We skipped breakfast so we could justify a slab of cake (the Black Forest Roulade was wonderful) and a coffee to set us up for the day.The walk starts across the fields and winds along the river, then climbs up the side of the valley with lovely views. It’s hard to imagine Rosedale as part of the Victorian industrial age.
Apparently, Maggie’s young son (who was filmed a fair bit over the course of the programme) is highly embarrassed when he gets recognised by customers.Maggie sums up the warmth of the Yorkshire welcome you can expect. Maggie runs the Dale Head Farm Tea Garden, and halfway round the walk, we were ready for a cold drink. Rosedale is surrounded by moorland. At the top you cross a lane and dip down through a forest eventually coming out at a farm leading up to the old ironworks railway line. Fortunately the valley is still unspoilt, Rosedale Abbey is still lovely, and there is a delightful walk which explores some of the hidden secrets of Rosedale and its near neighbour North Dale. The owners clearly have a passion for chickens and ducks; everywhere you look are brightly coloured cockerels (which seem to outnumber considerably the rather harried looking hens) In spring the farm yard is full of chicks and ducklings.The old railway line is probably one of our favourite parts of the walk. We would use the old railway line for the return leg to the villageWe’d made a late start, so before setting off from Rosedale Abbey we topped up our tanks at the excellent On reaching the moors we joined the route of the former Rosedale Ironstone Railway, which is not a public right of way, though the owners kindly permit walkers to use it. It was a medieval Cistercian priory, which was pulled down in the 19th century – much of the stone was used to build the present church.This walk is definitely more than a stroll but well worth the time to do it. Or drive up and park near the old railway line and walk that short stretch of the walk to enjoy the views.We were lucky to walk this route last week in hot sunshine and blue skies. Rosedale valley is at the heart of the North York Moors National Park. Despite the average weather it had been an outstanding walk… We eventually reach the course of the former ironstone railway To the north-west sits Blakey Ridge at over 1,300 feet (400 m) above sea level. Further along the easy track Heading back down into Rosedale... Service is friendly and welcoming with a dollop of humour. Great for: easy access, big-sky views, history buffs Length:1¼ miles (2km) Time: 1 hour Start/Finish: Chimney Bank car park, Rosedale Abbey Grid Ref: SE 722 948 OS Map: Ordnance Survey OL26 Refreshments: Rosedale Abbey Toilets: Rosedale Abbey About this walk Walk: The path has a hard, compacted surface and is fairly level throughout.
It was originally built in the 1860’s and took the processed iron ore out of the valley and on to County Durham. Rosedale is a valley located almost in the centre of the North York Moors national park in North Yorkshire, England.The nearest town is Kirkbymoorside located some 7 miles (11 km) to the south. It shares the title of steepest road in England with the Hardknott Pass in Cumbria. We pass above Rosedale Abbey
Rosedale Abbey straight ahead... Back to the village green, and the end of an excellent walk Looking back to the far side of Rosedale, where we'd walked earlier Looking across to Hill Cottages and Craven Garth Farm, which we'd passed through earlier It took us 5 hours, but that was allowing time for the all-important café stops. From the vantage point of the car park, the moorland drops steeply away into a peaceful-looking valley. Nestled among green fields, Rosedale Abbey is the epitome of a sleepy English village, with honey-coloured houses, a welcoming tearoom and a well-kept village green. In those days the population of the valley reached 3,000, an expansion made possible by the construction of a railway which carried the iron ore across the moorland. Everything is homemade and generous. Weather: Cloudy with a couple of bright patches, warm We parked by the village green in the lovely village of Rosedale Abbey, which is now a quiet backwater, but in the 19th century was at the centre of a busy iron-mining area. It is filmed all over the North York Moors, and is a wonderful advertisement for this beautiful area. We met at the lovely Graze on the Green Café in the heart of Rosedale.
Almost 3000 people were employed to work in the ironstone mines (fewer than 300 live there today) and you can see the ruins of some of the houses they lived in on the walk.You walk along the line until you pick up a sign for the Dale Head Farm and follow the path down into the valley.
Very little remains of the railway as such, but the track bed makes a great walk around the valley top. Rosedale Abbey village is just 7 miles drive from Appleton and is the starting point for a lovely walk that we’ve done in every season since we moved here.We love it because it is a circular walk of just under 8 miles through a real variety of countryside and some beautiful big sky panoramic views.The scenic drive to Rosedale takes you over the North York Moors, and down the infamous Chimney Bank. Their home made cakes are epic, they serve our favourite Roost coffee, what’s not to like? The food is delicious and the views down into Rosedale are stunning. It runs down the side of Rosedale with wonderful views and alongside the ruins of the old roasting kilns. It has a maximum gradient of 1 in 3 (about 33%) and climbs 173m on its 1.3km route.