Leaving the car park, we pass Ripley Castle on the right and the church on the 
left to join the Nidderdale Way. After Hollybank Wood we leave the Nidderdale Way heading North, then North-West making for Whipley Hall then on to Burnt Yates for our coffee stop.
Leaving Burnt Yates, we head towards Brimham Rocks, turning left into a field just before the sign. We then follow this path, across fields, towards Dinmore House, over the dismantled railway, crossing the river Nidd at New Bridge then Birstwith House. We continue on good paths and across fields until we reach the end of Reynard Crag Lane where we turn left and head down the hill. There is no obvious stopping place for lunch (it’s a moveable feast) but there are good grassy verges here which would make a good lunch stop if the weather is fine.
After lunch, we go through a wooden gate on to a grassy track with Gormires Wood on our right. We head towards Hampsthwaite turning before the village to join the Medieval Way. We go through the churchyard 
and cross the road keeping to the right of the houses. Crossing a field, we them turn left before the footbridge following a well-defined path. We continue, keeping the River Nidd on the left which will eventually take us under the bridge and up the lane. We turn left and follow the road to join the main road which we cross and follow the path back into Ripley and the Boar’s Head pub where we end our walk.
This is a fairly easy walk, mainly on good paths and across fields. There are several stiles to cross and many gates, plus one set of steps.
Ripley itself is a smart picturesque village dominated by Ripley Castle which is open to the public. Owned by the Ingleby family for over 700years, but recentl up for sale.
In the village center there is a cobbled square and cross, with stocks if you misbehave!!
The walk from Ripley is an easy 9 mile circuit with little climbing. The paths/tracks are mostly obvious on the ground and the first section follows the course of the Nidderdale Way.
There us some road walking but the roads are generally quiet.
The route works its way down to the River Nidd at Hampsthwaite, a large attractive village with a village green. It was awarded a charter to hold an annual market as long ago as 1304. It also has a fine church dedicated to St Thomas a Beckett.
The village was the ancestral home of William Makepeace Thackery, who 
wrote 'Vanity Fair'. The river bridge was built in about 1640 but there had previously been a ford there which was on the route of the famous Roman road, 'Watling Street'.
The route then passes Birstwith village and following the river we reach an impressive packhorse bridge ( called New Bridge) with its cobbled surface. It is a scheduled Ancient Monument which is on an old route from Fountains Abbey
Passing through fields we pass through the villages of Burnt Yates and
Bedlam into Ripley Park and back to our starting point.
This is a lovely walk with lots of open countryside to enjoy along the way before we head back into Ripley for refreshments.
I think you will enjoy this one.
'C' Walk - Leader- Jane Taylor. Distance - 5.5 miles. Ascent - 495 ft. Grade - Easy. Anticlockwise.
Ripley Castle is an Estate on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, not far from Harrogate, and it is a lovely location for this easy and varied walk along good footpaths and country lanes. For the nature lovers among us the area is abundant with wildflowers such as bluebells, celandines and wild garlic and the sound of birds. The ascents are all quite gradual and, apart from two stone stiles from the churchyard in Hampstwaite, there are no obstacles.
We will begin, as usual, with refreshments in The Castle Tearoom, just
a short walk from the coach, before setting off in an anticlockwise direction along Hollybank Lane with the castle walls on our right.
After taking a right turn and leaving the Nidderdale Way we will go past a cowshed where on our recce (not to be upstaged by the deer in the park over the wall) a group of “ladies” lined up to pose for a photo.
At High Rails Farm a little further on we leave the gravel track and cross open countryside to eventually pick up the Nidderdale Way again on the outskirts of Hampsthwaite where, after crossing over the River Nidd into the village, we will have a leisurely lunch stop.
There will be plenty of time to eat our sandwiches either in the church yard or on the seats on the village green before visiting Sophie’s Coffee Shop close by or a few doors further along The Joiner’s Arms with a nice garden around the back if anyone would wish to.
From Hampsthwaite the footpath follows a stream back in the direction 
of Ripley past Crag Hill Farm and then alongside the River Nidd to where it runs beneath the A61.
Once under the bridge we head back to the car park for Ripley Castle where we will be meeting up with the other two groups and where we will have the opportunity for a Ripley’s Ice Cream or another visit to the café or The Boar’s Head before our return journey home.
***************************************