Aysgarth to Leyburn – 21 January 2023
This was supposed to be a Leyburn to Aysgarth Falls Hotel day out but it seems that the hotel is currently closed until March for refurbishment. So it’s the other way round and we are going to finish in Leyburn. For the short walk of the three planned routes, it just means reversing the route but for the 10 and 11-mile routes, it means changing the starts to allow the routes to keep to the planned distances.
When we finish in Leyburn we usually come in via Masham. We did try and do Aysgarth to Leyburn in March 2018 but it snowed quite heavily and it felt safer to walk from Aysgarth back to Leyburn. This time we have been beaten by a refurbishment plan so we might have to come back sometime in the future and try again.
We have three quite different routes planned back to Leyburn. The 8.5-mile route is going from the Aysgarth Falls Hotel across the River Ure and then north to Castle Bolton. From the castle, the route goes more or less eastwards passing through Preston-under-Scar and coming into Leyburn along the scenic route of the Leyburn Shawl.
The 10 and 11-mile routes are going past the village of Aysgarth and cross the River Ure via a footbridge. They both turn east and head back towards Aysgarth Falls where the 10-mile route continues east along the south side of the River Ure unto it reaches Lords Bridge. The route then goes north into the grounds of Bolton Hall and then east to the village of Wensley before heading northeast on a footpath into Leyburn.
The 11-mile route crosses back over the River Ure at Aysgarth Falls and heads south towards West Burton. The route turns north and heads towards the remains of a preceptory which once belonged to the Knights Templar. From the preceptory, the route heads east towards West Witton and then north to Lords Bridge. On reaching the bridge the route follows the 10-mile route into Leyburn.
One of the benefits of visiting Leyburn is that there are a variety of shops including a number of cafes and it makes it easier for the return journey. So if you fancy Leyburn as a destination you can get in touch with us from our Contact Page. You can also download the walk descriptions below and the GPS routes here.
The image for this post was taken in April 2014 on a circular walk from Leyburn.
