the conifer copse and head down to follow the side of the A1(M) again. It will be worth putting up with the noise for what is to come.

After a while you will come to a three-way sign-post with a left turn to Heauthwaite Lane. We carry on following the sign to “River Wharfe”. The banks of the motorway along here are covered with newly planted hawthorns with a few trees. There is a camera on a tall pole but I don’t think that it is watching us.

Suddenly the track drops down to pass under the motorway and takes you down to the bank of the River Wharfe. The double bridge has given an opportunity for local graffiti artists to show their skills. Beneath the bridge in the dark you might make out some limestone helping to support it, but don’t bother with that as there is much better to come. Once out in the daylight again there are some large detached blocks of limestone followed by one of the best cliffs on the whole route. You might find a geological fault on this rock face and there are a lot of small holes that geologists call vugs. They are a bit too big to be miner bee holes.

There are wood anemones around here and the scent of ramsons (wild garlic) is in the air in springtime. However the river is close by and of course it does flood on occasions so it can be dangerous. You can be caught between a rock and a wet place.

Very shortly you come to Wetherby’s main car park and beyond that the town is your oyster. On the left is Wetherby Bridge. This is partly medieval, has six arches and is a Grade 2 listed structure. It might be worth crossing over to have a look for Dr. Who, since parked in front of the police station you will find the Tardis. The police station however is not open to the public which is very reassuring as it might mean that there is not much crime round here.

Wetherby has everything a market town should have. Half way between London and Edinburgh, the Great North Road crosses the River Wharfe here and as a result a large number of coaching inns were established. In its heyday there were up to 40 inns and alehouses. The first coach is thought to have arrived in 1786.

Further back in history a castle was built in 1140 but it didn’t have planning permission from the king, Henry 2^nd and he ordered it to be demolished. There is very little evidence of its existence apart from the street name “Castle Keep”. It was sited at a strategic position within a bend of the river controlling the crossing point.

In the 14th century after the Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland, Wetherby was attacked and burned and many people killed by raiding Scots. There is a Scott Lane in the town which may be a memory of this or a reference to 18th century drovers.

During the English Civil War in 1644, the Parliamentarian army rallied at Wetherby before joining with a Scottish army and marching onwards to Tadcaster and Marston Moor.

The town was owned by The Duke of Devonshire, and in 1824 he sold his properties to finance work on Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. In the 1840s the railway arrived in the shape of the Harrogate to Church Fenton line and in 1866 the town was connected to Leeds by the Crossgates to Wetherby line. Alas both these are long gone but the track-beds are partially used by cycle-ways and footpaths around the town. There have been three stations at various times, two in town (York Road and Linton Road) and one serving the race course. The site of the York Road station is marked by the Old Engine Shed which in reality was the goods shed and is now an entertainment venue.

Today there are two supermarkets, plenty of places to eat, drink or stay the night, a bus station, race course, market (on Thursdays) a Town Hall, lots of small independent shops, a fire station, a famous fish and chip shop and even a cinema. There is one large hotel on the south edge of the town and another at the motorway services just to the north. Oh yes, there is a pleasant riverside walk too.

The parish church of St. James in Wetherby was built in the early 19th century. Pevsner doesn’t have much to say about it.

Also in the area: 4km to the west is Spoffoth Castle. (SE 361 511). It is really the ruins of a fortified manor house that belonged to the Percy family. It is an English Heritage site.

Having looked round the town make your way along North Street and Deighton Road, passing York Road on the right, until you reach the sign on the left for the National Cycle Network Route 67. This is known as Harland Way. After 100m or so a branch of the cycle-way goes off to the left but we go right. You will soon come to a seat. Pass under a bridge and you will enter a cutting with hawthorn and ivy-covered trees. At the base of the bridge and in the cutting limestone is exposed again. The bridges here though are built using sandstone probably from the Coal Measures again.

Another seat has been thoughtfully provided for another rest before meeting another branch of the railway track coming in from the left. This is Route 665 and would take you back into Wetherby. A local path crosses our route linking two housing estates. By now we are on an embankment looking down into back gardens. Be sure to greet the dog walkers that you will inevitably meet along here. There were white violets in this area as well as celandines and umbellifers. After all the houses have been left behind, another path crosses where there is a plethora of sign posts but this time we need to turn off Harland Way and head northward to join a field-side path. Walk round the side of a couple of fields until reaching Ashdale Lane. Turn right again and this will take you along a quiet lane back into North Yorkshire and up towards Kirk Deighton. You will see the parish church and its spire ahead.

On reaching the village you will come to the Main Street which is the B6164. Turn left here and up the hill and The Bay Horse pub appears on the left. At the time of writing, food as well as drink was available. Ahead at the top of the hill you can’t miss All Saints Church with its 100 foot spire. It dates back to the 12th century in parts but like most churches it was restored in the 19^th century. It is a mixture of limestone and sandstone. The south doorway does seem to be Norman. Enter the churchyard through the lych gate and having had a look at the church you can leave at either the northwest corner, immediately outside of which is a footpath sign, or the northeast corner where you will emerge onto the access path to the cemetery where the same footpath cuts across heading eastwards. That’s the way to go.

On a good day there is an extensive view from up here with the Kilburn White Horse visible to the northeast. The path takes you across a pasture field arriving at Glebe Cottage. This sits on the side of what is now the A168. Up until 2005 this was the A1 which was then rerouted and became a section of the A1(M) about a mile to the east. The northbound carriageway was closed and has been converted to a cycle-way and footpath. It is this that we will take northwards towards Walshford, effectively walking on the Great North Road. The A168 is relatively quiet and the path is protected from the traffic by a thick hedge which muffles some of the noise.

Along the way there is a slight rise up to a mast which provides a view of Hunsingore church spire to the northeast. On the northern horizon on a good day you can see as far as the Hambleton Hills. On first glance the verges here are nearly all grass and there are some barren patches. But as always the more you look, the more you see. Scrubby bits of hawthorn are reaching out from the young hedges and there are some ash saplings. It is slowly being colonised by wild flowers, if only in small numbers. There are hedge parsley, hog weed, plantain, stitchwort, speedwell and buttercups, vetch, a cranesbill, and some periwinkle and in time these will all spread. It is still very young. In the quiet moments between passing cars the bird song is all around. There are always robins, and yellow hammers are about.

After passing beneath the bridge that carries Ox Close Lane, you will pass Ox Close House and in another 500m or so, there is a bridle way off to the left opposite Ruddings Farm. Here is an access point from the road leading to double gates with a pedestrian gate between. At the time of writing though, the sign post was damaged. If you find yourself at the bridge over the River Nidd you have gone too far.

Although, just another kilometre along the A168 would have brought you to the Bridge Hotel at Walshford. This is a rather upmarket establishment but if your boots are clean I’m sure you would be welcome.

Our route takes us westwards along a well-defined field-edge path that after a while switches from the south side of the hedge to the north. In the hedge is hazel that produces cob nuts in Summer. There are arable fields both sides but there is a good wide strip of uncultivated land that is home to many wild flowers – purple and white dead nettles, cow parsley, hogweed and dandelions, meadowsweet and a lot of small cranesbill. You might well hear a skylark and possibly a dunnock or a wren.

In a while the path goes into a small copse that is little more than a couple of overgrown hedges but has a number of mature deciduous trees, hazel and bluebells with some more stitchwort and a few primroses. Listen out for great tits, blue tits, chiffchaffs and of course the ubiquitous robin.

The path comes out into the open, bends to the right and continues along the field edge passing a bridleway signpost. On the edge of the field you might see red campion, ground ivy, lady’s bedstraw, clover and jack-by-the-hedge. You reach a footbridge over a side stream and come to the bank of Crimple Beck. Otherwise called the River Crimple, this stream flows down from Pannal on the edge of Harrogate to meet the River Nidd just to the east of here. There are willow trees along field-side path and you should get a glimpse of a flood gauge on the banks of the stream next to a weir. Listen out for some warblers in Summer.

Around a bend is another footbridge adjacent to a broad ford for farm vehicles. This leads you to Black Stones where there is a group of farm buildings of brick and limestone.

Here we take the farm track westwards following the beck for a while where you might see a grey wagtail. You will pass some fine mature oak and ash trees and enter Ribston Park. Now crossing South Park, it is mostly arable land until reaching the cricket ground where it really is parkland. You might just see of the clock tower at Ribston Hall to the northwest.

Look out for some “tumuli” that are shown on the map. These seem to be Bronze Age round barrows. One of these, on the left, has an engraved stone on top of it but the words are unclear.

On reaching the B6164, turn right along a roadside path with a line of mature beech trees on the right. Crunch over the beech mast and pass the road entrance to the park. On the other side of the road is a block of limestone with the village name “Little Ribston”.

You will soon reach the village hall that was once the school. It was provided by Joseph Dent of Ribston Hall in 1845.

Just beyond is the sign for South Park Lane where you should turn right, heading eastwards. This will lead you past a row of cottages, through a gate and back into the park. The park amounts to 287 hectares altogether and extends from here to Walshford. The route through here is along a public footpath where there are a number of way-marks including one that says walkers are welcome. Cut across the grass to where another path comes in from the left and meets the banks of the River Nidd. You will then join the main driveway through the park with a view of the river on the left. There are alders and willows lining the water and they provide good perching posts for kingfishers. On the other side of the river is the site of the village of Ribston Magna whose population was allegedly wiped out in the Black Death.

The parkland is occupied by sheep for much of the time and they make a good audience for passing walkers. From along here you will see Ribston Hall across the river.

Ribston Hall.

Robert de Ros granted the Ribston estate to the Knights Templar in 1217. It was subsequently passed on to the Knights Hospitaller when the Templars were dissolved in the 14^th century. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries it reverted to the Crown when it was granted to Charles Brandon, 1^st Duke of Suffolk. He then sold it to Henry Goodriche in 1542. It remained in the Goodriche family until 1833. There was a house here before the current mansion was built by Sir John Goodriche in about 1647. (Grade 2 listed). The chapel which is attached to the hall goes back to the 13^th century but has been restored latterly. A stable block was added in the late 18^th century. Both the house and stables are brick built.

The house is 15 bays wide but only two storeys high. Unfortunately it can only be seen fleetingly from the public path.

The estate was sold to the Dent family in 1836 and remains their family home. Neither the house nor gardens are open to the public.

The road curves round to reach a bridge over the river guarded by a pair of Georgian lodges. Both the lodges and the bridge itself are constructed from gritstone that has come from some way to the west. Pillars at the west end are surmounted by a pair of mythical creatures. One is a griffin but the other is a bird like a pelican.

The road continues curving round to the left passing beech, horse chestnut and sycamore trees to meet a road coming in from the right that leads out to the Walshford entrance to the park. The way-marks take you north-westwards through more open parkland with a large pond some way off on the right. Coots and ducks are in residence and there may be some peewits and curlews about. By another group of trees, a further road leaves to the left into the private gardens. Amongst these there is what appears to be a large wild service tree. Ribston is also famous for the Ribston Pippin apple. In 1708 Sir Henry Goodriche received three apple pips from Normandy from one of which he grew the tree that was to become the Ribston Pippin. This tree died in 1835 but a shoot developed from the root and this successor lasted until 1928. There is a tree on the same spot just to the northeast of where we are now..

The path leads off to the left following the garden fence until reaching a gate and a footpath sign. Follow the hedge and fence combined a short way on the field edge and before you at a gate you will be greeted by your first view of Knaresborough. The spire of Holy Trinity Church is just visible to the northwest. Off to the left the River Nidd continues its meandering course as though it can’t make up its mind which way to go. It is still very young and has only been coming this way since the end of the last ice age and it hasn’t developed a flood plain yet.

You will be led down a paddock with some big sycamores (where there may be friendly horses) to High Wood. In the late Spring the wood has lots of bluebells, celandines and some wood anemones to delight you.

The next section is along a baulk between two fields. Half way along you may hear the thud-thud of a pump where the map shows a well. At the bottom of the hill there is a stone bridge covered in ivy to take you over a small stream to meet “The Knaresborough Round” where you leave Ribston Park.

The Knaresborough Round is a long distance path taking about 32km to circumnavigate the town of Knaresborough. We will be taking advantage of just a couple of those kilometres to get us into town. There is now about 300m of field-side path up to the end of a tarmac road where there is a hard standing that local dog walkers use as a car park. Low Field Lane takes you north-westwards, passing Goldsborough Lodge (on the site of Keepers Cottage) on the right. Just along the way there is a footpath going off to the left but as this is over arable land it may well be ploughed up so is best ignored. At some point the lane becomes Midgeley Gate. A new farmhouse, Goldsborough Garth with its buildings, is also on the left.

We have now reached the edge of Goldsborough village with Avenue House Farm before you. At last we have another limestone building. It has been a while.

If you would like to continue northwards go to Book 7 which will take you to the end of the walk at Ripon.

The copyright for the photographs is under a Creative Commons Licence by geograph.org.uk