I parked, a little expensively, in Hutton-le-Hole and walked south down the main village street past the Ryedale Folk Museum and rather a lot of tea rooms to the Village Hall opposite which is a finger sign marking a footpath heading northeast. This goes round the back of some houses, past a bowling green and over a couple of fields to cross a stream. The last field before the stream contained a bull and some cows with young calves but they placidly ignored me and I them. After the stream there is a little woodland and soon one is on the road leading towards Lastingham. From here as far as the Millenium Stone just above Lastingham was ground already walked (see 36) leading pleasantly round the back of Camomile Farm. The OS map shows a right of way leading from the centre of Lastingham west to pick up the access road to High Askew and another from the Millenium Stone leading NW towards Hardtoft Bridge. But if you look closely at the 1.25,000 map you can see there is a path that links these two diagonally starting at the Millenium Stone and ending near High Askew that hugs the wall between the fields and the moors. I’ve been here before too (18).
From here I headed south to near Low Askew where a right of way cuts a corner. I don’t think it is much used as the entrance was very overgrown with huge, inter alia, nettles. Ouch. I crossed a field of wheat then into a field of sheep. It’s a bit unobvious which way to go here but when you get to the river head right. The sheep here are a little territorial and instead of just fleeing mass together and chase you across the field. Except if you turn and wave your arms which sends off in a panic only to regroup and start again. Soon I was back on tarmac which I followed over a hill to Cropton Bridge. Just south of here a little before Cropton itself I turn off and followed the Tabular Hills Walk west then south down the attractive, leafy Low Lane glorious with summer flowers. Not to mention lots of not very old cow poo which left me wondering if and when I would meet its maker. Which at last I did, just at the point where I turned right to cross the bridge towards Appleton Mill Farm. A big herd, once again a bull, cows and calves but I didn’t have to get too close and again they left me alone. From here it was Tabular Hills Walk all the way home, past the Low Cross just before Appleton and a rather sadly dilapidated tennis court just after it. Then zigzagging back towards Hutton-le-Hole over high fields full of wheat and the occasional sleepy cow.
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