The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 4.6 miles (7.4km)
Time to walk: A leisurely couple of hours
Difficulty: A mixture of surfaces, slight hills & no stiles
Parking: National Trust members can park at Nunnington Hall, or carefully in the village
Public toilets: Nunnington Hall
Map of the route:
This the second of two walks I did whilst on a short break in the North Yorkshire Moors. Nunnington is a small village, best known for Nunnington Hall which is owned by the National Trust
The Hall is first mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century & has had many owners, one of which was William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton & brother of queen consort, Catherine Parr
It was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1952. This is only a short walk but the route & views really pack a punch
Let’s Walk!
1. Being members of the National Trust we parked in & started this walk from the car park at the hall
Exit the car park & turn left & follow the road over the bridge. The river it crosses is the Rye, which rises just south of the Cleveland Hills & enters the Derwent near Malton
There’s a fine view of the Hall from the bridge
2. At the junction turn right into the village…
…& follow the street along & past the chapel
3. Bear left up the very attractive hill…
…passing the Church of All Saints & St James, the oldest parts of which date from the late 13th century
There’s a tomb in the church said to belong to a man named Peter Loschy, who slew a dragon in Loschy Wood. In fact, the tomb belongs to Sir Walter de Teyes of Stonegrave Manor!
4. At the junction carefully cross straight over…
The next part of this walk climbs steadily up this bridleway…
…& every so often it’s worth turning around as the view starts to appear behind you
5. Continue up the track to the junction. Turn left along the grassy track…
This is truly spectacular walking as the views on either side of the ridge are stunning
6. The track arrives at a lane. Cross carefully over & continue in the same direction…
Again the views are amazing & there’s plenty of benches to sit & admire them from
7. Eventually the track begins to descend & arrives at a track…
Almost opposite is another signpost directing you down another wonderful grassy bridleway…
8. Now it’s just a case of taking your time following this track as it descends & enjoying the surrounding views…
At the bottom of the hill the bridleway arrives at a lane…
9. Bear left & then immediately right down the hill to arrive in West Ness…
The name Ness may mean “nose” or “headland” in Medieval Norse, as Ness is the start of the hill that ultimately rises up to become Sutton Bank. It may also come from Old English, meaning a place at the promontory or projecting ridge
The village of Ness is believed to have been split into West & East, following the Norman Invasion as the ownership of the village was split between two landlords. This land ownership split still continues today
To the East of Ness, at the base of the hill, there are a considerable number of springs. Behind Ness Hall there is a large undercover Yorkshire Water reservoir, filled with water pumped from the springs
Ness has an interesting Roman connection. It’s believed a Roman Villa or fort existed on the hill top
10. Bear left passing the telephone box…
…& look for a footpath sign on the left just before the bridge
11. Go through the kissing gate & now we’re going to follow the river pretty much all the way back to Nunnington
This really is lovely, tranquil walking
12. Pass through the narrow gate & continue in the same direction following the fence…
Cross the grass & exit through the gate & carry on through the next one
13. Just keep following the field edge…
Pass through the gap & head towards the farm
14. Exit through the gate…
…passing the old 18th century four storey mill
15. Walk straight through Mill Farm & exit through the gate on the other side…
Now continue in the same direction passing through the large metal gate. The wall on your left is the garden of Nunnington Hall
16. Continue straight ahead across the next meadow…
Now across to the right you can see Nunnington Hall
17. Walk through the next big wooden gate…
…& pass to the left of the large tree
18. Look for the gate in the to right corner of the field `& go through it…
Now turn right & walk back over the bridge back to the car park of Nunnington Hall
So that’s it. A North Yorkshire Moors walk that’s not all wind-swept high hills & steep climbs
If you’re in the area it’s well worth a look
Go Walk!