Mallyan Spout and Goathland

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Our view

"Walking from the popular moorland village of Goathland through woods and along an ancient road."

Walk directions

From the village car park, turn right to walk along the main road, along the pavement, until you reach the church. Cross the road then go through the kissing gate beside the Mallyan Spout Hotel, signed ‘Mallyan Spout’. Follow the path to a streamside signpost and turn left. Continue past the waterfall (take care after heavy rain). Follow the sometimes-difficult, rocky and boggy footpath over two footbridges, a stile and up steps, then for another 1.6km (1 mile), always beside the stream, to a stile onto a road beside a bridge.

Turn left along the road and climb the hill. Where the road bends left, go right through a gate and along a bridleway. Turn left down steps to go over a bridge, then ahead beside the New Wath Farm buildings, through a gate and across the field.

Part-way across the field, go through a waymarked gate to the right into woodland. Ascend a stony track and go through a gate, eventually turning right up the field, alongside the wall, after you leave the wood. Go left at the field top, through a gateway. Continue with a wall on your right and go through a waymarked gateway in the wall and half right up the next field, to emerge through a gate onto a metalled lane.

Turn left along the lane, go through a gate and follow the Roman Road sign. Go through two more gates by Hazel Head Farm, still following the public bridleway signs as you join a green lane. Continue through two handgates to descend to another gate and over a stile, to reach a ford.

Do not cross the ford but turn immediately right, signed ‘Roman Road’, to go over a footbridge. Go right at the end of the bridge and follow the path. Go over a stile and bear left, following the waymarker direction. Ascend to a wooden stile in the corner of the field and continue along the track with a wall on your left. Go through a gate; there is a signboard to the left with details of the Roman Road.

Walk along the Roman Road (to the left of the modern track) and go over a ladder stile beside a gate, following the line of the road. About 400m (0.25 miles) beyond the gate, look for a faint path to the left near a drainage channel, down into the valley. The path eventually passes left of an anvil shaped rock and descends steeply to stepping stones across the stream.

Cross the stream, go over a stile on the other side and continue along the grassy path. Do not go along the boardwalk but continue on the path that passes the building and comes out onto a track. At the signpost continue straight ahead past Hunt House Farm onto a metalled lane.

Where a track goes off half left, turn right up a grassy track. Bend right towards a small cairn on the ridge, then bend left, keeping below and parallel to the rocky ridge. Take a left fork by another cairn, to go slightly downhill to join a clear track. Goathland soon comes into sight. Pass a bridleway sign and descend to the road near the church. After that retrace your steps to return to the start.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Rocky streamside tracks, field and moorland paths, 5 stiles

Landscape - Deep, wooded valley, farmland and open moorland

Dog friendliness - Dogs should be on lead

Parking - Goathland village, has a large car park

Toilets en route - Goathland village

Walks in North Yorkshire

About the walk

Goathland is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the North York Moors National Park. Its situation, around a large open common, crisscrossed by tracks and kept closely cropped by grazing sheep, has always been attractive. Today, however, many tourists are drawn to Goathland because...

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Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

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.