Challenge Walk (23m approx): From the village hall cross the B1253 Bridlington Road and turn right along the footpath to the T-Junction. Turn left along the B1252 Driffield Road and immediately after the houses at Castlegate Green take the track on the left to Sledmere Castle. Turn left in front of the castle to follow the track round a curve to the right (first, glance back to Sledmere House to sense the view of this folly Capability Brown had in mind when he landscaped the area). Go left again onto the track through Cherry Wood.
Keep ahead on the track for half a mile to a wide ride on the right. Cross this grass strip, step over the log boundary and turn left along the fieldside track to the Bridlington Road. Turn right along the grass verge, taking care along this busy road to Collingwood Farm on the left. Turn into the farm entrance to Checkpoint 1 (GR 953 661).
From the checkpoint go left past the barn and on to the track going downhill to Croome Wold. As you approach the disused farm buildings turn right onto the fieldside between the field of oilseed rape on your right and barley on the left. Where a fence begins two thirds of the way up the wold side keep to the right and at the top turn left along the field and then hedge side for about 200 metres to a small gate on the right. Go through and ahead to the road. Turn left for another few yards to the hunting gate on the left and the track alongside Croome Dale Plantation.
Follow the track through this quiet Wolds dale for about a mile. Just before it enters the plantation turn left steeply uphill on the wide green firebreak. At the top go right into the plantation. There is no path, follow the faint deer track to deck and weave your way parallel to the field hedge. Be wary of low branches and fallen logs - roe deer can deck lower and jump higher than humans! Descend to the road and turn left for a few yards to a right turn (FP) alongside a small triangular plantation.
Follow the tarmac private farm road to Thirkelby Wold Farm for a few yards before turning left (opposite the Private Road sign) along the green dale bottom. Continue alongside the hedge until the set aside gives way to a field of barley. Select a suitable "tramline" and continue ahead to the far right corner of the field and go through a gap in the hedge to the grass field beyond. Continue as before along the hedge and fence side to a clear gap on the right just before the small copse. Angle slightly left to pick up the tramlines going uphill through the crop to the track up to Squirrel Hall Farm Checkpoint 2 (GR 918 671).
From the checkpoint take the track going right alongside Kirby Plantation to where it goes left through the wide gap between it and Fox Covert. Alter passing through the gap turn left (south west) off the track on to the wide country stewardship strip running along the back of Kirby Plantation, continuing along the field side where the strip gives way to a field of barley at the back of Squirrel Hall. Follow the plantation edge. Alter the edge of the wood goes left then right move on to a faint woodland path. Continue to Kirby Lane. Cross and continue ahead on the track alongside Crook Plantation.
Where the track meets the very narrow minor road up from Kirby Grindalythe ignore the bridleway sign and cross the road to continue on the farm track heading just W of N between the two fields. Alter 600 metres make the sharp left uphill turn to join a wider track, which runs along the ridge before turning right on to a broad chalk track leading down to Low Mowthorpe Farm Checkpoint 3 (GR 895 670).
Note the Gypsey Race, the only running stream on the eastern Yorkshire Wolds, passes under the farm drive and rises just to the west of Mowthorpe.
From this checkpoint the route continues along a virtually unvisited ancient Wolds dale. Crowtree Slack runs from behind the farm and is reached (checkpoint staff will direct) by going between the farm buildings and taking the overgrown track between the wire fence and the hedge around the farm. When entering the dale through a single wooden gate there is a choice of going along the dale bottom or ascending to a topside route on the left. Be warned that either route is likely to be tough going through natural undergrowth; this is a dale as it has been for centuries. As the dale sides are very steep the top route is recommended as affording the better views.
Where a small fenced off dale comes in from the left descend steeply (take care) to the (sometimes boggy) dale bottom and go slightly right and then left for a rare experience in ascending the inverted "V" to the dale end. Remember any tracks you choose to follow will probably have been made by (wild) animals well adapted to the conditions. At the dale end the barbed wire topped metal gate (long locked and no trace of key) is difficult and it may be better to ease through a gap between the wires at the top of an old track on the right hand side of the dale just before the gate.
Turn right along the right hand side of the hedge dividing the cropped fields to reach the road. Go right again along the road for 200 metres to Stonepit Hill.
Take the farm track on the left opposite waymarked track coming in from the left and follow it through to the black corrugated iron barns. Continue ahead between the barns and along tramlines or field edge to another quiet and remote Wolds dale (Stonepit Slack), crossing the fence at the dale edge with care and descending equally carefully on the left of the fence down the dale. At the dale bottom turn left and continue ahead over a rise to the edge of the next field. Turn right along the field edge and at the field corner take one of the clear tramlines going uphill to the right to the top right field corner. Take the green track going right along the ridge alongside Towthorpe Plantation. Follow this through to the B 1248 Malton Road.
Cross to the public bridleway and follow this for 250 metres to a large post at the start of the second hedgerow running off to the left. Descend left on the fieldside on the right of the hedge to enter Fairy Dale. Ignore the right hand side of the dale with its hurdle gate and cross the wire fence on the left, using the straw bales placed to help you, for the steep, tussocky descent into this little known dale. Look out for the Fairy Stones (a relic of the Ice Age) at the top of the dale on your right. At the dewpond follow the track as it loops right to pass the closed entrance of the Burdale Tunnel on the former Hull to Malton railway line. At the end of the dale turn right under the former rail bridge to Burdale Springs Checkpoint 4 (GR 872 623).
Go left along the road to Fimber and at a suitable point (opposite the metal gate and farm track ascending on the right to South Heights is probably best) cross the wooden fence on to the dismantled railway. Where the line approaches an embankment and the road alongside starts to swing to the right go through the gap in the fence (raise and replace the top bar) on to the road, pass a small triangular field and enter the next field on left. This, as you will see, avoids two dismantled bridges and consequently overgrown track. Head diagonally right across the field to the next gap (a farm crossing) which enables you to turn right along the old railway again.
Where a hedge around a cottage bars the track, turn left and follow the fieldside through to a gate on the right (keep fastened) into the end of Big Dale (although it's smaller than some you have already passed by or through!). Keep ahead across the dale side to the farm stile in the hedge. Turn right over the stile and follow the field edge round the crop to the field corner. Ignore the overgrown gate and go a few yards to the left to a suitable gap in the hedge on to the lane.
Turn right down the lane to the secured metal and wood gates by the railway bridge. Climb over these with care. Follow the field edge grass strip alongside the rail cutting. At the end of the overgrown cutting the line becomes a farm track.
As the track reaches Fimber Grange Farm turn left and then right to take the field edge on the left of the dismantled line. Follow the side of this field through to where the fence turns right. Go almost immediately left through the farm gate along the field side to the B1251. Cross this busy holiday route with care to the picnic area on the site of the former Fimber railway station. The site can be entered by going straight across the road and bearing left through the undergrowth at the end of the fence. Go right into the cleared area to pass the former station platform and turn left round the log cabin (toilets and snack bar) to the main entrance from the Malton Road. Cross with care and go left along the grass verge to turn right at the roundabout on to the tarmac drive to Fimber Nab farm.
As the drive rises to the farm buildings turn left on to the track running up York Bank alongside the B1251 road to Sledmere from Fimber roundabout. Go straight along York Bank top, through the splendid beech wood, to the edge of a side dale (Egg Dale). Turn steeply right uphill on a primrose bank to a chalk track coming in from the right. Turn left and continue on this clear track to Hanging Fall Checkpoint 5 (GR 924 629).
The village walk (see below) is joined at this point.
From the checkpoint turn left on the track, swinging right and left downhill, to the Wetwang road, Cross left and take the first gate on the right into School House Dale (sheep and lambs in this dale so ensure gate is closed), the former schoolhouse (now called Keepers House) is high on the dale top on the right. Continue along this very picturesque dale past the dewpond (where this year's village walk will be coming in from the right) to the dale end. Where the tree belt ends on the left ascend the daleside to the fence at the top left and cross this on to a path which has been cleared through the trees to return along the top of School House Dale. At The Terrace pickups track which curves right uphill and at the firebreak turn left along the grass strip to a gate ahead. Turn right and follow the track past the Deer House (pausing in front of this Greek Temple style folly to look towards Sledmere House and appreciate, as with Sledmere Castle, the view from the house Capability Brown had in mind) and continue along the southern edge of the deer park with its further views of the house. Just before the track reaches the Driffield Road look for the footpath (waymarked Circular Route) on the left which takes you back into Sledmere through a 200-year old avenue of beeches alongside the deer park.
Village Walk (start 1pm, 8-9m approx - Route will he marked, but entrants may choose their own routes, using their knowledge of the estate): As in previous years start from Eleanor Cross. This year turn up Kirby Lane and approx 250 yards along take the track on the right. This soon turns left and you continue on this and the fieldside to the pond. Turn left and left again alongside the plantation Kirby Lane. Turn right and take the next left alongside another new plantation and the track curving left to Marramatte.
Go round the farm to the drive leading to the Malton road. Cross into Mill Lane and continue ahead past the entrance to Mill Farm and then past Mill Cottage to the B1251. Cross with care to the footpath opposite and follow this to the Wetwang Road. Turn right and at the bend at the bottom of Keepers Hill take the track on the right up through York Dale wood. Follow this through to the left turn along the edge of Egg Dale and at the dale top turn left along the track (the long walk see above joins at this point) through to the checkpoint by the bird pens at Hanging Fall.
The long route turns left at this point and, this year, you join it drop back down Hanging Fall to recross the Wetwang Road and turn right into School House Dale (sheep in the dale so make sure the gate is closed). At the dale end, where the long route turns left up the daleside, continue to the gate at the top left corner and the track alongside Pry Corner, turning left at the end on to the track to Avenue Farm. At the track end go right and then half left through the wood to pick up the track along the southern end of the deer park.
At the Driffield Road cross into Castle Wood and follow the track to pass the woodman's caravan. At the castle you may go left down the main drive back to the village or turn right along the grass strip and then left behind the castle to pick up the track through Cherry Wood. Just before the Bridlington Road exit turn left along a track running parallel to the road. Turn right at the end, cross the road to the track opposite and almost immediately, just past the log pile, take the dog walker's path through the spinney to the football field (car park for the day) and thence to the village hall.
PLEASE NOTE that for conservation, land management and safety reasons (especially where livestock is concerned) the access to private land on today's walks is not allowed at any other time without special permission from the farmers and landowners concerned.
The concessionary access today has been arranged with the help and guidance of: