Cleveland Way: Kepwick Quarry to Osmotherley

Notes

General Data

This leg heads across the moors from Kepwick Quarry, still following the drove road. The going is relatively level to reach White Gill Head and beyond to Hambleton End, where a long descent starts. Initially the droveway descends to the north, passing an area of woodland before meeting Square Corner, a sharp bend in a road.

Here the droveway is left behind after many miles, and a path descends westwards. This skirts Oak Dale Reservoir, where the path joins a track that kisses another reservoir before heading northwestwards to meet a road. More tracks and paths lead on to descend down into a little stream, before climbing out and crossing fields to reach the village of Ostmotherley.

Distance  5.2 miles
Ascent  528 feet
Descent  1171 feet
Est. time  2 hours 34 minutes
Difficulty  easy

Map of the leg


Maps courtesy of Google Maps. Route for indicative purposes only, and may have been plotted after the walk. Please let me have comments on what you think of this new format.

Directions

This leg starts off at the end of a public road above the disused Kepwick Quarry at SE489915.

Join the unsurfaced drove road on top of the moors and follow it as it heads northwards. It soon passes a series of lumps and bumps on the right that mark the site of an old quarry. The track climbs gently for another mile, passing through a gate at SE490922 before reaching a cattle grid above White Gill Head at SE490931.

Here the track curves to the left at the head of a small valley to take a more northwesterly course; when the track immediately curves to the right, head straight on along a rougher track. This is an easy walk that gently climbs for a mile to reach Hambleton Head. Almost immediately the track fall steeply northwards; this piece of track is perhaps the most difficult of this stretch of trail. It parallels some woodland on the left and the gradient slackens as the trees end. The track goes through a pedestrian gate beside a field gate and continues on to reach a sharp bend in a road at SE479959, with a small car park to the right.

At the road, turn immediately left down another footpath, part of which runs along flagstones. The gradient steepens as it descends; after a quarter of a mile the track curves to the right through a semi-wooded area to reach a footbridge over a stream. On the other side of the footbridge the track curves to the left to head west, with a reservoir away to the left. It passes the dam and then rises up to a field gate through a stone wall; go through this and follow the track past Oak Dale Farm on the right. The track then descends to reach a pedestrian gate beside a cattle grid, with another reservoir just off to the left. It crosses a little bridge and then curves to the right and climbs steeply uphill through trees. It emerges from the trees and continues climbing, before levelling out as it continues northwestwards between fences to reach a bridleway gate beside a field gate. Go through this to reach a road at SE464968.

Turn left down the road for a few yards, and then right to join a gravel track that heads north. Ignore a couple of gates off to the left; shortly after the second turn left through a stone squeeze-stile to enter a field. A path leads downhill for a short distance to join a track that heads towards Whitehouse Farm; when the hedge on the right ends before the farm, turn right to head diagonally across a field, aiming for a corner of a hedge ahead. The path curves to the left past the hedge and descends past a stone wall on the right to reach a field gate. Go through this and continue downhill to a pedestrian gate. Pass a bench on the right and continue descending to reach a track.

Cross the track and continue downhill to a footbridge over a stream. On the other side the path steeply ascends (sometimes on steps), and at the top goes through a squeeze stile. A few yards further on it goes through a clapper gate and follows a flagstone path between fences. Go through another squeeze stile and clapper gate combination, and then several more squeeze stiles before the path descends some steps to reach a road in Osmotherley. Cross the road and head straight on along a path that curves to the right and then left, before heading under a building to reach a road near Helmsley church at SE456972.

 
 

Places of interest

Osmotherley

Osmotherley is a small village nestling in front of the North Yorks Moors. Plains stretch away west from it towards Northallerton, whilst the Cleveland Hills lie to the north and the Hambleton Hills the south and east. The village has the prerequisite church, a primary school, a nearby YHA, a hotel and B&B’s and, more importantly for walkers, a couple of pubs and a chippie.

It is a very useful overnight stop on the Cleveland Way, and the Lyke Wke Walk ends on the moors above the village.

location UID #336
 
 

Transport

The road at Kepwick Quarry has no public transport connections.

Ostmotherley has the best public transport connections available since Helmsley; it has many services running towards Romanby (Northallerton, which has a train station) and Stokesley.

For more public transport information, see the Travelline website.

Map information

Landranger (1:50,000)   Outdoor Leisure (1:25,000)
Landranger 100 (Malton & Pickering, Helmsley & Easingwold)
and
Landranger 99 (Northallerton & Ripon, Pateley Bridge & Leyburn)
or
Outdoor Leisure 26 (North York Moors - Western Area)
 
 

Photos of this leg

Looking back tyowards Boltby Forest. Kepwick Quarries.The descent from Hmableton End.The descent towards Oak Dale Upper Reservoir.Oak Dale Upper Reservoir.A barn near Whitehouse Farm.The stream to the east of Osmotherley.Osmotherley.

Accommodation information

B&B
Greystone Farm
Over Stilton
Thirsk
North Yorkshire
Y07 2LH
P: 01609 883468
W: www.greystonefarm-bedandbreakf...
E: info@greystonefarm-bedandbreakfast.co.uk

Grid ref: SE453928 (54.328487,-1.305131)
9729
inn
The Three Tuns
South End
Osmotherly
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3BD
P: 01609 883301
W: www.threetunsrestaurant.co.uk
E: enquiries@threetunsrestaurant.co.uk

Grid ref: SE456972 (54.368184,-1.299005)
9733
B&B
Vane House
11a North End
Osmotherly
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3BA
P: 01609 883448
W: http://www.vanehouse.co.uk/
E: bnb@vanehouse.co.uk

Grid ref: SE456973 (54.369138,-1.299104)
9735
 
inn
Golden Lion
6 West End
Osmotherly
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3AA
P: 01609 883526
W: www.goldenlionosmotherley.co.u...
E: info@goldenlionosmotherley.co.uk

Grid ref: SE456972 (54.368698,-1.299699)
9737
Hotel
The Queen Catherine Hotel
7 West End
Osmotherly
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3AA
P: 01609 883209
W: www.queencatherinehotel.co.uk

Grid ref: SE456972 (54.36838,-1.299895)
9738
Hostel
Osmotherley Youth Hostel
Cote Ghyll
Osmotherly
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3AH
P: 0845 3719035
W: www.yha.org.uk
E: osmotherley@yha.org.uk

Grid ref: SE461981 (54.376416,-1.29161)
9739
 
B&B
Moon House
11 South End
Osmotherly
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3BN
P: 01609 883759
W: www.osmotherleybedandbreakfast...

Grid ref: SE457972 (54.368427,-1.298854)
9740
B&B
32 South End
Osmotherly
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3BL
P: 01609 883320
W: www.coast2coast.co.uk

Grid ref: SE457971 (54.367077,-1.298763)
9741
tents
Caravan
Cote Ghyll Caravan & Camping Park
Osmotherly
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3AH
P: 01609 883425
W: http://www.coteghyll.com/
E: hills@coteghyll.com

Grid ref: SE460980 (54.375716,-1.293211)
9743
 
inn
tents
The Blue Bell Inn
Ingleby Cross
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3NF
P: 01609 882272
W: www.the-blue-bell-inn.co.uk
E: bluebellingleby@aol.com

Grid ref: NZ450006 (54.398939,-1.308913)
9746
B&B
Swanhouse bed and breakfast
Swan House
Trenholme Bar
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL6 3JY
P: 01642 700555
W: www.swanhousebedandbreakfast.c...

Grid ref: NZ443037 (54.42687,-1.3194)
9747
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