Rosedale

The Moorsbus took us up through Hutton-le-Hole and over the moors all the way to the top and the Lion Inn at Blakey. We were wearing our Moorsbus badges, a capital M', or if upside down a W' for walker', or otherwise if, as the case, map and compass were left on the bus.

I was too concerned with berating the culprit and left my expensive sun hat in the pub.

Never mind, within minutes of leaving the heaving hostelry, we were on our track and this route didn't require map or compass, plus, it being a tennis final day, sunhat.

And the angst of loss was blown away by the views of the majestic valley. Rosedale is one of the four long valleys'; it channels down from the geological centre of the North York Moors, the east/west watershed, and runs south, deep and wide for miles.

One takes the track bed of the Rosedale railway line that serviced the western side of the valley. This was built in 1865 to carry ironstone from the mines to the many Middlesbrough furnaces. The 14-mile line of the track is clear to see as it loops round the wild head of the valley and along the opposite flank, the east side.

It's this east side of the valley that holds the eye. Looking across as one walks is easy, the track bed is smooth even 70 years after it was abandoned. There is hardly any gradient, an altitude of around a thousand feet is held for five miles.

After a while, one passes opposite 15 arches on the east flank; these were calcinating kilns for roasting the ironstone to make it lighter for transport; 300,000 tons were produced in 1864. Further along, and again on the far side, are short terraces that were miners' dwellings, now mostly holiday cottages.

The modern history of the Rosedale line significantly concerns the battle over its status, especially for cyclists, it being a near perfect riding surface.

The vegetation is a nice two tone, the bright green of the bilberry and the darker heather, and of course the latter will be purple in August sometime.

There's a fenced-off shaft, for ironstone again, dug 275 foot deep. From here there's a gill running down to the hamlet of Thorgill. But we stay on the line and pass a flamboyant and lettered bench.

From now on, the valley takes a more complex shape, is part filled with humps and hills and soon caravans. Luckily sight of these doesn't last long, because we leave the line and do the only bit of this route that isn't dead easy, a steepish twisting descent and then a crossing through, of all things, a mini golf course to come out at Rosedale Abbey for a cuppa and a wait for the Moorsbus.

Our ride home involved a change at Hutton-le-Hole where we learned that our map and compass were safe, watched the vintage tractors, had a celebratory ice cream and viewed the photos of cornfield flowers at the Ryedale Folk Museum. The Moorsbus is fun. Anyone seen my green Tilley sun hat? Had been rather attached to it; there should be my name and phone number in the internal pocket.

Directions

1. Lion Inn, north 50 yards along verge, path on right after paddock (fingerpost).

2. Right to old railwayline track.

3. After fancy bench. Barriergate and blocks, 50 yards, track on left down, 50 yards, at three trees grassy path downhill 100 yards, left downhill 50 yards, keep fence to your right, path becomes sunken. Stile.

4. Ladderstile on right (fingerpost), 100 yards, ladderstile on right, 100 yards across golf course, left at fence/shed, stile out of parking area, cross road, stile (waymark), stile and steep steps by house, gate and left to road into village.

Fact file

Distance: Five and a half miles.

Time: Two to three hours.

General location: North York Moors.

Start: The Lion Inn at Blakey.

Right of way: Public.

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

Dogs: Legal bar 100 yards. Well behaved and clean dogs are welcome' on the Moorsbuses, but the drivers have the ultimate discretion'.

Date walked: July 2006.

Road route: Moorsbus.

Car parking: Moorsbus.

Lavatories: Rosedale Abbey.

Refreshments: Lion Inn at Blakey, inns and teashops Rosedale Abbey.

Tourist & public transport information: Moorsbus inquiries 01845 597000, www.moors.uk.net/moorsbus.

Terrain: Valleyside.

Points of interest: Rosedale might mean valley of the horses'.

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.