Route Ref:  NYM16

Back to North Yorkshire Moors Routes

Quite a bit of climb on this one but most of it is lots of short steep climbs. Forest tracks, moorland track, farm track, tarmac and some single track...a little bit of everything. Start at Pinchinthorpe visitors center and follow the route similar to route 16 to the top of the steep part of the climb beside Highcliff Nab . Heading west, take the first or second gate on the right which takes you onto the main track. Follow this track to Bousdale Wood. You will pass the junction of the track leading from Roseberry Common to The Hutton Village road.Turn left at this junction onto a gentle climb of less than a half mile and then left at the next. A short steep climb brings you to the next junction where you need to turn left. You now remain on this track, ignoring all other turnings, pass some felled land on the right and the drop to Hutton Village on the left. Next you pass the forestry commission 'Christmas Tree' area, fenced off, before a steep climb which brings you to a gate and the junction below High Cliff Nab. Go through the gate and bear right. Climb the track with Highcliff Nab on the left as far as the steel rucksack sign. Just past here, on the right is a footpath leading out of the forest. Follow this 50 yards to join the bridleway at the fence turning left to the gate. If there are any walkers on this short stretch of footpath, be a goody and push your bike past!! As if. This bridleway could have been followed up from the bottom but each time I have passed it has looked too rutted & cattle trodden to manage easily, especially with a good gravel track running alongside. You've done 230 meters of ascent to here.

Go through the gate and follow the track over the moor and down into Sleddale. Turn right at the bottom cross the slack and climb on tarmac up to the Percy Cross Rigg Road. Turn left and follow this road for about 100 yards or so taking the second opening into the forest and down a forest track. Beware, there is a gate half way down the hill and one at the bottom. After the bottom gate the track goes back onto tarmac and over the railway crossing near Quarry Hill. Follow this road to the Kildale road and turn right and then left after half a mile to Little Kildale.

Little Kildale is exactly what it says....little. In fact just a farm house. At this point the road starts to climb quite steeply again through Little Kildale Wood and tops at Warren Farm. Keeping to the right of the farm follow the farm track downhill to the to chimney in Leven Dale. These ruins are now carefully fenced off so not much point hanging around. Cross the stream and go through a gate leading into a pasture field. When wet, this field can be very difficult as the turf turns to sponge and your wheels sink a couple of inches.

Pass through the single gate at the far side of the field and onto a single track over Kildale Moor. Unless you are at some kind of expert level, you will probably get off and push most of the way to the gate on the top. After the gate it's easy going again and single track down hill, which does get a bit technical, with good views into Baysdale..if you dare look up! The track brings you to the barns at the end of the bridleway track leading to Hob Hole. This route goes west into the valley. The public right of way has been changed here over recent years. Follow the rough path tracing the wall on your left until you come to the single gate above the bridge over the baysdale Beck. Follow the track down through the field over the bridge and pass through a metal gate onto the Baysdale farm road. Follow the road through the valley and past Baysdale Abbey before the climb out of the valley onto the ridge between Warren Moor and Battersby Moor. At the top follow the bend right and prepare for a much earned, almost two mile down hill. Turn right at the bottom into Kildale. Time for break and just on cue...Glebe Cottage Tea Room.

So when you have finished your tea and scones or whatever head off down the road and under the railway bridge. A short climb up to the the forest entrance near Bankside Farm and then its easy for a while. Follow the forest track which contours though Millbank Wood to point where a single track breaks off to the right, sign posted bridleway. Follow this a short distance and short climb to a gap in the wall which takes you out onto the Easby Moor. A pleasant single track follows the wall across the front of Easby Moor through a gate and more woods and then out in the open again. A number gates between here and Station Road spoil the down hill but there is a good techie bit for a shot distance through a short section of woods near Round Hill.

Go straight across the road and onto Airy Holme Lane which takes up a steady climb on tarmac to Airy Holme Farm. Take a sharp left at the farm and then a sharp right and continue steadily up, now on a farm track to the the gate on Roseberry Common. 200 meters climbed from Kildale. Now its down hill almost all the way back to the carpark. Continue northeast and downhill across the common passing through two gates before getting back to the woods. Shortly after the gate there is a choice of a short single track down a purpose made bit of downhill to the left or continue down the forest track remembering to turn left to pick up the route back to Pinchinthorpe.

Start Pinchinthorpe Visitors Center Car Park GR 584152 - 590145 - 586155 - 590137 - 587135 - 589135 - 594131- 603133 - 608139 - 610137 - Gate 611135 - Track Jnc Sleddale 614116 - Percy Cross Rigg Road 613112 - Road/Track 616110 - Road Jnc 617097 - Green Gate lane 612095 - Little Kildale 615091 - Warren farm 623091 - Leven Vale 625088 - Wall/Gate - 628081 - Barn 632077 - Gate 627077 - Bridge 627074 - Road Bend Baysdale Abbey 620067 - Baysdale Farm 615068 - Road Bend 610069 - Kildale 607093 - Road Bend/Forest Gate 603100 - Wall/Gate 591095 - Road/Dikes Lane 577109 - Airy Holme Farm 578116 - Gate/Rosebery Common 583125 - Gate/Forest 587134 - Track Jnc 590137 - Car Park 584152

18.6 Miles, 29.93 Kms, 3287 Feet, 1,078 Metres, N/A Gates, 76% Off Road