C 01 Northdale & Rosedale: Map & directions

Route C 01 From Rosedale Abbey to Northdale and Rosedale

The walk is through a variety of scenery – sheep pasture, alongside a large beck and through woodland. The route is up Northdale then over the dividing ridge into Rosedale and back along the minor road from Thorgill. It has short moderate gradients and there are good views of both Northdale and Rosedale.

Start from a small car park behind the (now closed) Milburn Arms pub in Rosedale Abbey (Explorer OL26 “North York Moors (West)”, ref SE725960) 

Walk details (anticlockwise direction)

The starting point for this walk is given as the car park behind the (now closed) Milburn Arms Hotel in the centre of Rosedale Abbey village; this car park is now used by a sports club on match days.

If lunch is to be taken at the White Horse Farm Inn part way up the hill to Chimney Bank, cars may be parked in the Inn’s car park by prior arrangement with the landlord.

From the White Horse Farm Inn (map reference 722955), cross the road (slightly left) and take the road to Thorgill for 150m then turn right onto a footpath* Go over a stile and downhill along a field edge to a stile and down steps beside a house to a gate onto a road. Through the gate, take the road over the bridge and at a road junction, take the second road on the right. At a road beside the Milburn Arms, turn right and after about 60m, turn left through the Milburn Arms car park [800m]

Route from the Milburn Arms car park

1.        Go out of the gate at the back of the Milburn Arms car park (map reference 725960), and take the waymarked path that follows the course of Northdale Beck across fields of grazing sheep through seven(?) gates and along a beckside path through 2 more gates to a footbridge over the Beck. [total 1300 metres]

2.        (724973) Over the footbridge, go through a gate and take the signed route to Northdale straight ahead (along the left side of a stone wall). Continue gently uphill and cross a small road. Follow the path that winds uphill past an area containing a building enclosed by a stone wall and a small lake.  [700m] 

3.        (719978) Continue round a bend to the left and turn left onto a track for about 60m then right onto a short grass path to a gate to a road. Turn right onto the road then left onto a forest track downhill. The track (muddy in winter) eventually reaches a sharp left bend over a stream at the top of a steep valley. [600m] 

4.        (711981) After the bend to the left, follow a narrower path initially downhill (“footpath diverted) to a stile at the edge of the wood. Go over the stile, slightly left downhill then sharp right past a new house and along a gravel track to a junction with another track (farm drive), and turn left to follow the farm drive to a road. [750m] 

5.        (708976) Cross the road onto a track leading to a metal gate. Through the gate, turn right on a grass path to another metal gate. Follow the waymarked path through the gate then to the right across another grass field, through a metal gate and ahead down to a small wooden gate. Cross a field diagonally to the left to a footbridge. Cross the bridge and pass to the left of a barn then up through the farmyard following the farm drive to a road. Turn right for 150m to a junction with a footpath on the left, then as 6. [1300m]

Longer alternative to 5: (708976) Turn right* onto the road past a chapel and turn left immediately after a house with a post box in the wall. Continue through holiday cottages and a farm then down through a field to a footbridge. Go over the bridge and follow the path up to where it crosses a solid track [total 1100m]. Turn left and follow the track until it becomes a tarmac road. Continue round a bend to the left in Thorgill Village to a junction with a footpath on the right [2300m]



6.        (709964) Take the footpath (the road is an alternative) across fields for 550m to meet the road again. Turn right onto the road and continue for another 600m to Hobb Farm on the right. Pass Hobb Farm to a footpath signed to the left to Rosedale Abbey**. [1250m]

7.        (719958) Follow the footpath through the gate and across a field (heading to the right of green caravans). Go through a gate then down stone steps and across a footbridge into a touring caravan site. Continue for a short distance and turn left to leave the caravan site. Turn right and left in Rosedale Abbey village then cross a road to Milburn Arms hotel then back to the car park. [600m]

**Alternatively, to return to White Horse Farm Inn,

Continue along the road for 600m to a road junction opposite White Horse Farm Inn