Parking
Start at Rosedale Abbey village green (SE 725 960); arrange parking in the village and walk to the green. Toilets and refreshments are in the village, with Dale Head Farm partway round.
Overview
About Rosedale Walk
Why go
- Big views from the old railway track
- Strong industrial heritage and valley scenery
Heads up
- Many gates and farmyard sections
- Exposed return can be cold and windy
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North York Moors map
Full mapElevation138–305 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active North York Moors alerts
- ClosureHawnby Bridleway 110 closurePublic Bridleway 25.122/110/1 in Hawnby is closed to pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians because its bridge is unsafe. - The closure is between grid references SE 5309 9073 and SE 5335 9097.Official details
- ClosureWest Ayton Footpath 1 closurePublic Footpath 1 in West Ayton (Forge Valley) is temporarily closed because its boardwalk is unsafe. - The closure is between SE 9860 8494 and SE 9839 8712.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North York Moors Tour Guide
Your drive to Rosedale Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North York Moors National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Rosedale Abbey Village0:00 / 0:29
“You're coming up on Rosedale Abbey, a small village beside the River Seven with pubs and tearooms around its green.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North York Moors Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Fifth of a Second on Chimney Bank
- Rosedale Bank Top Kilns
- The Chimney That Cleared the Mine
- The Ore Hidden in a Road
- 298 audio storiesacross North York Moors’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Eurasian Otter, Red Deer, Grey Seal, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 126 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Rosedale Walk
The RouteA circular loop of 7.
A circular loop of 7.5 miles (12 km) starting and finishing at Rosedale Abbey village green, grid reference SE 725 960. The distance is for the complete circuit, not one way. Allow about 5 hours at an ordinary visitor pace, which accounts for gates, farm crossings, route-finding and stops.
Sequence and PayoffThe walk opens gently through the churchyard and the remains of the medieval priory, then heads…
The walk opens gently through the churchyard and the remains of the medieval priory, then heads out along valley farmland and the hamlet of Thorgill. Farm lanes and field paths lead you steadily into the upper dale, where the enclosed pasture gives way to a wide, open head-of-valley view. The return is the highlight: the trackbed of the old Rosedale mineral railway, a level, elevated shelf that carries you back above the dale past the ruined ironstone roasting kilns, then down via the campsite to the green.
Difficulty and FootingModerate, roughly 5 out of 10 in practical terms.
Moderate, roughly 5 out of 10 in practical terms. Around 157 m of ascent, spread rather than concentrated, with no technical ground.
Carry a map and be comfortable following field paths and waymarks, since the middle section crosses working farmland rather than an obvious made path.
- Mixed surfaces: minor roads, farm lanes, tracks and field paths
- Routes through farmyards and past outbuildings
- Many gates and one stone-step stile
- The railway section is firm and easy underfoot but open and exposed
Heritage and LandscapeRosedale was a serious ironstone district.
Rosedale was a serious ironstone district. The railway was built in the 1860s to move ore off the moor, and the lower line served the kilns where ore was roasted before shipping. The kiln ruins are the most striking industrial remains on the walk, sitting against open moorland edge. Do not enter or climb on the ruined kiln buildings, as parts of the old industrial area are dangerous. View them from the track.
Access, Food and DogsStart from the village green as a public visitor route.
Start from the village green as a public visitor route. Refreshments and toilets are available in Rosedale Abbey, and Dale Head Farm is a mid-route refreshment option, which makes a natural break before the railway return.
Dogs are welcome with rules that matter here:
- On a lead on the old railway track
- Under close control elsewhere
- On a lead near livestock, which is likely on the lower farmland sections
Shorter AlternativeIf 5 hours is too much, a short out-and-back along the old railway from the village side gives…
If 5 hours is too much, a short out-and-back along the old railway from the village side gives you the kiln views and the open dale outlook without the farmland circuit, then simply retrace your steps.
Wildlife
Wildlife in North York Moors
15 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
79 sightingsGrey SealMost seen around noonSighting map
26 sightingsWestern Barn OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
33 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North York Moors. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
