Wonderful Walks
Enjoy a good walk to build up an appetite or earn a dessert.
Our village of North Rigton is set within stunning countryside and surrounded by walking routes.
One of the natural spectacles close by is a giant outcrop called Almscliffe Crag. This can be walked around and scrambled over.
In partnership with our Parish Council, two recommended routes follow.
For further adventures, consider buying Ordinance Survey Map Number 297.
Please take care, always supervise children and wear waterproof trainers or walking boots.
Route 1 - The Village Circle
Distance: 1.7 km
Duration: 30 mins
(plus sitting and play-time)
Print from link below or screen-shot route detail in case of poor mobile signal
1. From our Car Park entrance, turn left along the footpath to our village school.
2. At the school turn left. Go through a metal gate and follow the footpath between a field and the school playground.
3. On reaching a stile, cross and turn right following the path to the next stile.
4. Continue to the next field boundary (this can be boggy after rain).
5. Cross the field, ignoring the path to the left, and follow a clear path across another 4 fields. Pass a property boundary on your left to a stile on to the bridleway.
6. Turn left and climb up the track to a bend where you join a tarmac surface. This is Beeston's Lane.
Here you will a sign for Hollow Gill Farm and a private memorial to Harry Bradley.
7. Follow the lane past the entrance to Rigton Lodge and out on to Rigton Hill.
8. On your left is the Village Garden. Sit for a while and let children have a play.
9. Follow the footpath down the hill, returning to The Square & Compass.
Route 2 - The Crag Walk
Distance: 3.8 km
Height gained: 68 m
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
(plus climbing and play-time)
Print from button below or screen-shot route detail in case of poor mobile signal
1. Turn right out of the Square & Compass and cross the road (Rigton Hill). Continue past Chapel Hall along Church Hill to Brackenwell Lane.
2. Turn right for a short distance to the footpath on the right. Pass between two high hedges and house gardens (you will see a NYCC sign beside the footpath entrance).
3. Follow the footpath which swings left and opens out with views across fields. Continue walking behind gardens until the path joins Crag Lane (if too wet, return to Church Hill and follow the road to Crag Lane).
4. Continue in the same direction past New House Farm to a stile on your right.
5. Cross the stile and then left diagonally to the gate at the field boundary. Cross the farm track to the next gate.
6. Continue in the same direction towards the Crag which you will now see. Cross two fields and through two slip stiles (DON'T point out the large muck heap to children!)
7. Cross a wooden stile into the Crag field. Follow the track to the base of the Crag (scramble up but take care). The path around swings to the right where you climb a small wall, drop down to another slip stile and continue down hill to a road where drivers park.
8. Turn left along the road and left again back on to Crag Lane.
9. Pass Crag Farm and three more properties continuing back to New House Farm.
Return to the Square & Compass by following Crag Lane back to the village or...
10. Turn left and follow the track up-hill through the trees. The track swings to the right and ends at a gate.
11. Continue through the woodland until you are clear of the trees then cross diagonally to the stile in the stone wall.
12. Cross into a private garden and turn right on to a path along-side the tall stone wall to the entrance, then on to the stone track to the road, Rigton Hill.
13. Carefully cross the road and spend some time in the Village Green or turn right and walk down Rigton Hill to return to the Square & Compass.