Walks: Great time to explore Grass Woods in Grassington

It passes some lovely limestone pavements before descending into the lovely Grass Woods. Do this walk soon whilst the flowers and woodland are at their best.

Grassington is a popular village but this walk will take you away from the crowds. From the National Park car park head through the centre of the village and up the hill past the Foresters Arms. Approaching the top of the town turn left along a road for 250 metres to a signpost on your right for the Dales Way.

Head up the lane for a further 200m to a stile on your left. The path now fiddles its way across four fields/three stiles along a faint path to emerge on to open countryside and a more obvious track. You have been following the Dales Way, an 80 miles long distance footpath from Ilkley to the shores of Windermere in the Lake District.

Signage at Grassington Woods (Image: Jonathan Smith)

On arriving on the open hillside leave the main track to your left and as long as you keep the wall to your left you can pick your own route. This is access land with a right to roam away from the path so take your time and enjoy picking your way through the lovely limestone pavements. The route climbs gradually and starts to fall for over half a mile. The bare rock is interspersed with easy walking on short grass until you meet a more obvious track heading to a gate in the wall on your left.

After passing through the gate a path winds its way through some sparse woodland, marking the start of Grass Woods. The Grass Woods are lovely, particularly at this time of year when the predominantly ash trees are complemented by wonderful wild flowers and the sound of bird song. After a stile the path soon meets a major track and a route decision needs to be made. The signpost points to Fort Gregory (an old Brigantes Fort) which is best to follow. After the remains of the fort the path turns initially right and starts to zig zag down the hillside. The paths are good and the walking is easy. Before the long the path meets a dry stone wall and bends right which leads to a gate and the exit from the woods.

After passing through the gate turn left on to a quiet road. This will lead back all the way to Grassington, one mile away. There are glimpses of the River Wharfe to your right and also one of the most attractive setting for a cricket ground in the country.

Grassington has recently been the setting for the filming of the new series of Channel 5's All Creatures Great and Small, based on the popular James Heriot books. Pop in to the café and the Stripey Badger bookshop at the top of the market square to find out more!

* Fact Box:

Distance: Roughly five miles

Height to Climb: 160m (520 feet).

Start: SE 004636. Park in the National Park car park and walk along the main road in to the central square of Grassington.

Difficulty: Easy: Some navigational challenges in the woods but even if you get lost, it will only be temporary.

Refreshments: Plenty of cafes and pubs to choose from in Grassington.

Be Prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL2) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass (essential on this walk). You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.

* Jonathan is the owner of Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales. He has written three books on walking in the Dales; ‘The Yorkshire 3 Peaks’, ‘The Dales 30’ mountains and the ‘Walks without Stiles’ book. All these books (and more) are available direct from the Where2walk website.

Book a Navigation (Map and Compass Skills) Training day near Settle or a bespoke day for a private group. The next available date is Sunday June 30.

Join our “Dales 30 Weekenders” in Hawes (June) & Sedbergh (September).

Where2walk.co.uk also features hundreds of walks across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs.