Aislaby

9:26am Saturday 1st March 2008

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AISLABY is a village near Whitby that is bypassed by the main communications to that town.

Perched high on the slopes of Esk Dale, it has its own little moor and a history of stone - "fine grained" sandstone.

We headed down into the valley on tracks grassy, stone and metalled. Sleights is the village on the far flank. Soon we could see the River Esk and the line of the Esk Valley Railway at the bottom. But we didn't descend that far because our old route runs parallel on firmer ground.

Much of the path is a particular pleasure being stone trod, the thick blocks of sandstone worn concave by the pannier carrying pony traffic of the Middle Ages. A modern waymark tells that this is part of the Esk Valley Walk. Paths have been cut through brambles, a fallen ash was sawn away from the trod; the park authority has done good work.

It was all very enjoyable. The farms a half a mile apart on the pastures and halfway up both sides of the valley, the smooth grey silver bark of wands of coppiced hazel catching the sunshine, the sandy haze of catkins.

The valley has the space of an estate and the name call - Newbiggin Hall, extravagantly carved on a huge block of sandstone, Newbiggin Farm, and now Newbiggin Farm Cottages, and so the promenade along Old Park Lane is quite rarefied.

Until Topstone Farm, now signed as Topstone Folly Farm, which looked a tip. The climb out of the valley continued with pastures that did not have the advertised bull', followed by a larch wood that ominously creaked in the wind.

We emerged at the Whitby to Guisborough road and nipped across to a wood. Here are tumuli and a trig point at 866 feet - we didn't see them, but you can't miss the cluster of three communications towers that reach above the trees. After a path cut through gorse there was a shining sea view, Whitby's Abbey and viaduct clear and ships on a white flecked sea.

Now there is just a quiet road back down to Aislaby. However, if you are still feeling lively consider a diversion around Aislaby Moor, which is Open Access Land. We explored and emerged at the Aislaby Stone, it's on the Egton Road and a plaque informs a block returned after use in Whitby Harbour. The local stone also went into the foundations of Waterloo and London Bridge.

Fact file

Distance: Six miles.

General location: North York Moors, near Whitby.

Start: Aislaby.

Right of way: Public.

Map: Drawn from OS Explorer OL27 North York Moors eastern area.

Dogs: Legal.

Date walked: February 2008.

Road route: Aislaby signed from the A171.

Car parking: Roadside in Aislaby.

Lavatories: Aislaby.

Refreshments: The Huntsman Inn at Aislaby. Iced lemon buns by Bothams of Whitby at Sleights.

Tourist and public transport information: Whitby TIC 01723 383636.

Terrain: Valley.

Points of interest: Esk Dale.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Directions

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1 Track opposite bus stop/toilets (signed), fieldgate, downhill.

2 Track on right between railings, turns to tarmac at houses and ignore right to Newbiggin.

3 Pass Lodge Farm, 100 yards, fieldgate on right (fingerpost) and trod to left of hedge, fieldgate, gate (waymark), cross field, gate (waymark) and into trees 4 Footbridge and steps, right to path, 50 yards, right on metalled drive (fingerpost), 25 yards, path on left (fingerpost), uphill through wood, trod to gate out (waymark), stile/gate (waymark), gate/fieldgate and path now to right of hedge, pass wood, gate to path in wood (waymark), gate/fieldgate out (waymark), fieldgate, fieldgate into yard (waymark).

5 At right-hand bend, stay on drive uphill and leave Esk Valley Walk. Left to road. On sharp left-hand bend near house take track on right (signed).

6 Fieldgate into yard, pass farmhouse, fieldgate out to grassy path (waymark), left uphill in conifer copse at waymarked post, path s' bends up through copse to gate at top right-hand corner (waymark, had bull sign).

7 Old grassy path angles 11 o'clock through field, fieldgate (waymark), 11 o'clock for 100 yards, left up by garden, 25 yards, gate and right into yard and drive out (waymark).

8 Right to verge of main road 200 yards, gate on left (signed), 1 o'clock across field, gate into wood (waymark) to path at 1 o'clock. Left at junction with track, 25 yards, track on right and pass old container, rubble, masts and associated buildings, straight across main track to path in trees (waymark), 100 yards, right fork at Y junction (waymarked post), path through gorse scrub after wood.

9 Cross main road and left to verge. Right downhill at junction to return to Aislaby.

Map of the walk>>