George Wilkinson is of 'sound head' as he engages with the ghost of Lawrence Sterne at Coxwold

LAWRENCE Sterne, the author of Tristram Shandy and sometimes labelled "the father of the English novel", lived from 1760 to 1768 at Shandy Hall in the lovely village of Coxwold.

Sterne's much travelled and troubled remains are interred in the graveyard of St. Nicholas, and six feet away in the porch is the line "if of sound head, a warm heart and breast humane".

We, hopefully possessed of all such qualities, had parked by the village hall, the loos and playing fields, and there we read the info-board about 'cottages and countryside' and the old village pasture that lay beyond the church.

A track threads the pastures for a mile or more, but is in some places threadbare and needs some humane TLC, but we warmed to the skylarks, strode over old ridge and furrow and down under the ashes and oaks, enjoyed the rolling hills, and felt really quite sound by Elphin Beck. Some energy was soon required when St Nicholas church rose in silhouette high on the horizon, and we ascended to the village of Husthwaite and then strolled down Low Street to The Roasted Pepper, a walker friendly tapas bar, and a tasty treat.

Then, along Nookin, under cherry and beech and by wide hedge we climbed, surely the favoured local toddle, up to the trig point on Beacon Banks for the full-on view to the White Horse of Kilburn.

This must also be the favourite village to village path and so we were surprised to find a short length churned to quagmire by outdoor pigs and nearby an electric fence tied to a metal gate. A farm bears the ubiquitous cast iron plaque of the Fauconberg unicorn, dated 1883.

Never mind, there were nice views over to Coxwold, and then, near the confluence of Elphin and Mill Becks we stumbled on the remains of some mussels, half a dozen empty shells about three inches long. The Depressed River Mussel is rare, so they were probably Duck Mussels.

It had been a memorable walk, fun if not frolic, and far from depressed we re-entered the National Park, buried ourselves in the tea rooms, had a look across the road at the charming pots in the Coxwold Pottery, wandered round an adjacent cabinet maker's showroom, and then enjoyed, or otherwise, two goals in five minutes in a rumbustious Coxwold versus Gillamoor match. Always of 'sound head' I had parked behind the goalposts.

Fact file

Distance: Five miles.

Time: Three hours or more.

General location: Fifteen miles north of York on the southern edge of Hambleton Hills and the North York Moors National Park.

Start: The village of Coxwold.

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.

Date walked: Saturday, February 22, 2003.

Road route: From York via the A19.

Car parking: Free car park at village hall.

Lavatories: Car park.

Refreshments: Coxwold: The Fauconberg Arms, Coxwold Tearooms; Husthwaite: The Roasted Pepper.

Tourist & Public Transport Information: Helmsley TIC 01439 770173, Easingwold TIC 01347 821530.

Map: Based on OS Explorer 299 Ripon and Boroughbridge.

Terrain: Low hills.

Points of interest: Lawrence Sterne's body had it seems fun dead and alive. Buried in London he was dug up by grave robbers, recognised at an anatomy lecture in Cambridge, returned to his grave, and then this century dug up due to building works, probably correctly identified, and moved to Coxwold.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Dogs: Suitable.

Weather Forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418.

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. From car park, left to road, right uphill. After church and house, left to left of two gateways into farmyard (sign on right of road), 100 yards, fieldgate and 1 o'clock across field up to far corner.

2. Fieldgate to track remains, after tree, picks up grassy track on right of hedge then fence.

3. Cross track that leads to house, gate into field (so hedge on right), gate (tied up), stile to good track. Into farmyard, left then right then stay on farm road.

4. Left to road, bridge over beck, gap in hedge and across field for 100 yards then uphill with fence to right (signed by road). Gates then into Husthwaite.

5. Right for The Roasted Pepper, otherwise, left, right at green (signed Easingwold/York). Path on left by Bank Cottage (signed), uphill, stile, stile and left, stile to path by houses, snickelgate, dog-leg left across road to drive (signed bridleway), good path, gates, pass trig point and follow wood edge.

6. About 50 yards before end of wood, the path swings sharp right for 50 yards to join road (waymark post and sign by road), left to road downhill, 200 yards. However a bit of path destroyed by pig farm activity. May be option to work through wood into next field on hillside if you are faced with a quagmire - maintain height (diversion legal if way obstructed).

7. Stile on left before farmyard, 1 o'clock downhill across pasture, stile, right then left down field edge path (hedge on right), fieldgate, footbridge and left, footbridge, fieldgate and right to road back into Coxwold.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:48 Saturday, March 01, 2003