LASTINGHAM was very quiet. We sat on the village bench, pulled on our boots, speculated on how many of the pretty sandstone houses were holiday cottages and eventually realised that the immobile pigeon in a dovecote was not alive, but not dead either.

The same could be said for the village, the lack of locals mitigated by the animation of streams, saintly wells and mystical history.

A man steamed off on a 20 mile recce for the Long Distance Walkers' Association. We sauntered through the village, over a beck, by St Cedd's Well, then Spring Cottage, Bridge Farm and after Prospect House an Inn Way sign pointed to a path into the countryside.

A lofty slab bridge crosses Ings Beck to woods and terraced pastures. There was a chugging and a groaning of Monday morning harvesting. Big sodden bales sat in the small high-hedged fresh-cut fields, a pigeon clapped in the alders and misty rain filled a steel grey sky. This is a pretty valley, nice agriculture, rather a lot of pheasants though, so tame they could have been despatched with a trekking pole never mind a shotgun.

Next we took the valley bottom road and there met only two walkers and a laden tractor and then, after a conker tree and a lime tree, reached the farmstead of Lower Askew. Here you can see how the water was dammed for a corn mill.

A dead-end road cum track took us on a gentle half mile climb with hedges rich with fruit trees and an old sunken track beside. We were heading north now, catching views of Cropton Forest to the east and soon hit the heather moors.

A mile of snaking track led over Askew Rigg, easy walking through the purple. The only time we had to concentrate just a little was at our turn off point. Here, as is often the case on grouse moor, there was no official sign, but thankfully there are small cairns, also a local enthusiast has stuck in small yellow topped sticks and this means that our path down into the valley was unambiguous, narrow but obvious and well used.

So we reached a confluence of clear steams, but note they can be little torrents after snow melt.

The climb up the other side was quite steep but only five minutes worth and there were splashes of vivid mosses in the heather and small black-headed birds that chirped.

Ten minutes later we were at Lastingham's stylish Millennium Cross and a minute later were reading that dogs and walkers were welcome at the three star Lastingham Grange Hotel.

What else? Another saintly well, the Blacksmiths Arms and the 'tremendous' eleventh century crypt under the church; a nice little walk in all.

Directions:

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

1. From seated on bench on green left along road (towards Cropton), bends right then left. After Prospect House, the last house on right, fieldgate on right to path (signs), 2 stiles. Stone slab footbridge, path continues through trees then field, fieldgate and keep by trees to right, stile, field-edge path.

2. Stile/fieldgate and left to road. At Lower Askew ignore road to right and take road signed Lastingham.

3. At bend, straight on to track (no sign), gently uphill.

4. Cattlegrid to moor and immediately fork left to grassy track, ignore left fork after 50 yards, track becomes stony.

5. At cairns marking paths on both sides of track and a small DIY waymark stick, turn left to narrow path down through heather. Over stream at confluence. Path uphill, at top joins wall and track that bends left down to fieldgate at Millennium Stone and view bench. Road down into Lastingham.

Fact File:

Distance: Three and a half miles.

Time: Two hours.

General location: North York Moors.

Start: Lastingham village.

Right of way: The route is on public rights of way.

Date walked: Monday 6 September 2004.

Road route: Via Hutton-le-Hole.

Car parking: Roadside.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Inn and Hotel.

Tourist & public transport information: Helmsley TIC 01439 770173

Map: Based on OS Explorers 26 and 27, North York Moors Western and Eastern areas.

Terrain: Valley and moor.

Points of interest: St Mary's Church.

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.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:31 Saturday, September 11, 2004