Riding Mill Walk Two

Walk 2 – Two miles.

  1. Leaving the Old Playground by the stone drinking fountain in the south east corner, cross the road (Whiteside) and take the footpath directly opposite up the steep bank.
  2. Go through the kissing gate at the top into a field and continue straight ahead, keeping Wentworth Grange Nursing Home to the left to the far side of the field.
  3. Go through a kissing gate, over the A68, through another kissing gate, following the fenced path across the next field, then over a stile and into the wood.
  4. Follow the path up through the trees, crossing a track and up again until reaching a T-junction in the path. Turn left and east, continuing to follow the path until it exits the trees, then follow the track, right to reach a stile with a dog hole by a low stone building (part of the Riding Mill Pumping Station).
  5. Cross this stile, following the path to the left around the field perimeter turning right at the wood, over a track and throught the gate and along the edge of a 2nd field, keeping the wall to the left, to emerge onto a single track tarmac lane.
  6. Turn right following this lane for a hundred yards or so before turning right again by West Broomley Farm and following the (closed) road ahead.
  7. Go through the gap in the stone wall at the end of the road, turn left and follow the bridleway alongside the A68 before crossing the road by High Shilford Farm (take care – cars are travelling at speed).
  8. After crossing the A68, follow the waymarked path to the right, once again alongside the main road, which joins the top of Whiteside bank and follow the road back down to the Old Playground.

To extend walk 2 to three and a half miles:

On emerging onto the tarmac track (point 5) turn left.

  1. Follow the lane left past Roe House Farm, where it becomes a gravel track and keep going gently downhill until reaching a T-junction with a tarmac road. Turn right towards Broomley.
  2. At the next road junction, turn right and follow the road through Boomley.
  3. After about 1/4 mile, cross a ladder stile on the right and head across the field ahead keeping the hedge on your right.
  4. Cross another stile to emerge on to the tarmac lane and continue as before (point 5 – point 8).

To extend walk 2 to five miles:

On reaching Broomley (point 10), turn left down the stony track (marked Byway), past the sewerage plant on the left then almost immediately over a stile on the left and into a field (beware of bullocks in Spring).

  1. Follow the path across the field, with the pond to your right, dropping down to the right to cross the Smithy Burn via a small bridge.
  2. Climb the bank the other side, following the path left, through a gate and heading into the trees ahead.
  3. The path snakes right by a former stile then left, arriving at a clearing with a 3 way signpost.
  4. Take the path to the right (marked Old Ridley), undulating through the trees, ignoring the path off to the left after a couple of hundred yards. (This path leads down to Stocksfield from where you can catch the bus or train home if you wish.)
  5. After a small rise, the path passes through a kissing gate and becomes enclosed by a wire fence. Once through a second kissing gate the path starts to descend. On joining a track which comes in from the right, double back uphill to follow this track which takes you back to Broomley. Continue back to the village as before (point 10 – point 12 then point 5 – point 8).

 

Walk One | Walk Three | Walk Four

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