Village Walks

Directions:

1. At the Forresters Arms turn right and head up the road through Low Kilburn past the Mouse Man museum, showrooms and workshops on either side of the road, towards the White Horse, ignoring the first turning on the left that would take you to Thirsk, Carry on up the road, past the millstone sign for the National Park, towards the horse until you reach a fork in the road.

2. Take the right-hand lane towards Oldstead,

3. The turning for High Kilburn is signposted. Take the road that turns off to the right and keep an eye out for a green footpath sign on your right.

4. The footpath takes you over a stile then steeply uphill through the trees to a yellow arrow way-marker. This section is steep and can get quite slippery. If the going seems too rough for you the alternative would be to carry on following the road up to High Kilburn. Keep the field to your right and make your way through the gaps in the gorse bushes, keeping the tree-filled drop to your left to another way-mark post where you head across the middle of the field to a gap in the hedge and a well-defined path or "green lane between two hedges. Head straight on over a fence with a narrow stile and continue on the green lane downhill into High Kilburn.

5. Once on the large village green at High Kilburn head right on the road. As the road veers to the left take the gate straight ahead onto a well-marked, tarmac path. Ignore the stile and follow the path downhill inside the fence. Go through two kissing gates to cross a farm track, and then the path takes you into the Churchyard, onto Kilburn's square and back to the village square.

Directions:

1. At the Forresters Arms turn right and head up the road through Low Kilburn past the Mouse Man museum, showrooms and workshops on either side of the road, towards the White Horse, ignoring the first turning on the left that would take you to Thirsk. Carry on up the road, past the millstone sign for the National Park, towards the horse until you reach a fork in the road.

2. Take the right-hand lane and follow it towards Oldstead.

3. Look out for the turning on your left, signposted as unsuitable for motor vehicles. There is now a long haul up this steep track to take you through the woods then past the gliding club to a junction.

4. At the junction take the farm track that heads right then bends sharply to the right again and start the descent to Scotch Corner and the John Bunting Chapel. Just after the chapel, let yourself through a gate and carry on downhill on the stony and rutted track ignoring any side paths.

5. At the bottom of the hill, head towards the 30 mph signs and turn left onto the road into Oldstead village.

6. A green footpath sign points your way through the yard of Scawling Farm on your right. Follow the yellow arrow way-markers through the farmyard then left, over a stile and onto an often-muddy farm track. When this track forks, take the left fork over a stile and follow the field edge to another stile. Next, follow the yellow arrows across the middle of a field and downhill to a wooden footbridge over a stream.

7. Just after the footbridge you will see a wooden signpost ahead of you. Go right here and follow a broad grassy path to a surprise view of the White Horse over the fields to your right. A gate Leads to a path through the gorse bushes, downhill to another gate and a green lane between two hedges that takes you to the narrow road that heads to High Kilburn.

8. Cross the road to a green footpath sign, over a stile and uphill through the middle of the field then over two stiles. Follow the yellow arrow way-marker through the field where a gate leads to a passage between gardens, through another gate onto the large village green of High Kilburn.

9. Head right on the road. As the road veers to the left take the gate straight ahead onto a well-marked, tarmac path. Ignore the stile and follow the path downhill inside the fence. Go through two kissing gates to cross a farm track, and then the path takes you into the Churchyard, onto Kilburn's square and back to the village square.

Directions:

1. At the Forresters Arms turn right and head up the road towards the White Horse, ignoring the first turning on the left that would take you to Thirsk.

2. Where the road forks, take the turning on the left, signposted to the white horse. Shortly you come to a gate and a tarmac farm track that leads to Acre Farm. Take this track which leads you past the farm drive and into woodland.

3. Step over the Low gate onto a wide forestry track and continue ahead through "Happy Valley" with Hood Hill on your left.

4. Leave the forestry track as it swings to the left and take a footpath through bushes takes you into the fields of Hood Grange.

5. Follow the field edge until you reach the farm. Bear left in front of the farm along a small stream then right over a wooden footbridge. It can get very muddy here. From here cross the edge of the field to a gate that opens onto the tarmac farm drive. Bear left and the drive will take you to the Al 70.

6. Carefully cross the A170 which can get quite busy. Slightly to the left is the driveway to High Cleaves Farm. Go through the side gate and head up the drive. The path has been diverted and clearly signposted here and takes you away from the house, then along a field edge and right, onto a path that is fenced on both sides. The buildings of High Cleaves are to the left of the fenced path. On your right, depending on how thick the foliage is, you may catch a glimpse of some narrow lakes.

7. At the end of the fenced path take the right-hand path down into the woods. Bear right and uphill. After this any one of several not very clearly defined paths will take you to Lake Gormire.

8. Once on the shore of the lake you can choose to head either left or right around the edge of the lake.

9. Once on the other side of the lake look out for a sign-posted "permissive path" that takes you onto a steep uphill section through the forest to Sutton Bank and the Cleveland Way.

10. At the top of the escarpment there is a handy bench and you are now on the Cleveland Way. Go right and follow the path to the car park and buildings of the Sutton Bank Visitors Centre. Cross the A170 again and continue following the broad, clear path along the edge of the escarpment past the Yorkshire Gliding Club on your left and round the edge of the runway until you reach the White Horse.

11. At the White Horse, steps lead down to a car park. At the bottom of the steps head left out of the car park where you have the choice of following the road right downhill or a woodland track that skirts the edge of the road. Both options lead you back to point 2 of the walk where you retrace your steps back into Kilburn village square.