Yorkshire Walks

Leaving Westerdale village on the road to Castleton at the start of our walk

Our roadside parking spot in Westerdale village

Following the road towards Castleton

Here we turned right and continued along the road heading down Westerdale with the River Esk flowing through the fields on the left hand side of the road. It was a lovely autumn day with the low sun picking out the autumn colours in the trees. We followed the road for almost 2km to a sharp left hand bend.

The weather forecast for today was good so my friend, Jim, and I drove to the village of Westerdale in the North York Moors and parked at the road side at the northern edge of the village, map ref. NZ 664 059. From our parking spot we walked about 25m northwards along the road to a junction where there is a memorial cross and a bench seat.

The road to Castleton

Following the road towards Castleton

Sharp left hand bend about 2km from Westerdale village

Following the road to Carr House farm

Public footpath along the north side of the farm buildings

After about 200m along this footpath we came to the route of the Esk Valley Walk where there was a waymark post with the leaping salmon logo of that route. We turned left here to follow the route of the Esk Valley Walk across a wooden footbridge over the River Esk.

We continued around the bend and followed the road to Carr House Farm. Here we turned left off the road to follow a public footpath along the north side of the farm buildings.

Turning off the road to a public footpath at Carr House farm

Path from Carr House farm to join the Esk Valley Walk

Following the Esk Valley Walk to the footbridge across the River Esk

Climbing up from the R. Esk to the heather moor

Continuing along the Esk Valley Walk along the intake wall

Following the route of the Esk Valley Walk

We continued along the route of the Esk Valley Walk for about 700m following the intake wall (the upper edge of the enclosed fields).

Across the bridge the path climbed up a steep wooded bank to the heather moor beyond.

Following the intake wall at the edge of the moor

Continuing along the Esk Valley Walk along the intake wall

Following the route of the Esk Valley Walk

At this waymark post the path veers away from the wall

Well walked path across the moor

Nearer to the road the path became a wide track

The Esk Valley Walk, shown in green on the OS Explorer map, seems to be lost in the deep heather. About 150m before the path reaches the road, the path becomes a wide track and here we were back on the route of the Esk Valley Walk.

From this point the route veers away from the wall heading up across the moor to join the road at map ref. NZ 657 069. There is a well walked path but it follows the route of the black dotted path shown on the OS Explorer map.

Well walked path across the moor

Following the Esk Valley Walk along the track to the road

At the road we turned left to walk along it

Walking along the road to the junction on our left

Following John Breckton Road from the junction

Looking up Westerdale from the John Breckton Road

We turned left here to follow this road heading roughly southwest. We followed road dropping down off the moor back into the farmland where the road became an access track to the farms.

At the road we turned right and walked along the road for about 150m to a road junction on our left. The road on the left is called John Breckton Road.

Turning left on to John Breckton Road

Starting to drop down from the moor to the farmland

Following the road across sheep pasture

Following the access road towards Hawthorn House farm

Farm access road approaching Hawthorn House farm

Farm track south of Hawthorn House farm

Farm track heading southwards from Hawthorn House farm

We followed this track for about 600m from Hawthorn House farm to a metalled access road at map ref. NZ 655 051.

At Hawthorn House farm the path kept to our right and became a grassy track passing through the fields to the west of the farm.

Farm track passing west of Hawthorn House farm

Farm track heading southwards from Hawthorn House farm

Nearing our left turn towards Westerdale village

Looking across Westerdale to Tor Hill from the farm access track

Turning left on to the road to Westerdale village

Entering a patch of woodland by the River Esk

Following the road back to Westerdale village

We followed the road for almost 1km back into Westerdale village and the end of our walk. The whole route had been just over 8km and it had taken us about 3hours to walk in the pleasant autumn sunshine.

We turned left here to walk along the access road back towards Westerdale village. After about 200m the access road turned left and entered some woodland. At the bottom of a slope the access road passed over a bridge across the River Esk called Osseker Crook Bridge.

Following the road to Westerdale village

Dropping down to Osseker Crook Bridge over the River Esk

Looking across the fields towards the John Breckton Road

Approaching Westerdale village at the end of our walk