Walking in North Yorkshire

Kirby Knowle to Felixkirk and Boltby

8.5 miles Showers

We approached Kirby Knowle from the Knayton A19 turn-off and parked at the side of the road opposite St Wilfred's Church.

The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills

The church is usually unlocked and welcomes visitors.

St Wilfred's Church

Looking towards the altar

Modern window dedicated to Doctor Jane Rajan

We like the modern stained glass windows dedicated to Doctor Jane Rajan.
For more about the window and Dr Rajan see here

We left the church and walked out of the village towards Upsall (up-salir, Old Norse 'high dwellings') along the tarmac road. Over to our right, high on the hill, we saw the imposing 'Newbuilding.' Although it is called Newbuilding, Tom Scott Burns explains that it actually dates from the 13th century. It has been restored and modernised but still contains many of its original features.

A couple of pet sheep come running to see us as we pass their field

"A bit further back..."

Newbuilding

Just before Upsall we turned off the road into fields and followed a little walked and very overgrown path to Turton Beckstead. Beckstead means 'a farm near a river' and as we reached the beck we saw a large stone engraved 'The Turton Beckstead.' There are other stones lying about and we think these must be the remains of an old bridge.

Turn off the road at this sign

Our path appears little walked

Through a copse of trees...

.... to Turton Beckstead

Stone engraved "The Turton Beckstead"

TSB informs us of a strange story that happened at this spot. In the 1860s some mourners were carrying a body to Kirby Knowle for burial. The bearers set down the coffin to briefly rest at this spot, but on lifting it again it felt much lighter and they discovered that the corpse had disappeared. The empty coffin was buried and the site at Beckstead Wood became known as Lost Corpse End.

Climbing out of the wood we entered fields and followed their margins, relying on fence way-marks. There was no sign of a path and the grass appeared untrodden, which is a shame as this is nice walking.

We climbed gently over Carr Hill and approached the village of Felixkirk.

We can see the Pennines from Carr Hill!

Bird feeders and pheasants all along the walk

Stile and bridge over beck

Lots of cover for game birds

We reached the tarmac road at Mount View and turned right to walk into Felixkirk and the church of St Felix. It was unlocked so we entered for a look around.

St Felix at Felixkirk

Old carved head

Attractive domed ceiling

St Felix is a large church for the size of the village and in very good repair. Attractive windows and I was impressed by a modern window, dedicated to a retired army officer. Also interesting was the recumbent figure of a crusader with a lion crouching at his feet, another, of a lady (his wife?) nearby.

Crusader

... with lion!

His lady?

Modern window

Here Lyeth Judith, the wife of Zachary Suger, Vicar, A woman of rare endowments of body and mind: dyed 23rd year of her age and the year of our Lord, 1703.

Looking around the graveyard we saw the sad epitaph to Hannah Cornforth.

'Twenty years I was a maid, 1 year I was a wife. 18 hours a mother, and then departed life'

Leaving the church and retracing our steps to the road junction we turned right and climbed the lane to pass the lodge to Mount St John, and turned right again down a lane. Coming to a fork we turned right to head towards Cinque Cliff House passing through a herd of cattle to reach a diverted path around the rear of Cinque Cliff House.

Here, on a gently sloping meadow, we sat to enjoy our coffee and scones with a fine view towards Thirlby with Whitestone Cliff to the left.

Mount St John Lodge

Cinque Cliff House

A fine view towards Thirlby

Another fine view as we enjoy our break

Whitestone Cliff

We set off once more and our diversion rejoined the track below Cinque Cliff House and to follow a grassy lane to the road, where we turned left and walked into Thirlby.

Approaching Thirlby

Farm at Thirlby has an interesting....

... fox weather-vane

Thirlby is a very pretty village and the road is bordered with neat rural cottages. One, Keeper's Cottage, had a road-side stall selling home made jam and I bought a jar of raspberry and tucked it into my rucksack.

Walking down the high street we came to Pear Tree House where Thirlby's own woodcarver lives: Bob Hunter, who worked with Mouseman Thompson at nearby Kilburn, and whose trademark is the wren.

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Raspberry please!

Weather-vane in Thirlby

Pear Tree House

Detail at Pear Tree House

The lane crossed the ford and we left it at Thirlby Farm, turning left to follow a track through a grassy meadow.

Crossing Thirlby Beck at Thirlby

Walking towards Thirlby Farm

'No shop or inn is there here about, so why not sit down and enjoy summat for nowt' - donated by 'two good sorts'

We followed our path across fields towards Boltby and as we did so the sky darkened, eventually it started to pour and we donned waterproof jackets.

Unusual stile near Thirlby

Raining heavily as we approach Boltby

Packhorse bridge over Gurtof Beck

"It'll stop soon..."

We turned left at the packhorse bridge and walked through the pretty village of Boltby before turning right at a waymarked sign at the lane between Spring Garth and Gurtof House. Here the rain eased, then soon stopped and we followed a series of field boundaries to reach the modern mansion of Ravensthorpe Manor.

We climbed above the manor house into Westow Plantation and followed a very muddy track behind Ravensthorpe Manor, which was invisible to us because of the plantation's trees.

Sharing an apple near Ravensthorpe

Muddy track behind Ravensthorpe Manor

We circumnavigate a particularly bad patch

The track improves through Westow Plantation

A surprise view through the trees, we see a shower sweeping towards us

The path became easier and we walked gently downhill, eventually emerging in Kirby Knowle near the old school house, where we turned left and walked back to the car.