Nawton Loop Route Details

A fairly long and hilly route in the south west of the National Park. The route includes some forest tracks as well as wide open moorland. Most of the route is though very deserted areas, and there are no pubs, cafes or shops enroute. Unlike some of the other big moorland routes there are several places where you can 'bailout' and return to the start by road, which does make it a good choice for times when you may wish to shorten the ride if you need to, for instance during winter when poor weather strikes.

Although the route is not very technically demanding, the length, hilliness and isolation mean it is better suited to experienced riders, especially in winter, when it can be very muddy in places.

As mentioned before there are several points where you can shorten the route. If you wished to extend the route, you can add in the northern part of the Bransdale Loop to add a further 8 miles, which would make this route very tough indeed. Additionally, there's the possibility to head west from Pockey Moor to Bilsdale and connect to routes in the Bilsdale area to make an absolute monster of a ride.

The long, although not really long, is in a remote area, with little in the way of facilities en-route. Additionally, following the flood of summer 2005 several of the bridges are still missing, which may mean you end up having to wade a river if the water level is high.

Start by parking in the village of Nawton. You’ll find two pubs there, which is the last you’ll find on this route. Take Howldale lane which runs NW from the mainroad by the church. As the lane heads north it becomes quite muddy. After 1 and a quarter miles you will reach a junction with a tarmac road from the left. In muddy conditions you can use this road to get here from Nawton and bypass Howldale lane. Follow the road along the bottom of a shallow valley until the road climbs out of the valley.

 

After a short climb you’ll reach a BW on the right at SE 640 881. Follow this downhill, and then up again through the woods, until you reach a gate. Pass the gate and carry on west across the field until you reach a gate onto a lane. Cross the lane and continue across fields to a further wood. Go down in small valley and then climb again. After going west across a field you’ll reach a road at SE 629 882.

Cross the lane to reach the edge of the wood. Turn left at the edge of the wood (ignoing the BW to the right) and carry on briefly until the BW turns right into the wood. Follow the BW downhill to the NNW. Carry on along this BW, ignoring a BW which turns left towards the valley bottom. This section can be quite muddy at times. Carry on past Howl Wood farm, and follow the track until it fades away around SE 615 815. There are several indistinct paths across this boggy field, but you want to try and head for the bridge at SE 814 889. After crossing the bridge, follow the BW to eventually reach the road near the house and church.

Turn right onto the road and head uphill for several miles until you reach the BW on the right hand side at SE 607 930. You’ll know you have arrived at the right on as it’s the first signposted BW on the right, and the route follows a well defined gravel track. Turn right onto this BW and follow it down to a small stream and then up a short zig-zag uphill. After a long slog uphill across very bare moorlands you’ll arrive at a junction near a gravel pit. If you are running late and wish to cut the route short, you can head south here to return to the start.

Follow the obvious gravel track to the NW, taking care to turn left by the small waymark post when the track splits. Continue heading downhill on the rough track, to the abandoned farm. The the farm make sure you pick the right-hand gate (not the footpath to the left). Follow the steep grassy track to the footbridge at SE 621 948 (which as of June 2006 is still missing), The climb through the woods, and then steeply uphill over fields. Shortly before a farm you'll join a gravel track. Stay on this track and pass through the farm, and follow the gravel track, which eventually turns into a rough tarmac road. Stay on this  until eventually you’ll end up on the road at SE 637 946. You can choose to either carry on in the same direction on the BW (which is very hard to follow and not recommended), or turn right on to the road. Either way, you’ll arrive at Ousegill Bridge. After a short climb, the road will start to descend gradually. Carry on SE along Bransdale road, until after several miles you’ll come to a junction to the right at SE 664 914.

Turn right onto this road, and follow it until it reaches a gate and turns into a BW which heads S to reach a road at SE 656 901. Carry on southwards along the road which eventually climbs steeply out of the valley. At the top of the hill at SE 667 881, look for a track to the left. Follow this track along the top of the hill, until after 200 yards a track heads downhill to the right. Follow this track downhill until you reach the valley bottom. After a few hundred yards along the valley bottom, look for a track on the right, heading east towards a bridge. Take this track and either ford the river, or use the bridge.

Head up the brutally steep hill through the woods, until you pass though Skiplam Grange farm. (If you are pushed for time, just carry onto the BW on the opposite side of the road which will take you towards Nawton.) At the road turn left, and head gently downhill for a third of a mile, until you see a BW on the left. Take the BW to the edge of the woods, pass through a gate, and turn right along the edge of the woods. Keep a look out for a track on the left at SE 668 866. Take this track down to the buildings at Hold Cauldron. Cross the river via the bridge, and head east uphill into the woods. Take care to take the right-hand lower fork when the track splits. After a while the track narrows and some fine woodland single track is reached. Follow the BW along the edge of the wood and cross the stream at the ford. Shortly, you’ll arrive at the church at Kirkdale. As at June 2006 the bridge was still not rebuilt since the floods of 2005, although the river is easily crossed.

At the junction just after the church, take the road which is sign posted for Nawton. You’ll soon arrive at the A 170, which takes you to Nawton and the start.