The village and lands around Kirkby Malzeard is hidden between Masham, Ripon and the Dales themselves. The village and buildings are lovely and the walk starts with an interesting section of woodland.
A walk around Kirkby Malzeard, a pretty Yorkshire village near Masham, is full of interest with plenty of things to explore. No main roads are nearby which only adds considerably to its charm. The main walk I have outlined passes through the lovely grounds of Braithwaite Hall (a strange looking building but definitely worth seeing). In addition the walk visits the unspoilt village of Galphay. Attractive as Galphay is it suffers through a lack of amenities, no shops, no school but a lovely village green! The return takes you through some farmers fields which offers a pleasant contrast to the outbound walk. In particular it is quiet and peaceful.
Wensleydale Creamery have a new factory on the outskirts of Kirkby Malzeard. In addition there is a grand old church and the ancient remains of Mowbray Castle, its fighting highlight being nearly 1,000 years ago. A more intriguing place lies in the woods next to the village. I would suggest you just visit it and discover it for yourself. It is near the castle remains.
If you want to stop of for a swift half at the Galphay Inn avoid Mondays. It is closed.
One of the uses of a map is to look for alternatives. On the return from Galpay there is a choice of sticking to the road or taking one of the paths that cross the fields. The advantages and disadvantages of each route depends on a variety of factors including traffic business, wetness of the ground, time and any number of other reasons. A map though offers you the options. Decide for yourself on the day.
You can bear left in the grounds of Braithwaite and pick up a footpath that brings you back to the driveway on the Kirkby/Ripon Road. It’s about a four mile loop.
This trail is closed (public footpath) by the farmer who took off signes of the path and locked out two gates…. we had to quit this walk after taking first 20 min…. big disappointment 🙁 (of course you can take a big detour by road but what a fun with a dog and two kids on the really narrow road)…
Hi,
I thought that you might like to know that part of the walk you describe is now part of the Aislabie Walk. There’s a micro site on the new route here http://www.aislabiewalk.org.uk/ and from there you can download a guide.
The Aislabie Walk starts (wherever you want but officially) at Studley Royal, it goes past Aldfield Spa, Galphay, Braithwaite Hall, Kirkby Malzeard, Grewelthorpe and through Hackfall. It returns via Mickley Barras, Azerley and the Studley Royal Deer Park. 17.5 miles in total but shorter routes are described by using cross paths.
Please take a look and download the guide.
Phil
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