Rievaulx Abbey and Caydale from Murton

8.5 miles                                  Fine and Sunny

We left Middlesbrough in mist and fine drizzle, planning a short walk, but as we motored up Clay Bank we drove into sunshine which remained with us all day.  We decided to walk to Rievaulx, a walk that we did last year in rain and had set aside for a fine day.  We drove to Murton Grange and parked at the roadside.

Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Hambelton Hills

We walked a short distance along the road and turned into Ox Pasture Lane which we followed to the top of Deep Gill Wood.   Alongside the path were large hawthorn trees that had been allowed to grow instead of being hedged, and they were covered in berries. The path gradually descended by the side of the wood until it reached Barnclose Farm and our walking drove out dozens of pheasants.

Hawthorn Tree

Ox Pasture Lane

Alongside Deep Gill Wood

We drive pheasants ahead of us

We passed through a herd of placid horses and joined a tarmac road which climbed past Tylas Farm. TSB tells us this farm was built by the monks of Old Byland as a tile-house, hence its modern name.   We followed the tarmac track until we saw a gate and rough track leading to our left, which we took and which tracked the River Rye below us.

I send Clive ahead to negotiate with sweeties

Masses of sloe berries on our path

Watch for the turn off near Tylas Farm

We walked along a faint meadow path with the River Rye below us and gradually descended into the valley bottom, where we joined a duck board path for several hundred yards adjacent to the river, until we emerged and crossed the ancient Bow Bridge. 

We follow the River Rye to our left

Duckboards are welcome at the river's edge

Toadstools aplenty

Bow Bridge

A short walk on the road brought us to a sign pointing to our path across fields to Rievaulx Abbey.  We left the road and soon the abbey came into sight.  Our route followed the traces of the old canal that the monks had built in the 11th century, to carry stone for the abbey from the nearby Penny Piece Quarry, so named because quarrymen were apparently paid a penny a day.  We soon arrived at the village and turned right to follow the road past the entrance to Rievaulx Abbey until we came to a quiet spot where we could enjoy our coffee and scones.

Leaving the road near Bow Bridge

First glimpse of the Abbey

Looking across someone's garden at the abbey

Rievaulx Abbey

A nice spot for a little something...

Refreshed, we returned to the road and followed it across Rievaulx Bridge to Ashberry Farm which we also visited in last week's walk from Old Byland. As we walked along the roadside the same shooters (well, the same vehicles) that we saw last week in their jeeps drove slowly past us, waving regally as they did so.  Here we left the road and walked into the farmyard where we turned left through a gate into the path around Ashberry Hill.

Rievaulx Bridge

Entering Ashberry Farm

A nice new bench above Ashberry Farm

We followed the wooded path through Lambert Hagg Wood cursing the new growth that has removed the wonderful view of the Abbey that Tom Scott Burns describes in his book, written in the 1980s.   We left the wood on the same road that we had followed past Tylas Farm on the way out, but this time we left the road before the farm, turning left to climb onto Birk Bank on the other side of the valley.  As we did so we could see our shooters' jeeps stationary opposite us, positioned alongside Penny Piece Quarry.  

Lambert Hagg Wood

Partridge lying low

Partridge hunters next to Penny Piece Quarry

We followed Birk Bank through conifer woods until just before we left the trees we came to a gate, patrolled by a large black horse.  At this point Clive produced an apple from his bag and this was gratefully accepted by the horse in return for unhindered passage.  We left the trees and immediately looked into the pretty valley of Caydale.  Joining the road we walked down to a ford where we cleaned our boots.  We now faced a very steep ascent on tarmac for about .75 of a mile, a bit of a struggle after 8 miles, until the road levelled out and in a few minutes we saw the welcome white buildings of Murton Grange in the distance.

How are we going to get past that?!

Simple!

Boot cleaning in the ford

Murton Grange appears in the distance