Shallow Dale and Ampleforth Country
9 miles Warm and fine
We drove to Ampleforth via the A19 and Thirsk Bank and parked in the village where there is plenty of roadside parking.
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Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills |
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Walking through Ampleforth |
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Converted Wesleyan Chapel |
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New personalised weather vane, we could hear the dog barking as we passed by |
Tom Scott Burns says that Ampleforth is mentioned in the Domesday Book and means 'ford where the sorrel grows.'
As we walked uphill out of the village we saw a memorial bench with an interesting plaque to an 'Old Timer'. We would like to know more about Ron Tyreman but an internet search for the man and song has proved negative.
We followed the road west out of the village and took the second turning on the right, into Westwood Lane. Passing a working sawmill the road soon becomes a narrow lane which is very pretty and pleasant to walk along, as we enter Shallow Dale.
This is a very quiet dale and there is little trace of the Quaker settlement that was once scattered along the valley, growing flax in terraces and spinning it into yarn. There are heaps of stone where their cottages once stood.
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Turn into Westwood Lane |
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These old vehilcles are near the entrance to the saw mill where they once worked |
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Fordson tractor |
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Snake Villa in Westwood Lane |
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Grass covers the foundations of the old Quaker community |
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The lane becomes more overgrown as we progress |
A long gentle climb brought us to the head of the valley where the path continues past High Woods Farm and then returns alongside Low Wood plantation before entering Burtis Wood. We walked through the wood for some time, descending, sometimes steeply, back towards towards Carr Lane.
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Passing cattle in Westwood Lane |
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A new sign |
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The trees of Royalty Slack ahead |
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Clive reads the inscription at a memorial table |
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Entering fields where the path is diverted around the farm buildings |
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Passing behind High Woods Farm |
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High Woods Farm |
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Walking alongside the trees of Low Wood |
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Burtis Wood appears ahead |
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Over the stile and into the wood |
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Helpful yellow waymarks keep us on track through the wood |
After leaving the wood at a stile we turned sharp left and, after standing to watch a family of buzzards for a while, we walked through three fields, keeping parallel to the road below.
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Buzzard watching |
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Five buzzards, must be a family group |
As we reached a stile into the third field we paused and watched a wasp battling a spider on the stile. We left them to it wondering who would win?
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A gated bridge across Burtis Beck |
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Clive calls me to witness a fight on the stile |
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Mortal combat? |
As we crossed the third field we passed by some brambles where we saw several comma butterflies. A butterfly we never saw in my youth, they have become common over the last 40 years, apparently because they thrive in the warmer climate.
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The Comma Butterfly |
We rejoined the road at the end of the third field. We were now leaving Shallow Dale and after crossing Carr Lane we began today's second circular walk, this time southwards of Ampleforth.
We crossed the road and entered a field where we came to a sudden halt. Two beligerent heifers emerged from some bushes and would not give way to us, despite our best shouting and waving. When the more feisty white cow started towards us we decided discretion was the best part of valour and made a detour of their field.
The next field contained a herd of cattle who were totally disinterested and we walked through unmolested.
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Leave the road through a gate |
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We meet our match |
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We didn't want to go that way anyway.. |
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Friendly cows |
We followed a way-marked path across fields to reach Newstead pond, which TSB describes as delightful but now, overgrown with weeds and algae, no longer deserves that moniker. Here we turned sharp left and walked back up to the field boundary where we found a sheltered spot to sit and enjoy our coffee and scones.
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Newstead Barn... |
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.. and its feral pigeons |
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Not so lovely Newstead Pond |
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Coffee! |
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Clive reads about the Comma butterfly |
After a pleasant break we set off once more crossing a couple of fields and joining a lane which took us past Old Pilfit Farm.
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Some wet paths.. |
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.. lead to Old Pilfit Farm |
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Crab apple tree |
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Converted railway property |
We passed the old railway track and property that once served Ampleforth until 1950.
The lane reaches Low Lion Lodge and bears left, but we leave it by keeping straight on past the lodge before entering fields to walk south to reach the much grander High Lion Lodge.
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Low Lion Lodge Farm |
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We spot the White Horse in the distance |
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Upper Lion House |
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Residents at Upper Lion Lodge |
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Fancy Hens |
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Donkeys and cattle graze happily together |
Passing by Upper Lion House and its menagerie of pet livestock we turned right into North Moor Lane and after a couple of hundred yards, turned left onto a forestry road to cross Yearsley Moor.
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Walking up North Moor Lane |
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Notice Board as we enter Yearsley Moor |
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Dense woodland in Yearsley Moor |
Eventually we reached Higher Fish Ponds where we swung left to sweep past the ponds to reach Lower Fish Pond. This Lower Fish Pond is far larger and is a tranquil and pretty spot.
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Higher fish pond |
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Lower Fish Pond |
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Walking through Ampleforth Estate |
Just past Lower Fish Pond the route turns north to cross a sheep field. There are new gates on the field and no way marks on this side of the field but a stile and way marks at the far side.
We crossed the old embankment of the long disused Malton to Coxwold railway. TSB explains that a special train (shades of Harry Potter) used to convey students from London to Ampleforth College at the start of each term until the line was closed in 1964.
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Clive looks over to Ampleforth College |
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Passing an owl box |
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Looking back at Gilling Wood |
There was a fine view of Ampleforth Abbey and College to our right as we joined and then followed Mill Lane back to Ampleforth.
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The houses of Ampleforth appear ahead |
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Ampleforth Abbey to the left and College over to the right |
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Manor House, Ampleforth |
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Marian House |
Although without many interesting features this is a pretty route along little walked paths and best done with a close eye to the map.
No pubs were open in Ampleforth on our return but a short drive to Coxwold found us sitting outside the Fauconberg Arms for our debrief while enjoying the autumn sunshine.
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To the Old Timer, whoever he was! |
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