Route: Rievaulx and Old Byland
Area: North Yorkshire
Date of walk: 26th February 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 8.7 miles (including the Rievaulx Terrace walk of 1 mile)
Weather: Cloudy with some brighter spells, sun and blue sky at end
When we arrived at the car park at Rievaulx Abbey it was empty. We found this odd but the reason soon became apparent – the Abbey was closed to the public today. As soon as my profanities (directed at myself for not checking) gave way to rational thought, we decided that this was a good thing: we had the place to ourselves (and saw no-one else on the entire walk), the Abbey is well seen from the road and from Rievaulx Terrace (and it was), and our reason for being here was to go for a walk in beautiful countryside
So with no regrets we headed away from Rievaulx and along Nettle Dale, then crossing farmland to reach the lovely unspoilt village of Old Byland
We then walked to Caydale Mill before setting off along Birk Bank. This section was exceptionally muddy and I suffered the indignity of a ‘slip and trip’. It was perturbing to hear Gilly enquiring ‘is the camera ok?’ as I hauled myself off the floor. My reply is censored
There followed a lovely section along the bank of the River Rye, at the end of which the Abbey came into view. After arriving back at Rievaulx we drove up the hill to Rievaulx Terrace. The National Trust own this wonderful place and, in contrast to the Abbey – which is owned by English Heritage – it was open. By now the weather had changed for the better and we had a tremendous ending to our day, as the photos will show
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
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On the way to Rievaulx we stopped the car at Ebberston, having spotted this white (leucistic) fallow deer in a field by the roadside
Rievaulx Abbey from our roadside parking space
Cottages in Rievaulx village
We walk along the road with views of the Abbey on our left
A view back as we leave the village
Snowdrops and aconites on the bank of the River Rye
Rievaulx Bridge, which is Grade II Listed
We follow the quiet road along the valley for a short distance
We then enter Nettle Dale
Walking past the fishing ponds
We cross the stream via these stepping stones
Climbing up through Callister Wood
We emerge onto flat agricultural land
Neatly cut hawthorn hedge
Rain approaches
Old Byland - the far point of our walk
Descending from the flat tops to Caydale Mill
Walking along the valley
A very muddy section along Birk Bank
Looking across to the other side of the valley
We follow the course of the River Rye back to Rievaulx
The Abbey comes into view in the distance
We cross Bow Bridge
Rievaulx Abbey
……and a welcome improvement in the weather
Back to Rievaulx village
Rievaulx Terrace is behind the Abbey and as we were short of time we drove up there and parked in the National Trust car park
The outward leg of the terrace walk is through Terrace Bank Wood
Emerging from the wood near the end of the terrace
The Tuscan Temple at the southern end of Rievaulx Terrace
The walk back along the terrace is heavenly, with vistas of the Abbey in various places
The Ionic Temple at the other end of the terrace
A wonderful way to end today’s walk
