Miles without Stiles (For some) - Rievaulx Loop

A circular walk of 4 km (2.5 miles) starting and finishing at Rievaulx Abbey and Rievaulx village, looping around Ashberry Hill. The listed time is about 1 hour 5 minutes, with roughly 86 m of ascent and 87 m of descent between 74 m and 123 m. Overall difficulty is easy, but the loop is not flat and it packs several short, steep pitches into a small distance.

The line is easy to follow but uses several turns, so a phone battery pack is worth carrying if you are navigating digitally.

• Head northeast up Rievaulx Bank past St Mary's Church.
• Follow Arden Lane into woodland and cross Bow Bridge, a Grade 2 listed structure.
• Turn through a field gate into rough wooded pasture, then re-enter woodland and climb around Ashberry Hill.
• Emerge at Ashberry Farm, follow the road east over Grade 2 listed Rievaulx Bridge, then turn north back into Rievaulx to close the loop.

This is a Miles Without Stiles "For some" route: no steps and no stiles, and most surfaces are firm and even. The steeper and rougher parts are the catch:

Surfaces include grass that can turn soft or muddy in wet weather, leaf litter and soil over a firm surfaced path, some rougher ground, and stretches of road. Treat mud and the short 1:3 woodland grade as the main things to judge before setting out. This should not be described as universally wheelchair accessible; the category is meant for people who can manage the steeper or rougher sections.

• Opening road section climbs steadily at gradients up to 1:7.
• A 1:6 section for about 130 m.
• A downhill pitch up to 1:8.
• Rougher woodland grades up to 1:3 for about 30 m.
• A descent of around 1:5 toward Ashberry Farm.

Parking in Rievaulx is limited. There is roadside parking for walkers, and arriving early gives you the best chance of a space. The English Heritage car park at Rievaulx Abbey is for Abbey visitors, not walker parking.

The route includes sections on public roads, so traffic is a recurring hazard along the walk.

Dogs are welcome subject to normal control and public rights of way rules. In relevant moorland areas, dogs must stay on rights of way and be kept on a lead shorter than 2 m from 1 March to 31 July to protect ground-nesting birds.