Dalby Forest, near Scarborough, makes for an excellent walk through the woods. There is interest for both children and adults alike as the forest is full of birds, animals and tall trees yet set up perfectly for both walkers and cyclists. There is even a Go Ape site on its fringes.
The walk starts in the pretty but small market town of Thornton le Dale on the A170. Have a quick look round the lovely All Saints Church near the town centre before heading north up the main road towards the forest.
After 200 metres the road divides. Take the right (minor road) fork and carry on for half a mile to an old paper mill at the road end. Cross Dalby Beck and carry on along the bank to the start of the forest. The forest starts with some minor woodland until a gate brings you to the forest proper.
Take a right turn onto a forest track. Dalby Forest is 8,000 acres in size and is a mix of pleasure and commerce. There are sections of genuine conifer and pine forest but also plenty of mixed woodland including oak, ash, hazel and beech trees. Keep your eyes peeled for roe deer, badgers and grey squirrels.
The track that we are on is known as Sand Dale and follows the valley floor for the first mile before starting to climb. The whole southern end of the forest is divided between ‘riggs’ (the ridges) and the ‘dales’ which are the valleys between them. It is well signposted.
The forest track of Sand Dale starts to climb up the slope to the high plateau which dominates the northern end of the forest. The track climbs steadily north west through the forest for a further three quarters of a mile until it reaches a T junction with another farm track at its apex. Turn left and follow the track initially north east but soon turning east and starting to drop. This is Seive Dale and leads to the Outdoor Centre. Seive Dale is a quite steep sided valley, similar to Sand Dale.
The visitor centre is open all year round and has a café and plenty of information about the area, the woodland, walks and cycling trails. There is also a Go Ape visitor centre. The centre itself is set next to Dalby Beck.
Follow the quiet road south alongside the stream until it crosses and re-enters the forest. After 400 metres the road starts to climb. Ignore this and take the signposted track directly ahead. This is a lovely part of the walk with gaps in the forest giving some nearby views at least.
The forest around here was once part of a rabbit warren industry (raising them for fur and meat) in the Middle Ages and also an old settlement from Bronze Age times.
After a mile the forest track ends, turning in to a footpath which continues for a further half mile before emerging from the forest at the lakes of the paper mill. Carry on past the mill and a campsite before joining the lane that leads back to Thornton le Dale.
Walk facts:
Distance: Roughly 11 miles.
Height to climb: 300m (1,000 feet).
Start: SE 835830. There is a small car park in the centre of Thornton le Dale.
Difficulty: Medium. The walk is on good forest tracks for most of the walk but there are some footpaths at the end. There is also some uphill stretches. There are shorter walk from the visitor centre but not as satisfying.
Refreshments: Thornton le Dale has cafes and pubs. The visitor centre has a café.
Be prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL27) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.
Please observe the Countryside Code and park sensibly.
- Jonathan Smith is the owner of Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales. He has written three books on walking in the Dales, The Yorkshire 3 Peaks, The Dales 30 mountains and Walks without Stiles. All these books (and more) are available direct from the Where2walk website. Book a navigation (map and compass skills) training day near Settle or a bespoke day for a private group. The next available course is on Saturday August 31. Join our “Dales 30” Weekender in Sedbergh or “Three Peaks in three days” guided walks in September. Where2walk.co.uk also features hundreds of walks across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs. Visit the website for details of the walks, guiding days and navigation courses.
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