Rievaulx Abbey and Caydale from Murton
9.7 miles Cloudy and dry
Leaving the B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley Road at the Hawnby turn off we parked by the roadside near to the buildings of Murton Grange, overlooking the village of Hawnby below.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills |
Tom Scott Burns explains in his 'Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills' that the township of Murton was given to Byland Abbey by Hugh Malebisse in the 12th century. A grange was constructed by lay brothers and was basically a well organised farm with a small chapel.
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| Murton Grange |
Just past the Grange we turned into Ox Pasture Lane to walk alongside Deep Gill Wood. We followed this lane for nearly two miles, eventually leaving the woods at a farm gate and crossing cow fields to an old barn.
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| Turn left past the Grange into Ox Pasture Lane |
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| Ox pasture Lane |
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| Lots of fungi to be seen today |
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| If you look hard you can see a deer ahead, it turned off before I could zoom |
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| The farmer keeps the cattle occupied |
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| After the barn swing to the right hand side of the big tree |
Immediately after the barn we left the field edge to bear right across the pasture to reach a gate, after which we descended to Barnclose Farm.
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| Descending to Barnclose Farm |
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| Hen and chick at Barnclose |
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| Friendly dog at Barnclose Farm |
Leaving Barnclose Farm we had a steady climb on tarmac to reach Tylas Farm, usually hidden from view by foliage but today visible after recent hedge cutting. TSB tells us it was built by the monks of Old Byland as a grange and tile house, hence its name.
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| Tylas Farm |
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| Oxendale in its Autumn colours |
We passed Tylas Farm and continued along the tarmac lane to Oxendale until we reached a gate on our left, where we turned off the road to gradually descend to the River Rye.
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| Leave the lane at the gate |
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| ... and walk through Oxendale |
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| Boardwalk along the River Rye |
The path now leads through the valley of Oxendale with the River Rye on the left. We followed a pleasant grassy track which became a boardwalk over areas that obviously suffer from flooding.
We emerged onto tarmac and almost immediately crossed the river at Bow Bridge, originally built by the Cistercian monks of Rievaulx. A short walk on the road brought us to a sign pointing to our path across fields to Rievaulx Abbey. We left the road at a wooden Inn Way sign and soon the Abbey came into sight.
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| Note the yellow plastic handle now often used to signify waymarks |
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| Ancient Bow Bridge |
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| Re-enter fields at the Inn Way sign |
Our route across the fields follows the traces of the old canal built by monks in the 11th century to carry stone for the Abbey from the nearby Penny Piece Quarry, so named because quarry men were apparently paid a penny a day. The river was dammed here and water diverted into the canal.
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| Clive looking along the embankments of of the old canal |
As we walked through fields towards the abbey we were rewarded with a fine view of the ruins. Tom Scott Burns says that Rievaulx Abbey is undoubtedly a place to walk to, rather than from. He explains the name Rievaulx is from old French for Valley of the Rye. Under its third abbot, Aelred (to whom the walk signposted earlier refers), the monastery had 640 men dependent on its Cistercian order.
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| Cow fields towards Rievaulx Abbey |
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| The bull ignores our presence |
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| The abbey ruins appear in the distance |
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| Nearly at Rievaulx, passing Mill Cottage |
We walked uphill through the village and stopped at a public bench to refresh ourselves with coffee and scones, before resuming the climb to reach the Slipper Chapel of St Mary's. This was a place where pilgrims would remove their shoes and put on soft slippers or socks to enter the holy buildings of the Abbey. It was renovated early in the twentieth century.
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| That looks like a good spot.. |
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| ... for coffee and scones |
We found the church unlocked and entered to find a neat, well kept building with a fine altar window.
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| St Mary's Church |
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| Looking towards the altar |
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| Altar window |
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| The house opposite the church... |
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| .. has an interesting sundial. "The Shadow shows the Light" |
Walking back from the Slipper Church we passed a lady thatcher at work. She told us she was re-thatching the ridge, not the whole roof, and then a couple of houses further along, another roofer was at work.
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| This looks interesting. |
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| The thatcher breaks off to chat for a few minutes |
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| "I can see your house from here" |
We set off once more, down through the village and past the Abbey ruins to Rievaulx Bridge. TSB tells how Wordsworth's sister, Dorothy, who, arriving here during a July afternoon, described how she "could have stayed in this solemn, quiet spot till evening without a thought of moving, but William was waiting for me."
TSB explains that the Abbey sits in a natural amphitheatre which was granted to the Cistercian monks by the Lord of Helmsley, and building began in 1132. Because of the Abbey's site between a hill and the River Rye the church faces North - South instead of the usual East - West. By 1200 there were 140 monks and 500 lay brothers but like nearby Byland Abbey, it was suppressed in 1538.
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| Mill House and the Abbey behind |
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| Rievaulx Abbey |
We walked past the Visitors' Centre to reach Rievaulx Bridge which we crossed, following the road to pretty Ashberry Farm, where there were some rare English Longhorn cattle. Here the path turns behind the building and immediately starts to climb Ashberry Hill.
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| The Ionic Temple folly can be seen on the right of the photo |
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| Ionic Temple |
e left the road just before reaching the farm, turning left onto a rough track that runs along Birk Bank.
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| Approaching Tylas Farm |
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| Along Birk Bank |
Saplings now obscure the view along Birk Bank but a few years ago we stood here and watched rutting deer on the other side of the valley. See here.
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| Our view here in 2019 |
The path meanders in and out of trees from about the midway point of Birk Bank until, after about 2.5 miles it finally reaches Caydale Mill, just seen in the trees below.
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| Renovation works at Caydale Mill |
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| Passing the mill to join the road |
Just beyond the mill we reached the road and a ford where we washed the mud from our boots.
This unusually long ford is often shown in the Yorkshire Vet and cars using this lane must drive through 100 yards of water. Walkers cross by a bridge however, so can avoid getting wet feet, rejoining the road at the other side of the ford.
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| Clive takes the bridge to the right of the ford |
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| The other end, water feeding the ford comes from the Rills of Caydale |
Beyond the ford the lane becomes a very steep (1:4) climb for about half a mile, before eventually levelling out. After over eight miles of walking this climb is a test for the legs! Eventually the buildings of Murton Grange appeared in the distance and we were back at the car.
Murton is just above the village of Hawnby where just a few minutes later we could be found inside The Owl discussing today's walk over a well earned pint of beer.
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| A long steep climb |
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| Murton Grange and the end of the walk |
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| "To Tom Scott Burns" |
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