EVERY now and then by accident I meet people who do my walks, and out on the bike the other day I bumped into a couple who recommended walks Wetherby way. So we set out for Spofforth. Here the rain came down from a grey sky.

Ten minutes out of town and there were cheerful horse riders and we were striding along Low Lane, a sound sunken track of coppiced hazel, oak and berried thorn, occasionally a fruiting apple or a cherry, a pleasant mile.

That is until a farm or whatever that was an extensive mess with a capital M. After that a farm or ex-farm boasting an Olympian array of goal nets, basketball hoop, trampoline, tennis court and the horses that are popular hereabouts. Then a few fields later a luxury equine therapy centre where we saw a spin or two of dressage.

A park-like pasture beckoned, five geese flew over, and a slope took us down to ponds. The ponds are newish and look well made, probably for carp and ducks. There was nobody fishing so we stopped for a while and watched the rain on the water and ruined the moment for the ducks which circled wanting to land.

We'd been walking in something of a shallow valley, and at its head, near our turnaround point, there are three good complexes of buildings on the horizon, a farm, then brick barns then Low Hall, which is livened up by topiary.

We crossed Park Beck, passed a field of unharvested maize and gently climbed a bit on our way to Sunrise Farm. Before we got close, a DIY waymark of the wishful diversion variety could have deflected us and lost us the views. When we got to Sunrise Cottage we found demolition and renovation and also a Sunrise Cottage. By now the rain had ceased, no sun though, and our brows were furrowed by the blizzard of arrows. We took what appeared to be a sensible and civilised route outside of the garden. Importantly we got the day's best view from Sunrise Farm, miles east as far as the mist allowed, and the fast track speeded us back towards Spofforth.

On these last two miles we saw Alice in Wonderland toxic red and white fly agaric mushrooms, a huge and twisted oak, the smooth grey rain-streaked bark of beech, certain parasol mushrooms that I'm allergic to, a rush of redwings or similar in the branches and maple trees for colour. The maples nicely shield a golf course.

Coming back into Spofforth is a surprise which I'll now ruin for you by telling that the castle just pops up unannounced as one rounds the last corner. It's laid a bit low after the centuries but fun to explore.

Directions:

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

From Castle Inn, along road to Wetherby and turn right up Park Lane.

Hedged track on right, becomes grass and rough surfaced between hedges and grown-out hedges and degenerates.

Track through yard and pass house to your left, track, right at T-junction to gravel drive.

Before house, skirt to left of barns, fieldgate, fieldgate, 11 o'clock across field, footbridge over stream, iron 'A' gate, 1 o'clock up to farm.

Gate to track/yard at corner and to left of barns and turn right through yard in front of barns/stables and house, fieldgate (waymark), 11 o'clock across field, oak tree, 50 yards, stile in corner of wire fence, left to field-edge path downhill.

Footbridge between ponds, path, straight through parking area and trees to stiles and footbridge, immediately left to second footbridge, immediately right. Stile/fieldgate and trackmarks uphill to but not through yard gate then angle back down to another bridge over stream, 11 o'clock uphill, stile, field-edge path uphill, stile, right 50 yards then left up field-edge path.

At first gateway on right switch to right of hedge, 100 yards to corner, over track to fieldgate.

NB. For the next half-mile ignore homemade waymarks and some that may be official. Next, 2 o'clock across field, stile and left to track, 30 yards, through entrance to yard/houses site and immediately fork right.

NB. Here the public right of way seems to go through garden, between the renovated buildings and left in their yard, to rejoin the track at garden edge fieldgate. However, we kept out of the garden to be less intrusive. Continue on track, east (gate). Pass copse after about 100 yards. Track swings right.

Left at track T-junction.

Fork right to lesser track downhill, 100 yards, fieldgate to path outside wood (signed), fieldgate, path descends between woods to footbridge, right to path/track and ignore all side turns. Emerges on path between houses and castle in Spofforth.

Fact file:

Distance: Six miles.

Time: Three hours.

General location: Near Wetherby.

Start: The Castle Inn.

Right of way: The route is along public rights of way, with a tiny deviation.

Date walked: Friday October 29, 2004.

Road route: Spofforth is between Harrogate and Wetherby.

Car parking: Roadside.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Inns at Spofforth.

Tourist and public transport information: Harrogate TIC 01423 537300.

Map: Based on OS Explorer 289 Leeds.

Terrain: Undulating farmland.

Points of interest: In 1067 William de Percy, fresh from Normandy, was granted Spofforth along with 86 other Lordships in Yorkshire.

Difficulty: Lots of directions because of waymark problems.

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: 16:38 Friday, November 05, 2004