ENJOY plenty of walking along a river and through woods, a ruined priory, an immaculate conservation village, and some excellent views towards the Howardian Hills on this seven-miler from near Malton.

Head for Kirkham and park near the Augustine Priory. English Heritage are responsible for its preservation, with the impressive Gatehouse the best preserved feature. I have always been interested to know the difference between a priory and an abbey. Looking at the ruins there is no discernible difference. Apparently it is simply that a priory is run by a less important person (a prior not an abbot!) and is likely to be in a more remote setting. The setting is certainly fabulous and the temptation is to linger.

However, the walking starts by heading east up the road following signs for the Centenary Way. After half a mile turn left in to the small village of Firby before continuing east on a good footpath to arrive at the banks of the River Derwent. Follow the river for a further half mile till it meets the smaller Howl Beck. There is no direct crossing but follow the path right back to the road, turn left and almost immediately left again returning along a quiet country lane to the river and a suspension bridge that crosses the River Derwent.

The footbridge will take you in a lovely settlement called Huttons Ambo; confusing because Huttons Ambo does not exist but is the name used for the amalgamation of two separate villages Low Hutton and High Hutton. Low Hutton is the largest village of the two but High Hutton is more attractive with a fine village church. Take the minor road from Low to High Hutton. At a sharp right turn in the village take the path that continues straight on (and then left) until it meets a lane. Turn right and head for the A64. Take great care crossing the A64 here (the traffic is going fast) and join a lane on the north/far side of the road which is roughly 100 metres on your left.

At a farmhouse a quarter of a mile along the lane head directly west downhill and through some pretty woodland. From here climb uphill to re-join the Centenary Way. The views here are excellent in all directions and worth the road crossing. After a short climb through woodland join the Centenary Way. Follow the path south to re-cross the A64 (easier here but take care) and continue to the preserved, private village of Crambeck. Immaculately maintained the village is worth exploring and is really quite unique.

A nature trail leaves the village (still following the Centenary Way) along a footpath above the western banks of the River Derwent. The woods are peaceful and the walking pleasant until the path drops to the railway (York/Scarborough line) and follows the river to the road bridge at Kirkham Priory. It is roughly one mile through the woods which makes for a pleasant conclusion to a varied walk.

* Fact Box:

Distance: Roughly 7.5 miles.

Height to Climb: 210m (690 feet)

Start: SE 736659. There is some free parking (for about 50 vehicles) near the priory.

Difficulty: Medium. The walk is on good paths and country lanes. Take great care crossing the A64, the traffic is travelling quickly.

Refreshments: There is a snack bar at the entrance to the priory and a charming pub (the Stone Trough) in the village.

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 OL26) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. 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 making an excellent Christmas gift.

Jonathan also runs Navigation Courses (for Beginners and more Advanced) and a series of Guided weekends in the Dales. The 2025 dates are now available on the website.

Where2walk.co.uk features hundreds of walks with descriptions across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs. Visit the website for details of all these walks, guiding days and navigation courses.