H 01 Yearsley Woods - Map and Directions

Route H 01 - High and Low Lions Lodge Farms and Yearsley Woods

This walk is just over 4 miles along minor roads and tracks, through fields and woodland and passing some small lakes. There are views of the ridge running east from the Sutton Bank White Horse to Ampleforth Abbey. The steeper gradients are downhill in the first half of the walk and the second half has a more gentle uphill slope. There may be sheep and/or cattle in a couple of fields and the ground may be uneven and muddy near to Low Lions Lodge farm.  

The route is on OS Explorer map 300 “Howardian Hills and Malton” and the reference for the starting point is SE583753. Park just inside the entrance to a forest walk about half a mile north of Yearsley along North Moor Lane on the right (the name Windy Ridge is beside the entrance).

Walk directions

1.  From the car-parking place (map ref SE583753) return to the road and turn left. After 250m, turn sharp right onto a road signed to Coxwold. Continue for a further 600m to a footpath sign on the right (into a field with woods on each side). [total distance 950 metres]

2.  (578750) Turn right through the gate and cross the field towards High Lions Lodge farm buildings. Pass between a barn (on right) and the other buildings (on left) and cross a track by means of stiles each side. Continue down the left side of a field, through a pedestrian gate (then over a low wire fence) to a wood. Keep to the left of the wood and follow its edge downhill (views to the White Horse, Byland Abbey and the village of Wass). Go through a gate and gradually veer away from the edge of the wood, gradually uphill and through another gateway to Low Lions Lodge farm. [1400m]

3.  (572762) Go through a wooden gate to the right of the farm buildings (the approach may be muddy) and continue across the muddy concrete farmyard onto a straight track for 200m to a junction with a narrow lane. Turn right onto the lane and follow it for 600m to where it meets the road from Yearsley to Ampleforth. [800m]

4.  (577764) Cross the road onto a path across a field then through a gate and along a field edge path (views of Ampleforth Abbey) for 700m to a wooden sign where the path splits. Take the smaller (right-hand) path and through a gate to Redcar House Farm to turn slightly left onto a track that is the farm drive until a short path to the right takes you to the northern end of the “Lower Fish Pond”. [300m]

5.  (585766) Walk along the path at the end of the “Pond” and at the far side, turn right onto a firm track that ascends through woodland for a distance of 800m to the first of the “Higher Fish Ponds”. The path has been temporarily diverted, so turn right here and follow the path around the far side of the pond up to a wider track to a path junction beside a seat. [200m]

6.  (595758) Turn sharp right onto a firm track and follow this gradually uphill through woodland, all the way back to the car-parking place. [1300m]