THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Coxwold, and Beacon Banks

this for 550 metres to reach a lane Follow this lane straight on for Walk information leading to Coxwold Park House (to 4150 metres to reach Lists House, your left). where you carry on passing the Distance: 7.8 km (4.9 miles) houses on your right to reach the Time: 2 hours end of the clear lane. Continue Cross over the lane and through straight on along the enclosed Maps: OS Explorer Sheet 299 2the gate opposite, and follow the grassy track ahead, and follow Start / Parking: Plenty of on- grassy path straight on through this gently rising up (Alpacas in street parking throughout Coxwold trees to soon reach a gate that the fields to your right) for 450 Refreshments: Pub and cafe at leads out onto a field, after which metres to reach a Trig Point on Coxwold. carry straight on alongside the your left, just before the fence fence/hedge on your right to reach ends on your right. Carry straight How to get there: From the A19 to a stile at the bottom of the field on along the clear path along the east of , follow a minor that leads onto a farm lane. Follow the top of the wooded slopes of road eastwards to reach Coxwold this lane straight on (to the right) Beacon Banks for a further 700 (Caravan Route that avoids Sutton for 500 metres to reach the large metres then, as you approach the Bank). group of barns and farm buildings farm buildings of High Leys in Terrain: Field tracks and paths, at Angram Hall. Follow the clear the distance (radio mast), follow country lanes. Very muddy in lane turning sharp left between the path bending sharp right to places. the barns, then sharp right, then quickly join an unfenced road. Caution: Take care walking along left again and right heading away Follow this road to the left down to the roads. I encountered horses in from the farm buildings to soon reach the farm buildings of High some of the fields. join a road. Turn left down along Leys. the road to reach the ‘hump’ of the former railway line, just beyond Just as you reach the farm Points of interest which you cross the brick-built 5buildings of High Leys, take Elphin Bridge over Elphin Beck. the footpath to the left over a stile through the hedge (signpost), HIS walk is one of the after which bear to the right down most beautiful walks I have Cross the bridge and walk across the field to reach a stile done in a long time, with 3along the road for 150 metres T in the hedge at the bottom of the incredible views for most of then take the path to the right field. After the stile, bear right the way, particularly from Beacon (signpost) across the muddy down across the middle of the Banks. field (temporary fence at the field to reach a gate in the bottom time of writing) for about 100 right-hand corner of the field, metres before heading up to the Coxwold is only just inside the after which walk straight down old signal box as you walk back into left across the middle of the boundary of the North Moors The walk the field along the clear grassy Coxwold. field (indistinct path) heading National Park, and stands as its track alongside the hedge on your towards the right-hand side of most southerly point. It is easy to The lovely village of Huthwaite right to reach a small footbridge From the centre of Coxwold, the tower of St Nicholas’s Church see why the boundary was extended is situated on a hill, with superb 1walk up the main street passing across Mill Beck to your right at to include Coxwold, for this is a views. Again, its church dominates at Husthwaite. Follow this path the bottom of the field. Cross the the Fauconberg Arms on your up to reach a small gate at the beautiful village with a sloping the skyline. This has been a right and then St Michael’s Church footbridge then turn left along the main street lined with mellow settlement for a long time, as its top of the field, then follow the edge of the field and alongside on your left and continue along enclosed path straight on to join stone cottages. St Michael’s Church name is derived from the Viking the road out of the village to reach the stream, passing its confluence a track just before a house, which stands on the top of the hill, its words for ‘home in the clearing’. the brick-built Shandy Hall on with Green’s Beck, and continue you follow to the left passing the along the field edge / stream, unusual octagonal tower visible Beyond Huthwaite, we follow the your right, on the very edge of the church tower to join the main curving round to the right to soon for miles around. There has been path across Beacon Banks. This village. Just after you have passed road through Husthwaite. Turn reach a bridge to your left that a church on this site for well over is a truly wonderful path with Shandy Hall, take the footpath to left along the road, passing the leads onto the road. Turn right a thousand years, although the 360 degree views right across the left (signpost) and follow the church on your left and the along the road (take care) back present building dates from the 15th , with the White Horse clear path alongside the hedge on triangular village green (and into Coxwold. Century. Just beyond the church of Kilburn clearly visible. Whilst your right across two fields. After road junction) on your right, Mark Reid is Shandy Hall, one-time home of walking along Beacon Banks I the second field you join a grassy Rev. Laurence Sterne in the 18th then continue straight on along spotted a barn owl and a hare, not unenclosed track, which you Boots and Beer Walking Weekends Century. Sterne is best known for to mention lots of alpacas! follow to the right up across the High Street towards ‘Coxwold, his novels Tristram Shandy and Thirsk’ through the village to Aysgarth Falls, Yorkshire Dales: field to reach a gate in a fence in Sept 9-11 Sentimental Journey; he was also the top corner of the field (superb reach a T-junction with another walkingweekenders.co.uk the vicar of Coxwold. If you have any suggestions for views). Head through the gate and road (Kays Bank). Turn right Our route crosses the line of the walks, please send them to me via follow the obvious track straight up along the road for 250 metres Twitter @teamwalking then, where the road levels out, Unique corporate activity days, former Malton & Thirsk Railway. on across the field, at the end of navigation skills and team building This rural line opened in 1853, and You can also post your own photos which carry straight on along the turn left along the lane (signpost ‘Newburgh via Beacon Banks’). experiences in the great outdoors. was a popular route to the coast, from the walk with the hashtag clear grassy track alongside the teamwalking.co.uk but closed in 1964. Look out for the #northernechowalks hedge/trees on your left and follow

among those who dislike the best season so far recorded petitioners and conservation Birdwatch By Ian Kerr peregrines, that their numbers in the county. But compilers of bodies and promised to fund its have increased sharply. In fact, the county’s annual bird report work for the next four years. HE other day as I scanned a the world’s fastest creature, a national survey two years were disappointment that once It’s certainly welcome news party of lapwings, black- something most of us can ago showed Britain’s had 1,505 again there were no breeding for threatened wildlife at home, T headed gulls and starlings pairs, just 68 more than back attempts in upland areas, despite, now fairly regularly enjoy in including peregrines. It’s also bad feeding in a wet pasture they the region. But to understand in 2002. What has changed is ironically, four traditional sites news for those involved in illegal suddenly exploded into the air. its speed some comparisons their distribution. Northern being in the so-called North shooting and poisoning and for The gulls and lapwings called in might help. Usain Bolt wins and western upland areas have Pennines Special Protection Area. the huge international trade in alarm and the starling swirled in Olympic gold at around 30mph. lost pairs to increased lowland They blamed continued illegal endangered species, for which the a tight defensive pack. Greyhounds, racehorses and nesting in quarries, on sea-cliffs activities and persecution. It’s unit has a remit. The cause was quickly many deer touch 45mph. The and, increasingly, buildings. certainly sad that in the second apparent. A cock peregrine, fastest land creatures, cheetahs, Peregrines have long nested on decade of the 21st Century a pictured, was a dark anchor- briefly touch 70mph. Many birds an industrial plant on the Tees species which has the highest shape against the sky until the move at 90-100mph. Peregrines, in and for the past two years have levels of legal protection should sun suddenly caught his white a steep hunting dives or “stoops”, attempted, unsuccessfully, to still be facing persecution. breast. Ignoring the panic becomes feathered missiles at 180- breed on a north east bridge. There is good news about the below, he sailed serenely on 200mph. Even when not stooping, They are doing well generally police National Wildlife Crime with a series of fast wing beats they easily outpace most birds in across the north although they Unit which had faced the axe this and short glides and quickly straight flight. struggle in County Durham. month when funding ran out. The vanished. There’s a general During the survey period six government has finally bowed It’s always a treat to see misconception, particularly lowland pairs fledged 16 young, to pressure from MPs, internet