Farndale Loop Route Details

The route is in the remote central part of the park, north of Kirbymoorside in the Farndale valley. The riding is predominantly offroad with short road sections on very minor roads which are empty of traffic. There’s a good mixture of farm track, moorland single track and access roads. Be warned, one particular section is mostly unrideable and you’ll end up pushing and carrying your bike, because of this and lots of climbs the route will probably take much longer than you’d think.  

A lot of the route will stay rideable all year, but quite a few parts are almost always boggy, especially around the big bike push on Westerdale Moor. To make matters worse this section is also very overgrown with bracken, so the route is best attempted in dry weather, and even then wet feet are to be expected. Expect to push and even carry your bike in places. 

You can shorten the route by heading up to Bloworth Crossing from the end of Farndale. If you don’t feel confident with the technical descent into West Gill you can instead descent via the gravel track heading east from SE 640 974. The BOAT from NZ 656 056 is broken, boggy and partially unrideable, instead you can walk your bike along the footpath which runs along the east side of the stream (the footpath is also so rough and boggy in places you’d be hard pressed to ride it even if it was legal to do so).

The remote upland nature of the parts of the route means you need to be appropriately equipped for a day on the hills. There are no shops so you will need to carry everything you need. This is not a route for inexperienced cyclists, and should be only be attempted by fit, well prepared riders, especially in the winter months. Farndale is sleepy for most of the year, but during the daffodil season in March, the roads become busy with sightseers and parking can be a problem.

Park in the car park at Low Mill. There are toilets in the car park, and a café which is open during daffodil season.

From the car park, head north on the minor road which undulates along the western side of the valley. Ignore the road which descends to the valley floor after a few miles, and carry on along the valley. After three and half miles you will pass a gate, and the surface changes to a progressively rougher track.

There is a short cut which take you to the other side of the valley at SE 639 997, but ignore this and carry on up the valley. You will pass the sign saying ‘End of lane’ near Spout House, after which the track becomes rougher still and very overgrown and boggy in places.

Cross the stream via a ford, and head north up the field along the fence line. At the gate turn right and head south east along Dale Side Road (unless taking the short cut which lead NW up the valley head to the Rudland Rigg drovers road).

Follow the farm track which meets a minor tarmaced road. After a short descent and a further climb the road flattens out. After a short descent look for a BW to left. Turn left and  climb across fields, up towards the moors. Some of way is rideable, but you’ll probably push the bike at some point before meeting the old railway at NZ 654 007.

At the railway follow the gravel track which descends northwards on the other side of the old track bed. After a gate and a short steep descend you have a choice: You can either walk the bike along the footpath which runs along the left side of the stream (most of it is unrideable anyway), or attempt to follow the BOAT which crosses the stream to the east side in the woods, and then climbs up towards the edge of the moors below the scarp. There are broken sections of track to follow, but a lot of the time you will be walking the bike through boggy ground and bracken, and even have to carry the bike in places. This section is far from ideal mountain biking but without it some of the good parts of the route would not be reachable. Eventually you will be able to ride again along the sheep tracks above the fence, and be able to descend to Waites House Farm.

At the farm, descend the farm track north west to join a minor road which crosses a small stream. Carry on up the short sharp hill until you reach a ruined building on the left. Go through the gates (the waymarking for the BW is missing) and descend along the left side of the field until you reach the woods. Descend through the woods to a ford. Take care with very slippery rocks in the ford, and climb north through a boggy field to reach a farm track around the valley side.

Go right (north) on the farm track which crosses fields and passes Hawthorn House farm. After the farm the track is surfaced with tarmac. At the fork you must take the left hand (uphill) fork, and climb toward open moorland on your left. A metal pole marks where the BW is starts to the left up a moorland track. Follow the cairns (piles of stones) rather than the landrover track, and pass along some rocky moorland single track. After a small descent the path climbs again before heading down a rocky descent towards a stream. The surface becomes very rough and rocky before just the small bridge. After the footbridge turn right downstream briefly before meeting a moorland track. Turn left sharply and climb the orange coloured gravel track upwards.

The BW follows the moorland track gradually climbing, before the track forks. The BW then descends towards the edge of the forest, and you must turn left and follow the treeline before meeting a track which comes up through the forest. Climb up the track (there is actually a track which short cuts this section but this is not a right of way, although it’s unlikely anybody would notice) and follow it across featureless moorlands. The track descends slightly and at NZ 632 049 you should take the right-hand fork, and not carry on down to the shooting hut. Once again follow the easy moorland track south over the moors which eventually descends sharply into a small valley before turning to head north. As you climb up out of the valley, a turn to the left is visible.

Take the track which climbs to the west, and then heads south west. After nearly a mile since the turn, you will see a large mound and the track appears to end. Follow the path south west to meet a gravel track which runs along the top of the edge. You should see a sign prohibiting motor traffic just before the junction with the gravel track. Turn left, and follow the gravel track south. You should see a parallel track to the west which former course of the old mineral railway you crossed further up the line.

Just after a mile on the gravel track, you will climb up to cross the old railway at Bloworth Crossing. There is nothing here now, but this used to be a level crossing on the old mineral railway which ran between Rosedale and the top of the incline you passed earlier. On a winter’s day this can be a bleak, forbidding place. After crossing the old railway continue south east along the drovers’ road which runs along a ridge. After nearly 3 miles you should see a track heading east on the left side on the track. Ignore this unless you wish to avoid the steep downhill (see alternatives) and carry on for a further third of a mile until you see a post with a blue BW marker pointing ahead. Carry on a little more, until a track joins on the right at SE 644 686. Then look for a rough track heading left (east) along the little of grouse butts which are small stone shelters used by grouse shooters.

The path slopes gently downhill before getting steeper as it descends into West Gill. Suddenly the path gets interesting as you round a corner with some interesting rocky bits and a steep slope to the left. Follow the path downhill along the side of the valley on a wonderful descent that will test your skills and nerve, until you pass a gate into a rough pasture. The path then descends in a zig zag down the field to a gate, and then shortly afterwards a wooden bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the rough farm track down the valley, past some old ruins before arriving at Horn End farm. Pass through the farm and descend the farm driveway until it meets the minor road. At the minor road turn right and descend to the car park at Low Mill.