H 12 Coneysthorpe & Coneysthorpe Bank
Route H 12 - Coneysthorpe and Coneysthorpe Bank
The walk covers just under 5 miles and is mainly over farmland and woodland of the northern part of the Castle Howard estate. There are some gradients and views over Ryedale and over the Castle Howard estate from the high ground. No stiles and few gates. The woodland paths may be muddy in winter and after heavy rain and the section between Appleton Lane and Easthorpe Business Centre can become overgrown in summer so wearing shorts is not recommended.
The walk starts from Coneysthorpe village (OS Explorer map 300 Howardian Hills and Malton, reference SE 712713) just north of Castle Howard. Keep to the left of the green and there should be places to park outside the Village Hall to the left of the road towards the top end of the village (£1 donation per car requested by the Village Hall).
Walk directions (clockwise)
1. Start from the car park at Coneysthorpe Village Hall (map reference 712713), a donation £1 per car is requested. Walk uphill past the church and continue along a track that runs alongside fields to a wood. [total 1150 metres]
2. (710725) Entering the wood, the track turns left and, after about 60 metres, sharp right onto a well-defined footpath that continues uphill through woodland to its end at the top of a ridge of high ground. [600m]
3. (713729) Emerging from the wood, turn right along a well-defined path with woodland to the right, fields to the left and distant views towards the North York Moors. Follow this path for about a mile to a wooden sign where a bridleway from Appleton-le-Street (Appleton Lane) crosses. [1500m]
4. (727723) Cross Appleton Lane and continue on a narrower path for about a kilometre to a gate into a field. Go through the gate in the direction of a waymark across the field and through a gate and turn right onto the tarmac drive from Easthorpe Business Centre to a road. [1100m]
5. (733715) Cross the road onto a narrow path (bridleway) opposite. Follow this path around a hairpin bend with views of Castle Howard’s Mausoleum, Pyramid and Temple of the Four Winds. Continue downhill on a widening path to a junction with a track at a bend. [500m]
6. (734713) Turn right onto the field edge track that is tree-lined for a while and continue along this straight track for a kilometre to farm buildings at Bog Hall. [1050m]
7. (725708) Turn right onto a solid track (there is an alternative shorter route to the right after 120m beside a small bridge - see route H 13) and follow this for half a mile to where it turns sharp right near wrought-iron gates. There is a path on the right across the grass, cutting the corner, just before a path signed to Welburn on the left. [750m]
8. (718705) Follow the track sharp right at the corner (the short cut re-joins after about 200m) and continue for almost a kilometre to white gates. Just before the main gates, cross the grass to a pedestrian gate to the left [900m]
9. (713712) Go through the gate and turn left onto the road for 100m then cross the road to steps up to Coneysthorpe village green then diagonally left to the parking place outside the village Hall. [250m]
Anticlockwise route directions
1. From the Village Hall (map reference SE712713), walk down to the road junction and turn left. Continue for 150m and turn right through a small gate in a wall that leads into a field beside a track (with wide white gates nearby). [250m]
9. (713712) Follow the track to where it turns sharp left near to wrought-iron gates or cut the corner by crossing the grass. [900m]
8. (718705) Follow the track sharp left and continue to a junction of paths just before reaching farm buildings (Bog Hall). [750m]
Alternative to 9 and 8: Following a sign to Bog Hall, cross the track and head towards a gap between two areas of trees (views of Castle Howard). The trees to the right of the gap screen a sewage works. On reaching this point, go through a gate and follow the field edge to the right and continue to another gate. Go through this gate and turn right along a grassy field-edge path and through trees to meet a wider track to the left of where it crosses a stream (724707). Turn left and follow the firm track a short distance to a wooden sign where paths and bridleways cross before reaching farm buildings (Bog Hall). [Total distance 1150m]
7. (725708) Turn left and follow a firm track for about a kilometre to a bend to the right with a junction with a smaller bridleway. [1150m]
6. (734713) Keep left onto the smaller bridleway, following this path round to the left then uphill and round a hairpin bend, eventually reaching a road. [500m]
5. (733715) Cross the road onto a tarmac drive to Easthorpe Business Centre. Just before entering the Centre itself, turn left through a gate and slightly uphill across a field to a gate at the top left corner. Go through the gate and continue along a narrow bridleway path for about a kilometre to where another bridleway (Appleton Lane) crosses. [1100m]
4. (727723) Cross ‘Appleton Lane’ and follow the bridleway path that continue along a ridge of high ground for about a mile (1500m). After passing a gate and sign to Barton-le-Street on the right, look out for a bridleway path downhill to the left. [1500m]
3. (713729) Take the path downhill through woodland. On reaching a T-junction turn left and, after about 60 metres, turn right. [600m]
2. (710725) Follow a well-defined field edge track back to Coneysthorpe village. [1150m]
