HARROGATE RINGWAY RELAY

Starts at 9-30am 2nd January 2005 from 'THE YORKSHIRE LASS'

High Bridge, Knaresborough.

Instructions for STAGE ONE

Distance 3KM

Starts from High Bridge at side of The Worlds End Pub, follow down lane marked Waterside after about 600 yards care to keep slightly right at minor junction on Bridge Close rather than go left uphill. On meeting main road turn right over the river bridge and uphill past the Mother Shipton Pub. After passing by a row of cottages on the right and about 50 yards further on turn right onto the narrow footpath. Uphill and straight on over the stile into the field keeping the hedge on the left. After about 200 yards the path swings slightly right away from the hedge. Go through the gap in the fence in the comer of the field and continue in the next field with the hedge on the left side until reaching the stile at the field end. Over the stile keeping in the same direction follow the line of four large Oak Trees. 50 yards past the last tree the path meets another, turn left at this junction and follow by the hedge side, some low farm huts are now in view. Follow in the direction of these and over the stile by the farm gate and past a new barn. A little further on the track turns right and now has a tarmac surface. On reaching the road junction turn right on to Forest Moor Road. Continue up the road to the stage end at Moorland Nurseries.

HARROGATE RINGWAY RELAY

Sunday 2 January 2005

Starts at 9-30am from 'YORKSHIRE LASS' High Bridge, Knaresborough

Instructions for STAGE TWO

Starts at Moorland Nurseries, Forest Moor Road finishes at end of Fulwith Mill Lane by top of Almsford Bank. Distance 6.5 KM

Start from Moorland Nurseries and continue for about 200 yards at the side of the road and then take a left turn onto the marked footpath field track. Continue on the track and on reaching a large tree there is a. footpath sign marked 'Wetherby Road'. Follow the direction of this sign diagonally across the field in the direction of a small clump of trees in the right h3 '1d field corner. Here, take the gap in the fence and onto the grassy track. A farm is now in view, continue on the track to the farm (Rudfarlington Farm) keeping right in the farmyard and continue down the track to the road junction. Turn right onto the main road for some 400 yards until the road junction and cross the road left at the junction into Rudding Lane and after 100 yards take the right hand turn onto Crimple Lane and past the Travellers Rest Pub. Continue on this track and over a stile into Rudding Park Estate. Follow the footpath across a field and over a stile into a wood. Go under the arch of the railway viaduct and then turn left onto the concrete track. After 200 yards leave this track where it swings to the right and go over the grass to the left and take the stile into the wood.

Follow the path by the stream and over the small bridge. (There is in the direct view a railway viaduct). The path now turns to the right and rises uphill on the left hand side of the wood. Continue to the top where it joins another track. Keeping left the track continues for about 400 yards and onto a tarmac surface. After 50 yards on the tarmac turn left on the road for about 20 yards when at the entrance to St. Michaels Hospice turn on the track to the right. The track passes over the railway and after 200 yards has a tarmac surface, swings slightly left and over a ramp to a junction. Keep to the right on the rising ground. This is now Fulwith Mill Lane with select houses at either side of the road. The stage ends at the lane end by the main road at the top of Almsford Bank.

HARROGATE RINGWAY RELAY

Sunday 2 January 2005

Starts at 9-30am from 'THE YORKSHIRE LASS' High Bridge, Knaresborough

Instructions for STAGE THREE

Starts from Near Top of Almsford Bank Grid Ref 309528 to end of Beckwith Head Road at Junction near Harlow Carr Gardens. Grid Ref 283537.

Distance 8KM

Start near top of Almsford Bank onto Stone Rings Lane, after 200 yards road turn to track and drops left downhill and over stream bridge. Then uphill for 50 yards, take path to left (not the one to the right) through wall and path drops downhill with wire fence at each side. Continue to the bottom, main road is on the left. At the bottom of the hill forward over stile and after 50 yards the path turns right and goes by side of stream for a while before turning into flat field. Pannal Church is now in view, follow path into Church Grave Yard and path is alongside the Church. At Church entrance turn left into Main Street road crosses bridge and is now signed as Station Road. After only 20 yards turn right into Mill Lane. After 200 yards at Duck Pond (green footpath sign Burn Bridge) keep to right side of pond and on track for 400 yards before arriving at up market farm yard. Look out here for barn with four black garage doors. At end of this barn follow onto path which now has a cricket field on the left. Path now reaches road, go straight across the road and over stone stile (green footpath sign Great Alms Cliff) Path continues for 200 yards until reaching another road. Again straight across and onto path by hedge. The path rises and now in view on hillside is a wood. Keep to left side of wood, and turn up steep hill with wood on right. At top of hill path drops down hill and turns right into wood and down over stream. Now uphill for 50 yards onto road. Here turn right only for 20 yards and then take path to left through gated stile. Down field and over stream. Now on rising ground keep wall to the left after 300 yards through white gate and then through iron gate and in to road and turn right. After 20 yards turn left through stile. A few field stiles and continue past oak tree in field now on rising ground. Through next flat field over broad wooden stile. Two further field stiles dropping slightly downhill. Now turn left over stile (ringway way marker on stile points straight ahead but ignore this) Now keep hedge on left for about 600 yards. A line of large old tree stumps are now visible. Pass by these and swing slightly right with hedge to left. Next stile is hidden in field corner. Two further stiles and path meets road. Turn right straight ahead at road junction (now on Lady Lane) After 100 yards take path to left just before farm. Next stile is in field corner and marked by white post. A few more stiles close together and path now reaches farm (Beckwith Cottage Farm) Follow down farm gateway entrance rather than footpath on left. Now onto road and keep right. Follow road straight across junction onto Beckwith Head Road. Continue for about 600 yards to stage end.

HARROGATE RINGWAY RELAY

Sunday 2 January 2005

Starts at 9-30am from ‘THE YORKSHIRE LASS' High Bridge, Knaresborough

Instructions for STAGE FOUR

Starts Near Harlow Carr Gardens Grid Ref 283537 to Ripon Road/Knox Mill Lane. Grid Ref 290576. Distance 6.5 KM

 From Junction of Beckwith Head Road turn left for 200 yards towards Beckwithshaw and take footpath to right along side of Harlow Carr Gardens. After about 600 yards the path swings right and downhill and joins the path from Pot Bank. Take care to take left turn and down to the stream crossing wooden bridge and then over some duckboards before path turns slightly right and uphill and through fence. `Keep going uphill to the right next to the fence. On reaching a large rock keep just to the right hand side against the fence now on level ground. Follow the path down from the high ridge keeping to the left and down stone uneven steps. After the last steps swing to the right on the path which is now level. On reaching the road turn left and downhill for 100 yards and turn right onto the wide unmade road. Shortly after the 30 MPH sign take the tarmac footpath for about 100 yards. Be careful not to miss the sign to turn left down a narrow snicket. The path drops down to a stream and follow the stream to the right. On reaching a flat area with a number of tall trees the path turns uphill to the right and still in the woods. On reaching a road turn left past Oakdale Golf Club. Just past the Golf Club Car Park take a left turn down the path. Follow the stream and by a large wire fence follow the line of the fence when it turns left and over the stream bridge. Straight ahead now with a large Pylon in view go past the Food Fair Store and past the traffic lights. (Ignore the footpath sign to the right just before the traffic lights). Cross over the road just past the traffic lights and keep on the footpath for about 200 yards. Just before he bus stop and by the side of a tall hawthorn hedge turn right and downhill. Follow over a stream bridge with metal rail and turn to the right over the grass onto the A59 road. Pass within 20 yards over the road bridge and then cross over the road and take the limestone farm track to the left. Arriving in the farm yard keep in the same line against the side of the farm building. Follow onwards for about another 400 yards and at the top of a slight hill take the right turn and the stage finishes 100 yards where the path meets the Ripon Road.

HARROGATE RINGWAY RELAY

Sunday 2 January 2005. Starts at 9-30am from 'THE YORKSHIRE LASS'

High Bridge, Knaresborough

Instructions for STAGE FIVE

Starts at Junction of Ripon Road/Knox Lane, Grid Ref 290576 to 'Yorkshire Lass' Knaresborough  Grid Ref 345571.

Distance 8.0 KM

Down Knox Mill Lane and cross over the footbridge by the Ford and uphill for about 300 yards before taking a left turn onto Old Trough Way. At the junction with Old Barber turn left and after 100 yards through the opening in the fence. Two paths are now visible, keep to the higher path that passes by the Pylon and now turns slightly to the right and through a narrow fence stile. The path now runs between a tall wire fence and through a gated stile, keep going in the same direction and into the wood. On reaching the wood take a left turn through a gated stile and continue uphill.  On reaching another stile keep to the footpath to the left signposted Nidd Gorge, the footpath follows next to a tall wire fence with a Sewage Works on the left reaching some steps and down by the side of the River Nidd. Follow by the side of t he river and under the impressive stone viaduct. The path continues by the riverside and reaches a little footbridge over an incoming stream. After reaching a weir on the river the path rises slightly away from the river and reaches a junction with another path. Here take the path to the left signposted Knaresborough and again follows near the river bank. At this point there are one or two minor options where the path divides. It doesn't make any difference as the paths rejoin into one after about 50 yards. Ignore the footbridge over the river and carry on down stream for another 300/400 yards. The path now swings away from the river up a fairly steep slope to the right (hard going here) and on reaching level ground the track becomes wider and moves out of the wood and over a stile into a field on the right. On leaving the field over the stile take a left hand turn onto the unmade road. Continue down this road until reaching the junction at Bilton Hall and now straight on to the now narrow path.  After a few hundred yards the path drops fairly steeply onto the main track to finish the stage at Low Bridge with the Yorkshire Lass Pub where well earned refreshments may be taken.