Lastingham walk

George Wilkinson came back temporarily indisposed from a city of spices, ochre, hot blue skies and sharp white mountains.

Back to Yorkshire and a snarl of late winter. So I went out and did an easy walk. The route starts in Lastingham, a village on the southern edge of the North York Moors.

Normally visitors spend time around here for food, drink and faith. But all the little roads that lead to Lastingham have skiddy hills so my exit strategy was to park at the top of one of them so I could reasonably drive home. There had been 100 lapwings on a common on the drive up.

I felt the blizzard near Gallows Hill, two riders hacked the lane, I saw only hooded walkers. Bleak sun shone on the first bench, but you don't stop if cold to the bones. The memorial on the bench was to "Mary and John Marshall also Ellis".

Through the hamlet of Spaunton, down it's steep bank and it was calmer, no movement on the lane to Hutton-le-Hole. I missed Mary Magdalene's Well but cool water soothes in summer and there are three more wells to come. Camomile Farm is below, the moors slope up north where merlins breed, so keep any dog very tight. One actually treads through the heather, but only at its margin and on a good track. Another bench was spurned.

Hole Beck required a spell of off-road exercise, a five-minute valley with a two-step ford. Then there's a stroll down into Lastingham where the weather limited the attraction of Brymor ice-cream at the Lastingham Grange Hotel and deterred dallying at the Blacksmiths Arms. But I wish I had gone down into Lastingham Crypt, it's under the church and Sir Nikolaus Pevsner wrote of it "in ecclesiastical work the North Riding possesses one building... which represents the late C11 on the highest national level". Instead I explored a few paths in and around the village, and sought out the wells, St Cedd's, St Ovin's and also St Chad's where apparently the two sons of Wulfhere King of Mercia worshiped, for which their father had them killed. Have a look around then cross the beck for Hagg Wood.

The route runs below a length of wooded bank, a continuation of Spaunton Bank. The path has recently been improved and waymarked, just watch for the rabbit holes.

Above Hagg Wood there are some fields and Oldfield Pond was half iced. This is next to Oldfield Lane which is where I started. Hopefully old George will feel better soon. Nearby stands Victoria Cross, normally the prize viewpoint to the moors and to Holiday Hill.

Directions

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

1. Road east through Lastingham (towards Cropton). After last house on right, fieldgate on right to path (fingerpost), stile, stile, footbridge, path through trees, stile into field (waymark) and 1 o'clock to fieldgate in corner (waymark), stile (waymark), stile/fieldgate.

2. Right to road, uphill, stile on right to woodland path (signed),waymarked post, 50 yards, cross path, 25 yards, waymarked post as path angles gently up, old gateway out of old wood to track near hill edge.

3. Left across grassy bank for 25 yards to field-edge path on right of hedge (fingerpost) when track ahead is signed "no public right of way". Right at field corner, 50 yards, gateway on left (waymark) to track, fieldgate at corner to track across field (waymark), pond, fieldgate and right to road.

4. Left-hand bend into Spaunton - detour for cross. Right-hand bend downhill - use grass bank to left.

5. Left at bottom of hill, bridge, 25 yards, track on right (signed). At fingerpost, track angles 1 o'clock away from field boundaries by farm towards pines then joins wall to right, step stream in valley.

6. At bench and cross, track on right (fingerpost), fieldgate, road down into Lastingham.

Fact file:

Distance: Four miles.

Time: Two hours.

General location: North York Moors.

Start: Lastingham.

Right of way: Public paths and tracks.

Map: Drawn from OS Explorer OL26 North York Moors western area.

Dogs: Legal.

Date walked: Sunday, March 12, 2006.

Road route: From York: via Malton and Pickering.

Car parking: Roadside in Lastingham.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Inn and hotel in Lastingham.

Tourist and public transport information: Helmsley TIC 01439 770173.

Terrain: Hilly edge of moor.

Points of interest: Have a look at Lastingham and Spaunton on www.old-map.co.uk.

Difficulty: Easy.

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: 12:17 Saturday, March 18, 2006