Coastal: Runswick Bay to Sandsend
![Great British Life: Runswick Bay lobster pots]( "Great British Life: Runswick Bay lobster pots")
Runswick Bay lobster pots (Image: Paul Kirkwood)
Distance: 5½ miles.
It’s often difficult to tear yourself away from a coastal route but it’s worth a minor diversion inland especially if you’re peckish or thirsty to the Fox and Hounds in Goldsborough. You’d be hard pressed to find a more traditional, down to earth pub in the county. Appearing more like a farm and benefiting from a garden, the pub is guaranteed to brighten up the inland leg of your journey if walking a loop from coastal gems, Runswick Bay or Sandsend. Alternatively walk from one village to the other with the pub as half-way house and taken the bus back. The X4 services runs twice an hour and takes 15 minutes.
Head to: osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/8969900/Runswick-Bay-to-Sandsend
Eat at: The Fox and Hounds, Goldsborough
Peak District: The Bradfields
Distance: 6 miles.
The twin villages of High and Low Bradfield are only six miles from Sheffield but feel much further out in the country. The cricket pitch in Low sums up the feel of the place. A panel in High explains some of its old buildings including the workhouse and watch house beside the graveyard which was used to look out for grave robbers. Head down, up and east towards Damflask reservoir and back along its northern shore. Keep something in the tank for the final, very steep return to High Bradfield and reward yourself at the top with a pint at the Old Thorns Inn.
Head to: osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/8969217/The-Bradfields
Eat at: The Old Horns Inn
South Pennines: Marsden Moor
Distance: 9 miles.
Marsden should be much better known. For me it sums up the essence of Yorkshire. Surrounded by moors and overlooked by hills, this former mill town has a wonderful authenticity, earthiness and self-sufficient Bohemian feel. This bracing walk comes in three parts: a steep valley containing two reservoirs, the forbidding Black Moss Moor with two more reservoirs built to supply the canal, and, if you have the puff, a grand finalé ascent of Pule Hill where you’ll find a Stanza Stone featuring verse by the town’s most famous son, poet laureate Simon Armitage. Marsden is easy to reach by rail on the Leeds-Manchester line. The town’s Riverhead Brewery Tap is the place to come for real ales, many of them brewed in the cellar below.
Head to: osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/8969832/Marsden
Eat at: The Riverhead Brewery Tap. theriverheadmarsden.co.uk.
Yorkshire Dales: Arncliffe.
Distance: 8½ miles.
You won’t find dotted lines on Ordnance Survey maps denoting public footpaths for all of this route in Littondale but it’s still easy to follow with open access land handily linking the Cowside Beck and Cote Gill valleys. In between is the curious Parson’s Pulpit, a small double stone circle on a hillock. Finish with a glorious stroll beside the River Skirfare and pint at the ivy clad Falcon, formerly used as the Woolpack in Emmerdale. Arncliffe is also a location in the All Creatures Great and Small series on Channel 5.
Route: osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/5078788/Parsons-Pulpit
Pub: The Falcon Inn, Arncliffe. thefalconinnarncliffe.co.uk
North York Moors: Hawnby.
Distance: 4½ miles.
Easterside and Hawnby Hills are Yorkshire’s twin peaks. They are shaped and positioned side by side like lungs which is somewhat appropriate as yours will be working hard on this short but fairly strenuous route. Paths across open access land mean that you can explore both summits even though there are no marked rights of way on the map. Start from the car park at Moor Gate and you reach Hawnby en route for a breather at a contrasting choice of eateries: a sweet little tea room with garden or the recently renovated and upmarket pub, The Owl, which includes a wood-fired pizza oven in a shepherd’s hut.
Head to: osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/8970015/Hawnby
Eat at: The Owl, Hawnby. theowlhawnby.co.uk Hawnby stores and tea room
