11.4 miles.
Explorer Map OL26 (North York Moors, Western Area), and Explorer
Map 300 (Howardian Hills and Malton)
A circular walk starting from Ampleforth village.
The walk uses well defined paths, roads, and tracks and apart from one
section there is no problem with navigation.
On a fine day, the views are stupendous, and a visit to the villages of
Ampleforth and East Gilling is reward in itself.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above
link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)
The start of the walk is from the South end of Ampleforth
village (SE58472 78247).
Follow the signposted footpath, from where there is a sharp bend in the
road to Yearsley, to the Fish Pond (SE58983 76555), - a small reservoir
South South East of Ampleforth.
From the Fish Pond, take the track and minor road, past Park House Farm,
to East Gilling.
As you enter East Gilling there is an outdoor model railway operated by
the Ryedale Society of Model Engineers. Just outside the grounds of the
model railway there is a waymarked footpath heading across the fields
to Ampleforth Abbey and College.
The footpath takes you through the grounds of the College, to the minor
road between Ampleforth Village and Oswaldkirk.
Turn right along this road for a couple of hundred yards.
On your left you wills ee a footpath heading West North West up a bank.
Follow this footpath up the bank to another minor road.
Turn right on this road until you come to Beacon House. Here take the
minor road North West to Tom Smith's Cross at SE56883 81205.
From here, take the minor road signposted to Wass.
At SE56103 80340 there is a farm track and footpath that takes you East
into Shallow Dale and High Woods Farm.
This is the only point on the route where if you DON'T take this turning,
but take an earlier track whick LOOKS to be the correct track, you can
get somewhat off-course.
From High Woods Farm, take the track back to Ampleforth village.