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Farmland, wide open spaces and birds of prey

Brimham Rocks, Summerbridge, Harrogate, HG3 4DW

Overview: A gentle walk past farms, meadows and pastures with wide open spaces, big skies and a good chance of seeing Red Kites, Buzzards and Kestrels.

Grade: Mainly easy-going with no steep climbs. Some paths and tracks can get muddy after heavy rain. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on lead as the walk passes through grazing areas for cattle and sheep.

Distance: 6.2 miles (10.1 km) / Time: 3 hrs - 3.5 hrs / OS Map: Explorer 298 / Geology: Carboniferous (~ 315 mya) sandstone and some Cayton Gill Shell Bed Limestone.

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Lowest point 131 m Highest point 261 m Total ascent 169 m

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Birds of prey of prey to look out for on your walk - no guarantees though! (See last page for image copyright )

Red Kite

The largest of these birds, with a wingspan of 1.75 -1.95 metres (5.5 - 6.4 feet)

Look for :

• Forked tail when spread.

• Grey head.

• Graceful swooping and sweeping in flight, hovering into a breeze with only gentle adjustments to its wings and tail.

Common Buzzard

A large bird with a wingspan of 1.1 - 1.3 metres (3.5 - 4 feet)

Look for :

• Fan shaped tail when spread.

• Like the Red Kite, graceful swooping and sweeping in flight, hovering into a breeze with only gentle adjustments to its wings and tail.

Kestrel

The smallest of these birds with a wingspan of 71 - 80cm (2.0 - 2.5 feet).

Look for :

• A very distinct fan shaped tail when spread, with a dark band on the fan edge. It has less pronounced ‘fingers’ at its wing tips.

• A more darting flight than the larger birds, and as well as hovering into a breeze, by using its faster beating wings it can also hover at low levels in no wind at all.

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Distance measurements: Metres (abbreviated as m) are used in this guide, but in the main distances mentioned are short and approximate enough that metres and yards can be regarded as more or less equivalent. For longer distances, take 1 km as about 0.6 of a mile.

Geo-coordinates: For those who might like to use them, Ordnance Survey map grid references and geo-coordinates (longitude and latitude) are given at the start of each section. The geocoordinates are linked to Google Maps, and so you can tap them and see the location on the map - satellite view is best.

Section 1 (SE 2085 6458 / 54.07660, -1.68270)

Brimham Rocks to Riva Hill (1.7 km / 1.1 miles)

From the Brimham Rocks car park, go down the road you came in on, but before reaching the public road turn right down the track marked Private Road to Druids Cave farm.

After about 75 m - and just before the track passes between a gap in a wall with a National Trust boundary marker - there’s a footpath to your left. Take this path and then immediately the left fork to continue to the road.

Cross the road and take the footpath signposted Nidderdale Way. Follow this path for about 1 km to a stile at the boundary of Brimham Rocks. Over the stile and continue straight on, then through a gate passing the track to Riva Hill Farm on the left.

Straight on for about 250 m to a junction where the paved track turns left and another track forks to the right.

Section 2 (SE 2222 6411 / 54.07240, -1.66190)

Riva Hill to Careless House Lane (2.3 km / 1.4 miles)

Take the paved track to the left for 600 m to Warsill Parish Hall. Continue straight on passing South Lane on your left. After another 300 m or so the paved road ends and the route continues straight on as a farm track.

Keep straight on the track, and after about 750 m it bends right with Low Farm on your left.

Continue on the track - passing High Gill Moor Farm on your right - for about 400 m to a road, this is Careless House Lane. Turn right on to Careless House Lane, and in less than 200 m where it bends sharp left there’s a lane straight on which has a sign to Gilmore Foods.

Section 1 - Track to Druids Cave Farm

Section 2 - Riva Hill to Careless House Lane

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Section 3 (SE 2408 6498 / 54.08025, -1.63339)

Careless House Lane to Park House ( 3.3 km / 2 miles)

Follow the lane through Gill Moor Farm, after which the lane becomes a track. Continue on the track looking out for a wind turbine - you can’t miss it! - and just past it the track bends right and then left. At the left hand bend and on your right there’s a gate with a footpath marker on the left hand post.

Go through the gate and follow the track straight on for about 1 km through successive pas-tures until you reach a stone chip drive crossing your path, with Woodfield House to your left and Woodfield Farm to your right.

Head straight on over the drive directly towards an electricity pole just a 100 m away which has the Nidderdale Way path beside it. Follow the track down and over a small bridge, and then through pastures for about 800 m until you reach a T junction with another track - from where you can see Park House to your right.

Section 4 (SE 2283 6360 / 54.06785, -1.65258)

Park House to Brimham Rocks (2.8 km / 1.7 miles)

At the track turn right and head up towards Park House less than 200 m away. Immediately be-fore Park House bear left following the track across the grass towards and then between two walls into a pasture. The path continues through two pastures, go straight on through them keeping beside the field boundaries all the way to reach some steps over a wall. Climb over the wall, and ignoring the stile opposite turn right up the track / Nidderdale Way. The track here is known as Monk Wall and is on the route used by the monks from Fountains Abbey.

Follow the track for about 0.5 km until you re-join your route out at the start of Section 2. Turn left here and retrace your steps - straight on all the way - back to Brimham Rocks.

Section 3 - Careless House Lane to Park House

Section 4 - Park House to Brimham Rocks

Guide by Malcolm Secrett

Version 3 17-08-18

Copyright credits

Images on page 2

• Image numbers 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 © RSPB / Ben Hall

• Image number 2 © RSPB / Ben Andrew

• Image numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10 © National Trust Images / Nick Upton

All other images

• © Malcolm Secrett