Walk 4: Arncliffe Woods & Egton Bridge

Download: Walk 4.pdf (includes map and detailed directions)

Walk Directions

From the front door of the pub turn right and walk down the road past the garage and the railway station. On reaching the railway bridge turn right before it (Beggars Bridge is on the far side) and over the footbridge crossing the stream, continue straight ahead up the steps and turn left along the path through East Arncliffe Wood. At the far end of the wood the road at Delves is reached.

Turn right as the road climbs uphill and round the bends, after approx. 400 mtrs take a track to the left (signed as Butter Park Farm), follow the track to the farm and walk straight ahead through the farmyard. Continue on the track until Lodge Hill Farm is reached and as it enters the farmyard turn right past the front of the house, at the far end pass through the gate (ignoring the path to the left). The path bears right to follow the field boundary, the fields make a couple of sharp right turns but at the third continue straight ahead across the open moorland until the road is reached.

At the road turn right for approx 300 mtrs until a track to the left is reached (signed as a dead end). Follow this track downhill until reaching a bungalow at the bottom, turn left immediately in front of the bungalow, the path crosses a footbridge and continues straight ahead until emerging on the road immediately next to the entrance to the pub car park.

Egton Bridge

Egton Bridge is known as “the village that the reformation forgot”. This is due to it keeping it’s strong catholic faith when all others were being forced to turn away from Rome and towards the Church of England.

Nicholas Postgate the catholic martyr was born in Egton Bridge in1596 and although he was ordained in France he felt the calling to “minister on the moors”. He kept his identity hidden by travelling as an itinerant gardener and eluded capture for many years until he was betrayed for a reward of œ20. He was tried at York and sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered.

In August every year Egton Bridge holds one of the only two Gooseberry fairs still held in the country and there is still great competition and rivalry to produce the largest specimens