Bill's Walks

A Walk from Masham to the Druids Temple

Filed under: Other

Distance: 12.5 miles
Start: Masham
Map : OS Explorer Map 298 – Nidderdale and OS Explorer Map 302 – Northallerton & Thirsk

Click to view start position on Google Maps

There was a 50mph gale blowing and the promise of heavy showers in the North Pennines so it was an easy decision to go to more hospitable territory. But where? After a short discussion it emerged that neither Alan, Brian or Les had been to the Druids Temple near Masham so there we went parking in the square at the centre of the town. Of course we only had the Nidderdale map and the path to the temple was on the Northallerton and Thirsk map Explorer 302. This was purchased at the Tourist Office and a brief examination showed that the route to the temple was on the Ripon Rowel Walk. This is a 50 mile circular walk around Ripon and was devised by the Ripon Group of the Ramblers Association. It is specifically highlighted on the Explorer maps and we then made another decision to buy the book and do the whole walk in the winter, a nice lowland walk! The man in charge of the Tourist Information Centre promised that we would find it a better than expected walk.

The route out of Masham passes the Theakston Brewery (be careful there is also the Black Sheep Brewery) and leaves Masham at the north-west corner of the town along Westholme Road after the brewery. The book is written with the walker going in a clockwise direction so there was a little bit concentration needed as we were going anti-clockwise but in any case the waymarking is excellent and l can only assume that the Ramblers Association had an input here. You leave up a lane passing a cattle food factory and this soon changes to a footpath. You then pass to the left of some buildings and emerge on to Micklebury Lane after half a mile where you turn left (south) down to the bend where the road changes name to Havernook Lane. Here you turn west on a good bridleway over Fearby Low Moor to another road where you turn left (south) down past Swinton Saw Mill and on to Explorer 26 (298) for those with newer maps. This Nidderdale map will be used for the rest of both this walk and the Rowel Way, although the last mile into Masham is back on 302.

After crossing the beck you continue uphill on the road for a short distance to a junction where you go west and, where the road heads south, continue west passing Broadmires Farm. The route is clear past Hall Wood and at GR168794 there is a three-way signpost. You have to virtually go back on yourself and head east-south-east aiming for the stile near Broadmires Wood, which is crossed, and continuing in the same direction you reach Knowle Lane (after transferring to the other side of Knowle Plantation). Here you leave the Rowel Way for a short time and head south-west up the dead end road to the Druids Temple.

This is an early example of job creation in the early 19th Century by William Danby of Swinton Hall and is obviously based on Stonehenge although there is also a cave on the site. It was built when Swinton Hall had been completed to keep the workforce employed. After walking round the site it is back down the lane for a short distance to where you emerged onto Knowle Lane and the track taken south passing High Knowle Farm and descending to Sale Beck Plantation where you head east to a road. Here you turn right, cross the beck and head up steeply to Ilton Village, a pleasant spot and worthy of a rest.

At Manor Farm you drop down the waymarked path which is wet here and cross the stile on to the grouse moors and butts heading south-east. You are on open moors here and although they are not high there are great views all the way to Tyneside, Teeside and the Cleveland Hills. After about a mile you come to a very good lane at Moscar which looks a very good way onto open moors all the way to Nidderdale. Here we leave the Rowel Way and head east down the access road to Moscar and continue straight ahead on the road past Hutts Cottages. Shortly after passing these there are two footpath signs on the left at the entrance to Nutwith Common Wood. Take the nearest to the road and on a good path walk through some excellent beech woods. This is a lovely woodland walk for two miles to the Grewelthorpe road where you will see a car park just to the left on the other side of the road. This is for visitors to Hackforth Wood which was purchased recently for a large amount of money by the Woodland Trust. There is full access (as in all Woodland Trust properties) to the full 117 acres which was bought by the Aislabie family in 1731. The same family owned Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey where they developed follies, ponds and cascades.

Eventually you arrive at the River Ure which is followed upstream through masses of Himalyan Balsam passing Nutwith Cote Farm which has bee bowls and unusual dovecotes. It is necessary to leave the Ure some distance after this and come inland to the road to cross the River Burn before returning to the Ure. It is now only a mile back to Masham alongside the river on the Rowel Way passing the sewage works and arriving back to the square. All in all this is a very varied walk and as the man said in the Tourist Information Centre surprisingly good!