Yorkshire Walks

The Beadale Valley

Map based on Ordnance Survey mapping by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright.

Length of walk: 2 1/2 miles
Start/finish: Wrelton, located on the A170 between Pickering and Kirkbymoorside
Terrain: Firm road surface and field path on the outward leg; woodland paths, which can get muddy after rain and overgrown in summer, on the return leg. Initial ascent out of the village

Short, easy walk which heads north out of Wrelton along a quiet country lane, returning to the start through the delightful tree-shaded Beadale Valley.

It may look like scores of other rural communities to the outsider but the village of Wrelton boasts a fascinating past. After the last Ice Age, when this entire area was submerged by floodwater, the village was a simple settlement clinging to the edge of the lake of Pickering. Much later, during the Roman Occupation, Wrelton occupied a key position on the route between Malton (Derventia) and Wade’s Causeway on Stape Moor, and during the Georgian era, coaches would have stopped here on their way to Scarborough and Whitby.

From the centre of Wrelton go up Main Street towards Cropton and Hartoft. Pass rows of stone cottages and more modern houses before reaching the green on the right. Continue on up the hill towards the edge of the village, bending left further up. Turn immediately right after the bend and take the road for Cawthorne. Continue up the slope, passing some houses on the right. Once clear of Wrelton, follow the lane between hedgerows and banks. Glancing back at intervals reveals far-reaching views of the Vale of Pickering. From this impressive vantage point, a vast patchwork of fields, farms and hedgerows can be seen stretching away to the west.

When the road levels out, keep going between trees and hedgerows, fields and light woodland. Pass a turning for Crook Farm and Rocklands Nurseries on the left and continue along the lane between the remains of crumbling drystone walls. When you see a public bridleway sign on the right, leave the road and follow the vague path across the field, making for a distant curtain of woodland. Aim for a gate in the fence, directly in front of the trees, and follow the path, very slippery after rain, down through the undergrowth and vegetation of the Beadale Valley. After the vulnerability of the open ground, the soothing calm of the sheltered, dry valley is most welcome.

Turn right at the bottom of the bank, at the junction with the footpath and the bridleway, and follow the right of way along the valley floor. The path can get somewhat overgrown in places in high summer, though it is never impenetrable. Pick your way beneath the overhanging branches of trees and between margins of brambles and bracken. Your footsteps may even flush out the odd deer and, with a bit of luck, you might just catch sight of them moving swiftly between the trees.

The valley broadens out further on and the slopes can be seen studded with trees. When the path forks, avoid the upper trail running up out of the valley and keep to the lower route. Continue through the mixed woodland and between clumps of bracken, the path more easily defined along this stretch. At length, you can spot shafts of light through the trees ahead and soon you reach the edge of the woodland at the southern end of the valley.

Cross a stile and follow the grassy path ahead. Cross a second stile and skirt the field to its corner. The houses of Wrelton are visible now. Cross a third stile and go up the grassy path, keeping a wall on the right. Cross a fourth stile by a gate and join a track running to the road. Turn sharp right and walk back into Wrelton, passing the Methodist chapel and lines of picturesque, creeper-covered cottages as you go.

The first chapel to be built in Wrelton was the Wesleyan early in the 19th century. The Primitive Methodist followed in 1840. Both chapels were open every night of the week, playing a key role in the day-to-day life of the village. Social misfits and poverty-stricken members of the community were always given a warm welcome. Donations enabled food to be served, prepared and cooked in an old coal-fired copper, and the chapels even had their own small orchestras and choirs.

From 'Walks Around Kirkbymoorside' by Nick Channer

The information given in this walk has been provided in good faith and is intended only as a general guide. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that details were correct at the time of publication, the author and Country Publications Ltd cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies. It is the responsibility of individuals undertaking outdoor activities to approach the activity with caution and, especially if inexperienced, to do so under appropriate supervision. The activity described in this walk is strenuous and individuals should ensure that they are suitably fit before embarking upon it. They should carry the appropriate equipment and maps, be properly clothed and have adequate footwear. They should also take note of weather conditions and forecasts, and leave notice of their intended route and estimated time of return.