Goathland and Park Rigg
Start and Finish: Goathland
Approximate time for the walk: 4 hours
Distance: 7 miles
Landscape: Moorland and forest
Map: O/S Outdoor Leisure North Moors Eastern area
Description of the walk:
This walk starts from the North Yorkshire Moors National car park, at the eastern side of Goathland. From south end of the car park, passing the toilet block, go down the road for about 30 yards. After 30 yards, turn left and follow the path, sign-posted Grosmont Rail Trail. Continue straight along this track (no diversion) as goes gradually down hill to pass cottage called Incline cottage.
1. After passing the cottage, turn left at the signpost for Thackside. Immediately you enter Combs wood, crossing over the footbridge. Continue straight-ahead, climbing steps and up through a path with trees on either side of the path. You then reach a figure post for Beck Hole. Turn left along this broad track for little while. At the next finger post sign, turn right and go straight head to top-edge of the wood. At the edge of the wood, turn right to exit the wood through a gate. Continue straight along the edge of wood, passing a bridleway sign. Go through gate and turn left and follow the wallside past the farm and continue straight ahead along the drive-way of the farm to reach the road. At the road, cross over the road and take the signposted path directly opposite. This path descends quickly down by a wall to the bottom. Then turn right through the reeds along a path.
2. Continue along this path through reeds. This path is very indistinctive and very boggy in places but keep straight-ahead passing some silver birches to emerge in a opening where there is bracken. Continue up the narrow path with bracken on either side of the path. You eventually emerge from this narrow path into a grassy path. Continue straight-ahead to meet a way mark gate which has an arrow on it. Follow the arrow and straight ahead to reach the brow of the field. You will meet a gate, go through it and turn left along the wall for 50 yards. After 50 yards, turn right down another path to go down the slope of the hill. When you reach the bottom of the slope, go straight ahead (don’t turn left). Follow this path to the top of the slope of the hill. Carry straight-ahead up this path taking no diversions on route to reach some heather. Carry straight ahead on this path with a lone tree straight ahead. The path is now not very clear but aim for the lone tree in the distance. Carry on straight wards to reach the tree. When you reach the tree, carry straight ahead to pass it and eventually the path starts to improve with you passing a small cairn of stones.
3. After a few hundred yards, the path becomes very clear so follow this path straight wards direction to reach a moorland road. Immediately turn left on the road and walk down the road for three-quarters of a mile to reach a set of ‘S’ bents and picnic spot. Turn left through grassy bank, to a vehicle track right to the right of the beck. Pass through a gatestile to enter Hazel Head Wood. Follow this path following the way-mark arrow. This leads to a field. Go straight ahead through the field to a stile and then turn right over West Beck to reach a ford.
4. Cross over the ford and go straight ahead up the vehicle track, passing through a gate and go for another 60 yards to meet a road. Turn right up the road for a couple of hundred yards and turn left at an old metal footpath sign. Go straight ahead, and immediately turn left at the second footpath sign just little further on. About 40 yards later, another track emerges but don’t this path to the right. Rather cross it and carry straight ahead in the direction of the moor.
5. Look now a cairn on the moorland. Carry on this path for further 200 yards before turning right to get to the cairn. At the cairn, carry straight-along this broad track for a mile. Don’t take of the left paths and keep straight ahead to emerge at a tarn. Carry on passed the tarn to your left and carry straight ahead on the path. Carry straight as the path now descends to reach a road at the each of Goathland. At the road, turn right and walk along the road through village to return once again to reach North York Moors National Park car park where the walk finishes and concludes.