K 01 Thixendale to Deep Dale

map and directions

Route K 01 Circular walk from Thixendale to Deep Dale and back

A circular walk of just under 4 miles starting and finishing at Thixendale (OS Explorer map 300 “Howardian Hills and Malton”, ref 844610) with an option to extend up to 6 miles. Undulating wolds scenery (wide, grassy valleys), not muddy, some gentle gradients and two steeper ones, down and up. Park in the village street near the church where the road is wider.

The route goes on the Yorkshire Wolds Way through Thixendale village then alongside Water Dale onto the top of Cow Wold. It then crosses Vessey Pasture Dale and turns to the east around the top of a shallow valley that deepens into Deep Dale. The shorter version of the walk turns south, following Centenary Way along the top of Court Dale then down into Water Dale back to Thixendale village.

Walk directions

1.        From the car parking place (map reference 844610), walk west through Thixendale village for 400 metres and turn right onto a compacted gravel track leading uphill (Yorkshire Wolds Way). [400 metres] 

2.        (840610) Follow the track uphill and round a long bend to the right. At a fork in the track near the top, keep left towards a gate. Go through the gate and continue on a track along the edge of a field and round to the left. The Wolds Way route then crosses the field boundary and continues on the other side as a grass path to a wooden sign. [1100m] 

3.        (833618) Turn right at the wooden sign and follow the field edge path, then through a gate and down a steep grassy slope into Vessey Pasture Dale. At the bottom, pass through 2 gates and then up the other side of the valley to a gate. Through this gate, follow a field edge path to a signed junction of paths and tracks. [1100m] 

4.        (836629) Turn right along the top of a grass valley-side field (Yorkshire Wolds Way) for 1200 metres (about ¾ mile) to a sign for Centenary Way on the right. [1200m]. To extend the walk, continue along the Wolds Way for 1000m and return, or see 8 below.

5.        (848628) Turn right and follow Centenary Way that becomes a compacted gravel track that turns left then bends to the right [extended walk 8 rejoins here] as it goes downhill. At a signpost (the track ahead is no right of way), turn right along a field edge to a gate. [1050m]

6.        (847620) Through the gate, turn left onto a narrow path along the side of Court Dale, eventually descending steeply to a gate onto a track not far from a road. [600m]

7.        (850614) Go through the gate and continue forward gently uphill in a grass field. Keep within this field but on the slightly higher ground, eventually to a gate. Go through the gate and continue to the left of a wooden pavilion, then emerge from the field onto a road by the Cross Keys inn. [700m]

The following directions are for the extended walk from end of 4 to part of 5.

8.        (848628) Continue to the point where Deep Dale turns left (end of trees on the right – 1000m – then through a gate following Centenary Way and Chalkland Way for 750m. Take a field edge bridleway signed on the right for 350m and turn right just beyond a field boundary on the right and follow this boundary for 900m as the path becomes a track. Pass a band of trees on the right and after a further 100m, turn right to follow the bridleway over a field (Raisthorpe Wold) deviating right then left at a field boundary after 500m and continuing for a further 400m then through a clump of small trees to turn left onto a track (see 5). [total 3900m]