Coxwold, Beacon Banks and Kilburn
10.5 miles Fine, mostly sunny
Part of today's walk is south of our North Yorks OS map but if you should require it you can download the appropriate bit of map free of charge from this North Yorks web site.
Tom Scott Burns starts his walk in Kilburn but our preference is to begin at Coxwold, where parking is easy and free on the High Street.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills |
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| The Fauconberg Arms on Coxwold High Street |
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| Houses on High Street |
We parked next to the pub, pulled our boots on and walked along the High Street to the crossroads, admiring the attractive houses. At the crossroads we turned right to commence a steady climb out of the village, passing the old railway track where the signal box has been kept in its original condition.
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| The railway crossed the road at this point |
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| The garage is built on the old track |
After half a mile we entered a field at a wooden sign and continued to climb following field paths until we reached a stile and High Leys Farm.
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| Leave the road at this sign |
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| A gentle climb through fields |
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| Looking back the White Horse is visible |
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| The White Horse is present throughout today's walk |
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| The cattle were too hot to bother us |
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| Looking back to Coxwold and beyond |
At the farm we turned right onto the farm track for 100 yards or so, before returning to fields at a sign, and then followed the ridge of Beacon Bank Wood. This provided fine views in TSB's day but now there is no view whatsoever, the whole ridge being covered with gorse and bushes. We passed by a trig point and came to Beacon Bank's alpaca farm.
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| We don't often meet other hikers on a Tom Scott Burns walk! |
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| A rare break in the saplings, there's that White Horse again! |
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| OS Trig Point |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Young alpacas |
We walked down past Lists House into Husthwaite village where we paused on reaching St Nicholas' Church. The village of Husthwaite dates back to the period of Scandinavian settlement in Northern England during the 9th century. The name comes from the Norse for 'houses in a woodland clearing.' The core of the church is Norman. We had a look around the church and then continued along the high street before turning into Ings Lane.
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| List House with its new extension |
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| Looking down on Husthwaite |
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| Husthwaite Hall |
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| A blot on the landscape? |
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| Husthwaite village |
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| The old shop |
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| St Nicholas Church, 14th century tower |
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| The porch dates from 1170 |
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| Modern window |
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| Altar window |
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| Looking back from the altar |
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| The unusual box pews date from 1686 |
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| The Kilburn mouse is found throughout the church |
We followed Ings Lane north for a mile passing by a tractor garage and shop with an enormous selection of farm machinery, and eventually reached the village of Carlton Husthwaite. Here we sat on a bench outside St Mary's Church to enjoy our coffee and scones in the sun. Sadly the 17th century church was locked and we were unable to look around. It was built as a Chapel of Ease to St Nicholas at Husthwaite and features a Welsh slate roof.
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| Leaving Husthwaite |
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| Cross the beck and enter fields |
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| Pass by a small aerodrome |
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| Ings Lane |
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| Tractors for sale |
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| Entering Carlton Husthwaite |
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| House in Carlton Husthwaite |
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| St Mary's Church with convenient bench |
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| Scones in the sun |
Coffee finished, we walked through Carlton Husthwaite after pausing to admire an iron sculpture, made some years ago by the local blacksmith.
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| Common Lane |
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| Turn right of Common Lane |
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| Pigeon lofts |
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| Walking towards Kilburn |
Walking through fields we emerged 100 yards downwind of a bunch of deer and it was nice to stand and watch them for a few minutes, until they spotted us and ran off.
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| For a while oblivious of our presence |
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| Suspicious! |
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| "We're off!" |
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| Disappearing into the trees |
Our path now crossed a recently ploughed field. Obviously little walked, there were no footprints to follow as we fought our way across the field to rejoin our path at the other side.
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| Blazing a trail |
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| We rejoin our path once more |
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| Set aside field |
On reaching Kilburn we took the lane shown on the map above directly to High Kilburn and its attractive village green.
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| Turning towards High Kilburn. An extra point awarded if you spot anything unusual about Clive's rucksack |
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| Kingfisher in High Kilburn |
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| They don't make gates like that anymore! |
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| High Kilburn |
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| TSB says there was a duck pond but all that remains of the old green is the village pump |
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| Leaving High Kilburn |
Leaving High Kilburn we passed an old barn with a curlew weather vane and reached Fox Folly Farm.
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| Old barn |
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| Curlew weathervane |
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| We keep to the fair side of the muck spreader |
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| Fox Folly Farm |
As we passed the farm there was a heavy shower and we quickly put on waterproofs for probably the first time this summer. We crossed several more fields using waymarks as guides, to reach the road just outside Coxwold.
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| A heavy shower |
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| Stile and bridge |
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| The last couple of fields |
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| The rain stops and the sun returns as we enter Coxwold |
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| Home of Lawrence Stern |
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| St Michael's Church at Coxwold |
Reaching Coxwold in fair weather once more, we took off our waterproofs and sat outside the Fauconberg Arms and discussed this fine walk over a pint.
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| "To the White Horse!" |
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