10.5 miles Hot and muggy
Tom Scott Burns says in The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills that this route of woodland paths, open lanes, and the villages of Hovingham and Slingsby, with its ruined castle, will calm the most distraught mind. We would agree except for a confusing forestry trail encountered in the last couple of miles.
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| Today's walk fromThe Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills |
We drove to Hovingham via Helmsley along the B1257 and parked our cars at the roadside in front of Hovingham Hall, where there is unrestricted parking.
We walked over to look at the nearby Church of All Saints before starting our walk. The church has retained its Anglo Saxon tower and a Saxon doorway and we know from previous visits that a fine Saxon Cross is suspended in front of the altar. Unfortunately the church was locked, the authorities having decided to continue limiting entry to the public.
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| The Church of All Saints, Hovingham |
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| Hovingham Hall |
We walked past the large stone gateway to the Hall upon which is the inscription, "virtus in actione consistit" (virtue consists in action) and then swung right just beyond the Worsley Arms Hotel and followed the road for a short distance before entering fields and then following a small stream parallel with the road.
We could now see the rear of the Hall and passed an attractive bridge and waterfall feature which must have been built to be viewed from the Hall.
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| Hovingham school buildings |
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| Hovingham |
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| We leave the road |
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| Hovingham Hall |
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| Water feature |
We continued past the bridge and rejoined the road for a short time.
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| Attractive planting at Hovingham Park |
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| Rejoining the road |
We followed the road for a short time and then turned left at a sign, into Mill Wood. The path now follows the course of a stream through the wood, passing by Thwaite Cottage before rejoining the road near to Hovingham Lodge.
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| Into Mill Wood at this sign |
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| Our path follows a stream to our left |
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| Much Himalayan Balsam in Mill Wood |
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| Out of the woods |
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| Follow the sign towards Scackleton |
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| Thwaites Cottage |
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| the grand Hovingham Lodge... |
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| ... and its cottage |
After Hovingham Lodge we walked for about a mile on fields and farm tracks before joing a path towards Airyholme Farm, whose sign proudly proclaims it to be the Home of the Flitwick Flock (say it quickly!).
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| We follow the path towards Potticar Bank |
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| Turn into the farm road to Airyholme Farm |
Just after the farm we passed by a large fish pond and next to that the start of a free range piggery. After watching the antics of some piglets we decided a nearby fallen gatepost would made a good seat where we could enjoy our coffee and scones, fortunately upwind of the pigs.
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| Fish pond |
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| Piggery |
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| "We've got dirty kneeses" (to appreciate this you need to be a Teletubbies fan!) |
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| Tuckered out |
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| "These pigs seem to do nothing but eat and drink. Pass the scones Clive" |
Refreshed we continued our path past the pig pens, now walking alongside Fryton Moor plantations.
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| Common Ragwort |
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| Rosebay Willow Herb |
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| Climbing through Slingsby Bank Wood |
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| Watch for the hidden gate to... |
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| .. Slingsby Heights |
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| We reach the road and Slingsby |
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| So this is where Emu retired to... |
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| In Slingsby |
Eventually we reached Bank Lane and a long gentle descent to Slingsby. Here we called at the village shop and bought a couple of ice creams to cool us down as we looked round the pretty village.
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| Any cornets mister? |
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Maypole on village green
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We continued through the village to reach the ruins of Slingsby Castle, which is only visible from the neighbouring road. It was built by Sir Ralph Hastings in 1343 and enlarged by his grandson Lord William Hastings, who was beheaded for treason in 1483.
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| Slingsby Castle |
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| Church of All Saints, Slingsby |
Near the castle is the 15th century Church of All Saints, also closed to the casual visitor because of the virus. If anyone is interested in seeing inside these churches please refer to old blog posts, in this case here.
We walked away from the castle to turn left into field paths at Castle Farm, and walked to the hamlet of Fryton.
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| Red Admiral |
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| Peacock at Slingsby |
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| Follow the sign |
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| ... across fields |
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| Pheasant weathervane at Fryton |
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| HGV weathervane at Fryton |
There is little to see in Fryton and we turned left into Fryton Lane for a long and slow climb up to the woodlands of Fryton Moor.
On reaching the cross roads go straight over, following the sign to Baxton Howe. The quiet lane climbs steadily to Fryton Moor and we turn right just past a stone memorial with a plaque, into Centenary Way, a forest path.
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| Back uphill to Fryton Moor |
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| The plaque celebrates the finding of a 4000 year old skeleton in a nearby burial henge |
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| Centenary Way and masses of Himalayan Balsam |
The path leads through trees for a mile and a half. Towards the end of this stretch the path is easily missed, recent forestry work has made the network of paths confusing and concentration is needed. Eventually we turned north to join the straight path to take us back downhill to Hovingham.
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| Leaving South Wood above Hovingham |
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| Field paths.. |
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| .. alongside poppies |
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| Eventually we see the rooftops of Hovingham |
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| Weather vane at Hovingham |
Hovingham finally appeared below us and we walked straight into the village and almost immediately reached the Worsley Arms Hotel. Here we sat outside with a pint of Black Sheep, and after toasting TSB we watched the world go by and discussed today's fine walk. GPS track available on request.
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| A convenient table |
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| A pleasant end to the walk |
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