Situated where we are on the edge of the North York Moors National Park Helmsley is an ideal place from which to embark on your walk. The Cleveland Way, the Ebor Way, the North of England Way, the Inn Way are some of the long distance walks that traverse Helmsley. Add these to the numerous ‘local’ walks both from Helmsley and in the National Park and the surrounding area and the words walkers paradise do not seem inappropriate.
Walking in Helmsley
Of course we have a library of walks, walking routes, maps and lots of local books which we happily lend to you when you come and stay. Everything from 20 minutes to 17 miles!
I read an interesting article recently on the benefits of walking and I had to concur with the author Oliver Burkeman of the Guardian that ‘when I walk my head starts to clear and I start to see things differently’. Henry Thoreau seems to have been of the same opinion as he mentions ‘Me-thinks the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow’ in one of his quotes. John Muir the American Naturalist and Author (Muir Woods in California is named after him) also spoke of the benefits of walking when he said ‘I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out until sundown for going out, I found, was really going in.’
So the benefits to walking whether its a short stroll an afternoon ramble or a full day perambulating when you reach the end you will feel better. You can’t argue with Henry Thoreau and John Muir (partly because they are now deceased) but mainly because they are right!
Our most popular long distance walk from the Carlton Lodge is the Cleveland Way. Opened in May 1969 as one of the national trails of Britain (it was the second one established after the Pennine Way). It stretches for approx. 106 miles along the edge of the North York Moors and the North Yorkshire Coast. The scenery encompasses farming landscapes and forests, some unchanged for many years, dramatic rolling country with abrupt scarps and sandstone edges some with limestone capping, bleak moorlands, dramatic cliff and beach seaside scenery. All this is punctuated at intervals with interesting market and fishing towns steeped in history and literary association. The walk must not be underestimated there is a lot of ascent and descent, traverses over high moorland and some steep climbing. Highlights of the Cleveland Way include, the remains of Rievaulx Abbey, and Whitby Abbey, the Captain Cook Monument, and Robin Hoods Bay with it’s cliff-hanging cottages.
Carlton Lodge walking boots
The Ebor Way is a relatively gentle walk, taking its name from Eboracum, Roman York. From Helmsley it heads southwards to Hovingham and crosses undulating farmland to Strensall, from where the River Foss is followed to York. The city is crossed on the path along its medieval walls and is left along the banks of the River Ouse. At Tadcaster the route turns west and continues along the Wharfe valley and the Ainsty bounds to Wetherby and Harewood. Here the Way climbs to the gritstone outcrops of the Chevin and Cow and Calf Rocks on the edge of Ilkley Moor before descending to Ilkley in Wharfedale.
The North of England Way pioneered by Alfred Wainwright was intended in part to encourage others to devise their own routes, walking coast to coast connecting the Irish and North Seas. This particular route also links three National Parks taking a high level traverse wherever possible. From the west, the coastal plain is crossed to, and through, the Lake District to Shap, followed by the crossing of the Westmorland limestone plateau to Kirkby Stephen, a climb across the Pennine watershed to reach Keld and over Gunnerside Moor and Melbeck Moors to Reeth and Richmond to the low level Vale of Mowbray, before again achieving height across the North York Moors. Between Keld and Reeth you have a choice to take the high level route or a low level route through beautiful Swaledale.
If you choose any long distance walk it can be a real pain carrying yourluggage, can’t it? So we can offer some help with that. Two companies offer to transport your bags on a daily basis to your next overnight stop. Sherpa and Brigantes both cover the long distance walks we list here and others in other parts of Yorkshire and beyond.
Local walks include Helmsley to Rievaulx Abbey, Helmsley to Cow House Bank, Along the River Rye, Duncombe Park and many other to numerous to mention here. Suffice to say that if you walk and you haven’t been to see us you are missing out on a treat.
A walking lunch
Naturally we are happy to send you out fully equipped not only with maps but also with a packed lunch and or flask if you like and we have a team of specially trained dogs who are able to find you if you get lost and it gets dark! We once lost Jon Snow the news presenter on Channel 4 but you’ll have to come and stay to find out about that.