Ryedale Market Towns Trail: Part 5 Pickering to Kirkbymoorside is a 21.6 kilometer point-to-point trail located near Pickering, North Yorkshire, England that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips.
Table of Contents
The Route
- what3words for start point: ///assurance.relating.samples
- Start Point: Pickering
- Finish Point: Kirkbymoorside
- Distance: 13 Miles
GPX Route Map
Download file for GPSA linear walk from Pickering to Kirkbymoorside in North Yorkshire, forming the fifth part of the Ryedale Market Towns Trail. The route heads north through the simple landscape of woodland belts, quiet lanes, arable fields and pastures giving you chance to visit Cawthorn Roman Camps, with its earth remains of Roman fortifications and spectacular views across the moors. Turning west, you pass through the pretty North York Moors villages of Cropton and Appleton-le-Moors (with an obligatory stop at one of the inns or the brewery) before joining peaceful tracks that lead you through two steep-sided valleys, crossing Hutton Beck and the River Dove, with far-reaching views. Climbing out of the Dove valley, there is one final descent to reach Kirkbymoorside.
ABOUT
The Ryedale Market Towns trail is a 67 mile (108km) long-distance circular trail, created to allow walkers to enjoy the highlights of Ryedale, visiting each of the five market towns along the way. It is published through a collaboration with the Ryedale District Council.
ACCESS
The walk begins with a gentle but very long climb and then has several shorter but steeper climbs and descents throughout. Some of the paths can get very muddy at times so good boots are a must. You will need to negotiate two stiles (one of which has a tight fence surround so dogs may need a lift over) plus several single gates, kissing gates and footbridges. The vast majority of the fields are arable, but you will cross two sheep pastures plus a couple of other pastures that may be holding livestock, so take particular care with dogs. There is a total of about 3 miles of road walking, so take care of traffic on these stretches. Allow 7 hours.
LOGISTICS
If you are completing the whole 67 mile trail, you can arrange accommodation at both ends of this stretch, in Pickering and in Kirkbymoorside (there is also accommodation in Cropton’s New Inn and Appleton-le-Moor’s Moors Inn should you wish to break the walk into two stretches). If you are walking this stretch as a stand-alone 13.5-mile walk, you can catch a bus for the return leg. Bus 128 will take you from Kirkbymoorside Market Place to Pickering Library, taking just 21 minutes. The buses usually run hourly Mon-Sat and every two hours on Sundays.
FACILITIES
There are public toilets at each end of the walk. If you are looking for refreshments, there are lots of shops in Pickering if you want to buy picnic supplies, you will pass The New Inn (home of Cropton Brewery) in Cropton (6 miles into this stretch), The Moors Inn in Appleton-le-Moors and there are several pubs and cafes in Kirkbymoorside at the end of the walk. OS Maps: OL27 North York Moors Eastern Area and OL26 North York Moors Western Area. This walk follows public footpaths and bridleways which cross private and public land. Please respect people’s privacy, keep dogs under control and remember the Countryside Code.
