This walk is through pleasant and varied scenery around the valley of the River Rye starting about 2 miles north of Hawnby (on the road to Osmotherley).  On the map, the walking distance appears to be about 5 miles, but because the paths are not always straight and level, it is likely to take about 3 hours.  The starting point is a large open area of grass (with small information board) just over 2 miles north of Hawnby and a just over a mile beyond the Moor Gate cattle grid (where there is also a small car parking area and information board).  

Park at a large grass field parking area with a small information board (Hazel Head) on the left travelling from Hawnby, marked on the map near Anya’s Wood (OS Explorer map OL26 North York Moors west, reference SE529928).

1.    Leaving the car parking area (map reference 529928), set off along the road back towards Hawnby to a signed footpath on the right into a wood. [200m]

2.    (531927)  Follow the path through the wood, later looking down into a valley and crossing a forest track onto a wider grassy path that becomes a track downhill to a ford.  [600m]

3.    (528922)  Before the ford, take a narrow path on the left to cross a footbridge,  then turn right to the track then left through a gate, then through another gate into a field alongside a tributary stream.  Continue through a bracken and grass field keeping close to the stream but do not cross where the path meets the stream but continue until directed by a waymark to a footbridge. [400m]

4.    (525922)  Cross the bridge and continue steeply uphill with a fence to the left to a gate by a large tree.  Continue through the gate, past an old farmhouse [Brewser Hill] then downhill and round to the left, eventually to a small footbridge. [500m]

5.    (523926)  Cross the bridge over a dried stream. Continue to some derelict buildings [Cow Wath]. [800m]

6.    (523930)  Head diagonally to the right, downhill to a field corner and through a gateway into a field with a stone wall on the left.  Follow the wall to a small stile where a wood starts on the right and ferny moorland is to the left. [400m]

7.    (522933)  Follow a narrow path, muddy in places, down to a stream then up to a stile into a field.  Cross to the middle of the far side of the field and pass through a gateway so as to follow a stone wall that is on your right side as you continue to some derelict buildings [Far House]. [550m] 

8.    (517935)  Note, at this point, to shorten the walk, go downhill on a public footpath to a footbridge then leading to Birkwood Farm – see 11).  From the buildings, keep left slightly uphill between stone walls then veer slightly right on a wide grassy path across 2 fields to a junction of stone walls and cross a small stream by a gateway through a wall and diagonally (slightly left) across a field to a gate in the wall on the left. Through the gate, turn right on a track alongside the wall on the other side and down to a stream crossing. [700m]

9.    (510937)  Across the stream, follow the track through a gate into a field and then follow the stone wall on the right, to a gate, bypassing Lower Locker Farm. Through the gate, there is now a stone wall on the left and shortly a footpath signpost.  Continue straight on (not left) to join a solid track leading from the farm and continue on this track for 400m to a wooden signpost. [800m]

10.  (510944)  Continue on the bridleway track round to the right, cross a stream and turn right onto a road.  Follow this road uphill for 500m, passing an old lime kiln on the left, to the drive to Birkwood Farm on the right. [600m]

11.  (515941)  Turn right into the drive and shortly follow a sign to the left, across a stream and a stile, then right, down to a gate, through the gate and left on a signed path between walls. The short cut rejoins here by turning right. [200m]

12.  (516940)  Follow the path to the left through a gate and between 2 stone walls and through a gate into a field and continue until there are 2 adjacent gateways; go through the gate on the right and continue with a wood to the left to a gate into a wood.  Continue through the gate, along this path, crossing a stream and through another gate.  Eventually, the path goes over a stile into Hagg House farm yard. [750m]

13.  (523937)  Continue past the front of a dog cage and leave through a gate along a path that may be muddy later at a gateway where it crosses a small stream.  Continue through a lightly wooded area through a gate and continue with a stone wall on the left along a grassy path that crosses small streams.  Eventually, pass through a gate onto a grass path in front of Streetgate farmhouse and continue along the track from the farm to a road. [600m]

14.  (528933)  Turn right onto the road and follow it down into a valley and uphill to the car parking area ref 529928. [600m]