The Grey Panthers

Explorer Map 299, - Ripon & Boroughbridge

Although 60% of this walk is on very easy ground, without any gradients at all, 40% of the walk follows the footpath through agricultural land where the footpath is almost completely covered in overgrown vegetation and is very difficult to follow. This is the only problem with this walk, which otherwise covers some very attractive countryside and passes through two delightful villages.
When the ground is wet there may well be great difficulty in following the footpath.

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 car park in Back Lane (SE39793 66732), - honesty box for parking charge.
Head up Back Lane to the Boroughbbridge - Aldborough road and turn left when you come to the road.
After about 200 yards take the footpath (indicated by a finger post) on your left.
Follow this footpath to the river bank, then turn right and follow the river bank path until you come to the track that leads to Aldborough.
At this point you need to turn back on your track and follow the track for about 20 yards, when there is a gap in the hedge that leads to the footpath that follows the South bank of the River Ure.
Now follow the footpath, keeping to the South bank of the river, as best you can. The footpath can be very overgrown and runs along the edge of arable crops, - where, because the field edge is so overgrown the path appears to go through the edge of the crops themselves.
Eventually the riverside footpath emerges at a point where the way ahead is over grassy river banks.
Follow the path here past four fields until you come to a strip of grass that runs South Westwards. Although this strip of grass offers itself as a footpath, it is possible that the correct footpath runs alongside this strip.
The footpath leads you to a farm track, where you turn right to enter the village of Lower Dunsforth.
Now head West along Holbecks Lane and the Roman Road until you come to Aldborough.
Take time to explore the village, before continuing along the road to Boroughbbridge and your starting point.