North York Moors Walk
Rievaulx Moor from Cowhouse Bank
Walk Route Description
Click thumbnails for larger images.
The walk around Rievaulx moor is easy to follow and gives periodic views into the lower valleys below the Rievaulx Bank. There is plenty of Forestry Commission parking at Cowhouse Bank (SE612887) which is reached from Helmsley.
Follow the track from the parking to the north west, keeping above and following all the way around Cowhouse Bank, Clark Bank, Helmsley Bank, Rievaulx Bank and Ayton Bank. It is easy walking with periodic views of the lower countryside to the north and the moor to the south.
Just before the information board at Newgate Bank follow the track to your left onto the moor. When the track is about to enter the woods turn left again and pick up the track that does an arc towards the Heater Rigg Plantation. As you enter the woodland you have to do a quick left-then-right to pick up the forest road leading south through Acre Grain Plantation.
The footpath off to the left at grid reference SE591881 is not well marked but it is an obvious path through the trees. Follow it down to and across the beck and then up to the junction of five paths to the west of High Baxton's Farm. Take the footpath across the fields to the road between High and Middle Baxton's Farms then go south on the road.
Take the first path on the left and at the meeting with the Tabular Hills Walk bear left on the Keld Lane track and follow it to the road above Carlton. Stay on the Tabular Hills Walk all the way to Riccal Dale Wood.
At the point where the THW heads off down the bank towards the river Riccal, bear left and follow the reasonably well-defined track heading back through the woods to the parking - always keeping to the track nearest to the western edge of the woods. This part can be boggy and may get churned up by horses but there are compensating chances to get views down into Riccal Dale.
At the end you come out back at the Cowhouse Bank parking.
Go to full list of North York Moors Walks
Maps 
| Ordnance Survey Explorer OL26 | Sheet Map | 1:25k | BUY MAP |
| Anquet OS Explorer OL26 | Digital Map | 1:25k | BUY MAP |
| Ordnance Survey Landranger 100 | Sheet Map | 1:50k | BUY MAP |
| Anquet OS Landranger 100 | Digital Map | 1:50k | BUY MAP |
It is recommended you take a map. The preferred scale is 1:25k.
Printer Friendly Page
For an easy to print version of this walk description and outline map Click Here
OS Map showing start
Ordnance Survey Map showing starting point of walk - Click Here
GPX File
Right click or option-click the link and choose "Save As..." to download this file.
You can also view the route of this GPX file on Google Maps by following this link to the Online GPX Viewer by Tom Hallam which is hosted on an external website.
Recommended Reading
The North York Moors
This guidebook describes 50 circular day walking routes in the North York Moors. The moors offer no great height but cover seven regions; the Tabular Hills, Hambleton Hills, Cleveland Hills, Northern Moors, High Moors, Eastern Moors and Cleveland Coast. There is also a four-day route following the classic Lyke Wake Walk.
More information
Recommended Cottage Holidays
Over 7,000 personally inspected holiday cottages. In fact, we think we've got the finest selection in some of the UK and Ireland's most beautiful places.