Comments for Castle Howard

The electric fence SE 737 696 has been there for a while, and is a bit of a pain to get past (no pun intended). The best bet is to avoid it by not turning off the north-south BW until you reach a junction with an east west BW at SE 741 694 (near High Gaterley farm), and then heading west back to the orginal route.

I rode this on 24/09/06 a day after fairly heavy rain and shortly after most of the fields had been ploughed and harrowed. The result was a very sticky section from Lodge Farm to Hall Farm and missing out the last off road piece north of Thornton le Clay...however, well worth persevering for the rest of the route, especially the west east single track running along the escarpment at the nortern end of the route and the views of Castle Howard and the Vale of Pickering. A couple of other points. I think Stittenham Wood has been extended southwards since the last detailed survey by the OS so it is easy to be misled by the current map and take a line further to the east than you should. There is now a diversion round the old Alamo Trekking Cenre (SE 740 710). As you go through the gate at Etty Little Wood (SE 737 696) there is an electric fence that forces you down into the gulley; either go under the fence immediately after you go through the gate or turn left before the gate and follow the hedge for about 100m before turning right onto another bridleway that rejoins the original route at a well signposted junction.