From the square take Coverham Lane, then turn left up a passage beside the Castle Keep Tea Room. Continue left of Middleham Castle along a walled track to a gate.
Bear left across the big field, following the sign for ‘stepping stones’ to the field corner. Go over a stile and cross two more fields, over waymarked stiles. After the third stile, follow the field edge above a steep bank. At a crossing wall turn right, down to the River Cover by the stepping stones.
Turn right (do not cross the river) and follow the path through woods and a narrow field. Bend right at the end to a gate and continue to steps and an elevated section. After returning to the river bank, cross a stile into a field. Bear half right across the field to an ascending track.
Follow the track, which becomes a path and follows fenced woodland on your left. Continue to a stile on your left, go through a narrow band of woodland to a second stile, then straight ahead on an obvious descending path. Cross a stile and turn left to Hullo Bridge.
Cross the gated bridge and follow the bridleway route. In 350yds (320m) go through a gate then continue to the gate at Braithwaite Lane, opposite Braithwaite Hall. Turn right and then shortly descend to Coverham Bridge. Cross the bridge and turn right on a track.
Before iron gates, turn left through a small gate, climbing beside a waterfall into the churchyard. Bear left to leave by the lychgate and bear left along the main road (signed to Forbidden Corner). Where the wide grass verge on the right ends, turn right at a footpath signed ‘Tipgill’. Walk between gateposts and up the track. At the top, go through a gate and bear half left to go through two more gates through a belt of woodland.
Then head half right across the field to go through a gate below a house. Follow the fence to your left, uphill, to bend left beyond the house to a gate onto a track. Turn right, go through gateposts and turn right again on a wide track. Where the track bends right, keep straight ahead across the grassy moor; look for occasional blue-topped posts marking the line of a bridleway. When the long fenced gallops appear, keep them to your left and continue down to a gate onto the road.
Turn left and, just before the Middleham sign, take a signposted path on the right. Cross the gated stile, turn left and follow the path that is parallel to the road. Go through a stile and four gates onto the lane, then turn left and return to the square.
When Richard III died at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, Middleham lost one of its favourite residents. He had lived here – in the household of the Earl of Warwick, ‘The Kingmaker’ – when a boy, and then with the Earl’s daughter Anne after their marriage. As Duke of Gloucester, it was his... power base as effective ruler of the North under his brother Edward IV. Locals don’t believe the propagandist version of Richard, promoted by Shakespeare’s play, that he was a murderer – the Lord Mayor of York reported after Bosworth that ‘King Richard, late lawfully reigning over us, was through great treason piteously slain and murdered’. Middleham Castle today is a splendid ruin, with one of the biggest keeps in England, impressive curtain walls and a deep moat. From Middleham, the walk takes you to the River Cover and along its banks. After crossing Hullo Bridge the path passes near Braithwaite Hall. Owned by the National Trust and open by appointment only, this is a modest 1667 farmhouse, with three fine gables and unusual oval windows beneath them. On the hillside behind are the earthworks of a hill fort, thought to be Iron Age. The lane eventually crosses Coverham Bridge, probably built by the monks of nearby Coverham Abbey. There are a few remains of the abbey, mostly incorporated into later buildings on the site. Miles Coverdale, who was the first man to complete a full English translation of the Bible, came from here. For many people, Middleham is the home of famous racehorses, and you may be lucky enough to see some training as you walk over Middleham Low Moor towards the end of the walk – make sure you keep out of their way. Both the Low Moor and the High Moor have been used for exercise for more than 300 years. Among early jockeys was the splendidly named ‘Crying Jackie’ Mangle, who won the St Leger five times in the 1770s and 1780s. To your left as you leave the Low Moor and make your way back to the castle is William’s Hill, the remains of the original motte-and-bailey castle built here by the Normans after 1066 to guard the approaches to Wensleydale and Coverdale.
North Yorkshire, with its two National Parks and two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is England’s largest county and one of the most rural. This is prime walking country, from the heather-clad heights of the North York Moors to the limestone country that is so typical of the Yorkshire Dales – a place of contrasts and discoveries, of history and legend.
From the square take Coverham Lane, then turn left up a passage beside the Castle Keep Tea Room. Continue left of Middleham Castle along a walled track to a gate.
1 of 8
Bear left across the big field, following the sign for ‘stepping stones’ to the field corner. Go over a stile and cross two more fields, over waymarked stiles. After the third stile, follow the field edge above a steep bank. At a crossing wall turn right, down to the River Cover by the stepping stones.
2 of 8
Turn right (do not cross the river) and follow the path through woods and a narrow field. Bend right at the end to a gate and continue to steps and an elevated section. After returning to the river bank, cross a stile into a field. Bear half right across the field to an ascending track.
3 of 8
Follow the track, which becomes a path and follows fenced woodland on your left. Continue to a stile on your left, go through a narrow band of woodland to a second stile, then straight ahead on an obvious descending path. Cross a stile and turn left to Hullo Bridge.
4 of 8
Cross the gated bridge and follow the bridleway route. In 350yds (320m) go through a gate then continue to the gate at Braithwaite Lane, opposite Braithwaite Hall. Turn right and then shortly descend to Coverham Bridge. Cross the bridge and turn right on a track.
5 of 8
Before iron gates, turn left through a small gate, climbing beside a waterfall into the churchyard. Bear left to leave by the lychgate and bear left along the main road (signed to Forbidden Corner). Where the wide grass verge on the right ends, turn right at a footpath signed ‘Tipgill’. Walk between gateposts and up the track. At the top, go through a gate and bear half left to go through two more gates through a belt of woodland.
6 of 8
Then head half right across the field to go through a gate below a house. Follow the fence to your left, uphill, to bend left beyond the house to a gate onto a track. Turn right, go through gateposts and turn right again on a wide track. Where the track bends right, keep straight ahead across the grassy moor; look for occasional blue-topped posts marking the line of a bridleway. When the long fenced gallops appear, keep them to your left and continue down to a gate onto the road.
7 of 8
Turn left and, just before the Middleham sign, take a signposted path on the right. Cross the gated stile, turn left and follow the path that is parallel to the road. Go through a stile and four gates onto the lane, then turn left and return to the square.
When Richard III died at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, Middleham lost one of its favourite residents. He had lived here – in the household of the Earl of Warwick, ‘The Kingmaker’ – when a boy, and then with the Earl’s daughter Anne after their marriage. As Duke of Gloucester, it was his... power base as effective ruler of the North under his brother Edward IV. Locals don’t believe the propagandist version of Richard, promoted by Shakespeare’s play, that he was a murderer – the Lord Mayor of York reported after Bosworth that ‘King Richard, late lawfully reigning over us, was through great treason piteously slain and murdered’. Middleham Castle today is a splendid ruin, with one of the biggest keeps in England, impressive curtain walls and a deep moat. From Middleham, the walk takes you to the River Cover and along its banks. After crossing Hullo Bridge the path passes near Braithwaite Hall. Owned by the National Trust and open by appointment only, this is a modest 1667 farmhouse, with three fine gables and unusual oval windows beneath them. On the hillside behind are the earthworks of a hill fort, thought to be Iron Age. The lane eventually crosses Coverham Bridge, probably built by the monks of nearby Coverham Abbey. There are a few remains of the abbey, mostly incorporated into later buildings on the site. Miles Coverdale, who was the first man to complete a full English translation of the Bible, came from here. For many people, Middleham is the home of famous racehorses, and you may be lucky enough to see some training as you walk over Middleham Low Moor towards the end of the walk – make sure you keep out of their way. Both the Low Moor and the High Moor have been used for exercise for more than 300 years. Among early jockeys was the splendidly named ‘Crying Jackie’ Mangle, who won the St Leger five times in the 1770s and 1780s. To your left as you leave the Low Moor and make your way back to the castle is William’s Hill, the remains of the original motte-and-bailey castle built here by the Normans after 1066 to guard the approaches to Wensleydale and Coverdale.
North Yorkshire, with its two National Parks and two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is England’s largest county and one of the most rural. This is prime walking country, from the heather-clad heights of the North York Moors to the limestone country that is so typical of the Yorkshire Dales – a place of contrasts and discoveries, of history and legend.
