Farmland, big skies and birds of prey walk
A gentle walk through farms, meadows and pastures, with wide open spaces and a great chance of spotting birds of prey like red kites, buzzards and kestrels.
Near to
Brimham RocksStart point
Brimham Rocks car park, grid ref SE 206650Trail information
Total stages: 4
Total stages: 4
Start point
Brimham Rocks car park, grid ref SE 206650
Stage 1
From the Brimham Rocks car park, go back the way you entered – but before reaching the public road turn right down the track marked 'Private Road to Druids Cave Farm'. After about 80yd (75m) – just before the track passes between a gap in a wall with a National Trust boundary marker – there's a footpath to your left. Take this path and then the left fork immediately afterwards to continue to the road. Cross the road and take the footpath signposted 'Nidderdale Way'. Follow the path for about 0.6 miles (1km) to a stile at the boundary of Brimham Rocks. Go over the stile and straight on, then through a gate, passing the track to Riva Hill Farm on your left. Continue straight on for about 275yd (250m) to a junction where the paved track turns left and another track forks to the right.
Stage 2
Take the paved track to your left, towards Warsill Parish Hall, continuing for around 660yd (600m) until you pass South Lane on your left. After another 330yd (300m) or so, the paved road ends and the route continues straight on as a farm track. After about 820yd (750m), it bends right with Low Farm on your left. Stay on the track – passing High Gill Moor Farm on your right – for another 440yd (400m) until you reach a road: Careless House Lane. Turn right onto the road. Around 220yd (200m) on, where the road bends sharp left, there's a lane straight ahead with a sign to 'Gilmore Foods'.
Stage 3
Follow the lane through Gill Moor Farm, where it becomes a track. Continue on the track looking out for a wind turbine. Just past it, the track bends right and then left. At the left bend, on your right, there's a gate with a footpath marker on the left-hand post. Go through the gate and follow the track straight on for about 0.6 miles (1km), over several fields, until you reach a stone-chip drive crossing your path, with Woodfield House to your left and Woodfield Farm to your right. Head straight on over the drive, directly towards an electricity pole around 110yd (100m) away, which has the Nidderdale Way path beside it. Follow the path down and over a small bridge then through pastures for about 880yd (800m) until you reach a T-junction with another track. From here, you can see Park House to your right.
Stage 4
Turn right onto the track and head up towards Park House, around 220yd (200m) away. Immediately before Park House, bear left following the track across the grass and between two walls into a field. The path continues through two fields. Go straight on through them, alongside the field boundaries, until you reach some steps over a wall. Climb over and, ignoring the stile opposite, turn right up the track. This is Nidderdale Way but this section is known as Monk Wall as it's on the route that was used by the monks from Fountains Abbey. Follow the track for about a third of a mile (0.5km) until you rejoin the outward route at the start of Step 2. Turn left here and retrace your steps straight on, all the way back to your starting point at Brimham Rocks car park.
End point
Brimham Rocks car park, grid ref SE 206650
Trail map
The Brimham Rocks farmland, wide open skies and birds of prey walk, Yorkshire | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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Get in touch
Brimham Moor Road, Summerbridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 4DW
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