HPB Bell End Farm: Rosedale Abbey to Hartoft Rigg

1. From the village green in Rosedale Abbey, follow the road leading to Pickering.

2. On reaching Yatts Farm (GR 737 951) about 1 mile from the village, look for a gate opposite on the left hand side of the road - go through the gate, following the direction of the Public Bridleway sign leading up and across the field to the forest.

3. Go through a gate at the top of the field leading into the forest and follow the track steeply uphill through the trees - keep right at a slight fork in the track until you emerge through a gate at the top.

4. Turn right and follow the path alongside the dry-stone wall - follow a wide track often with blue arrow signs going through gaps in the wall continue alongside a wooded and wire fence before turning left and gently uphill to a wider gate at the top corner of the field.

5. Go through the gate and turn right along a wide access track for about 100 yards. At the end of the dry stone wall on the left leave the stone track - ignore a narrow signposted path leading sharp left but instead follow a wider track slightly left and leading diagonally towards more forest.

6. The track eventually emerges from the trees near a minor road. Turn right along the road for a few yards then left onto another bridleway (GR 749 945).

7. Follow this pleasant path keeping left when small paths diverge to the right until reaching a ‘crossroads’ of forest tracks with fingerpost - continue straight across following the bridleway pointer downhill past a barrier gate until the track meets another surfaced minor road where you turn left.


8. Soon you pass the lovely stone buildings of Rock House opposite a sandstone cutting ‘factory’. To the right of the road there are lovely views across the fields down to the valley of Hartoft Beck. A little further along the road you pass a remote ‘Primitive Methodist Chapel’ dated 1865 (GR 753 955).

9. About 150 yards beyond the chapel, look for a bridleway on your left - follow this track leading along the right hand edge of the forest then go through a gate onto open moorland (Hartoft Rigg).

10. The track climbs gently west over Hartoft Rigg keeping straight on past a yellow marker post at a boggy section before reaching a gate with a blue marker which you go through and diagonally left to a minor road then right across a cattle grid. Note the information board about Hartoft Rigg. Follow the green sign pointing downhill and left heading towards a cairn and a memorial seat (at Grid 739 957) - rest a while and enjoy the splendid views across Rosedale.

11. Continue on down past the seat to a gate at the corner of a dry stone wall - go through the gate then follow the path down through bracken past a yellow arrow post and small wooden duckboard over a boggy area and across the new gate.

12. Continue on downhill towards a tall stone (old gatepost) and a three way signpost at the walled corner of another field. Turn right, cross a double stile (stone then wood), then walk with the wall on your right through a gate where there is a two fingerpost and continue with the wall on your left. Note rather than turning right over the stiles at the 3 (but presently 2) finger board you can go straight downhill and onto the busy main road where you turn to return to Rosedale. 

13. Soon you reach The Grange going through other gates both wood and metal (some with yellow pointers). In the yard of the farm yellow signs on gates point ahead and left. Go left to the tarmac road past holiday cottages on your left and another yellow pointer showing your direction on the wall of a building on your right.

14. Walk down the tarmac road across a stream by a footbridge on the left and note the pond with a black swan on your left. Continue right on the tarmac road till it soon turns left where you see a 3 fingerpost on the right. Go straight ahead into the field keeping to the left hand side till you meet a gate with a yellow marker and almost immediately through a gate on your left with various yellow points. You wish to go diagonally through this field to the bottom right hand corner (where you see farm buildings) and through another gate with a yellow pointer. Go down the track past various buildings to meet the main road where you turn right and after a short distance return to Rosedale.

15. Cross the next field diagonally down towards more farm buildings and continue on past them to the road.
16. Turn right and walk the short distance back to the village centre.

Click here for further details about the Holiday Property Bond's award-winning holiday cottages with stunning views across the North Yorkshire Moors, HPB Bell End Farm, Rosedale