Richmond Area Walks - Walk 1 - Easby Abbey and Round Howe

WALK 1: EASBY ABBEY AND rOUND hOWE

Richmond town, with its spectacular Castle and cliff top setting above the Swale forms the focal point of this walk, which includes some lovely riverside areas, including National Trust’s woodland at Round Howe, and the glorious ruins of Easby Abbey – perhaps getting there in the footsteps of the legendary Richmond Drummer Boy.

Distance: Distance from and back to the market place is 6 miles – 9.5km

Time: Allow 3 hours

Maps: OS Explorer Map 304; most of the walk is also shown on the Richmond - Britain’s Best Kept Secret leaflet available from Richmond TIC.

Refreshments: Huge choice in Richmond town centre

Toilets: Richmond (by TIC), Round Howe Picnic Site (by footbridge)

Directions:

Start the walk from the stone pillar or obelisk in the market place. Turn into pedestrianised Finkle Street just behind the obelisk, (half left if you stand with your back towards the Church). Turn left again at the end into Rosemary Street and into and past the lovely Georgian houses of Newbiggin to Craven Gate. Turn right here, crossing busy Victoria Road with care, but keeping right at the fork past West End Post Office along Westfields, climbing out of town along what is now part of the Coast to Coast Path.

After a little over a half mile (1 kilometre) you reach a track on the left, Green Lane. This descends, with good views, past Low Leases Farm, eventually reaching to a T-junction. Turn left to reach Reeth Road. Cross to where a wooden sign indicates the path through woods down to Round Howe picnic site, with a picnic area and toilet ahead.

Cross the footbridge over the river into the National Trust estate, turning left at the other side. You can either follow the riverside path or keep right at the fork across meadows and alongside the wood. Both paths converge in Billy Bank Wood. Take the main path left, downstream, which climbs through lovely woodlands, above a riverside cliff, to emerge at Richmond Bridge.

Cross the road, and turn right for a few metres to the entrance to the Football Ground, where a Coast to Coast Footpath sign indicates the riverside path. There are splendid views of the town and castle from here. Follow the path past Richmond Falls to a stile leading into an area of scrubby woodland, climbing a knoll, from where a well used path (not shown on the OS map) heads left down towards Station Bridge. Continue on the well constructed path through parkland, below the swimming pool and old station, along the riverside, eventually joining the trackbed of the former and much lamented Darlington-Richmond branch railway, closed in 1970.

Continue along the railway to cross the old bridge below the weir. At a T-junction, turn left towards Easby Abbey, the path emerging at the Easby Abbey car park opposite St Agatha’s church. It is worth spending a few minutes to explore this beautiful medieval church with its remarkable, if heavily restored, wall paintings showing the Garden of Eden and the life of Christ.

From St Agatha’s turn left along the access road to the Abbey itself, now owned and managed by English Heritage (open daily - no charge). These magnificent Premonstratensian ruins in their beautiful setting are remarkably extensive, dating from the 12^th to the 15^th centuries, the most impressive building being the splendid Refectory, complete with stone serving hatch and pulpit.

From the Abbey continue in the same direction to go past Abbey Mill, (private house) over stiles, keeping to the top path above the river, again with fine views, past another recreation ground. Towards the end of the path as it broadens to a track you will pass an unusual memorial stone – to the legendary little Richmond Drummer Boy who vanished when drumming his way along a secret underground passage between Richmond Castle, the sound of his drum indicating the line of the passage, but at this point, the story goes, the drumming ceased and the lad and the secret passageway were never found again.

Where the track becomes a broad drive between two houses, look for a narrow, shady track, left which descends to the river. Take the partly concealed stony way, right, which follows the edge of the river to and under Station Bridge where it joins a much more obvious path through the riverside park, below the stone wall of the school grounds. Keep the wall on the right to where it joins and enclosed way and steps on the right which climb between buildings into Frenchgate.

Turn left here, but instead of going into the Market Place on the right, keep ahead along Millgate. As this narrow old lane begins to descend, a ramped way on your right indicates the start of Castle Walk – a superb, level walkway and series of viewpoints under the Castle Walls. Follow the Way round until it emerges near the top of the Market Place.

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