NZ 9400/01 Jugger Howe

This walk takes us through four very different areas, representing some of the most typical features of the North York Moors. First is the valley of Jugger Howe Beck, a steep sided valley that winds its way between Jugger Howe Moor and High Moor. This valley leads us to Harwood Dale, through a mixed area of pastoral and arable farming. We then pass through Harwood Dale Forest, typical of the large areas of forestry to be found on the moors. Finally, we return to our starting point across the open moors above Ravenscar and Robin Hood's Bay, with some super views along the coast and west into the heart of the moors.

Ascent: 1000ft/ 325m
Length: 11 miles/ 18km
Map: Explorer 27
Last Walked: 16 September 2007

We start this walk from a car park off the A 171, just outside Harwood Dale Forest. This car park is actually the original route of the main road, since moved into a cutting, just to the north.

If you are approaching this parking place from the north, start looking out just after you pass the Flask Inn. Just as the road enters a cutting, look out for a right turn. From the south, start looking just after you leave Harwood Dale Forest. The road gently rises and swings to the left at the entrace to the cutting. Look out for a left turn.

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From the car park, head west along the old road (with the main road to the right). This road dips down across the head of Burn Howe Dale.
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As the road begins to climb very gently, look for a stile on the left. Cross over it and follow the faint path along the ridge on the western side of Burn Howe Dale.
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Towards the end of the ridge the path becomes much clearer, passing through a patch of bracken and into a wooded area. Here it drops down the end of the hill into the valley bottom, although not exactly where marked on the OS map.
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At the bottom of the hill the path deviates rather from the right of way. The right of way crosses over to the west bank of Jugger Howe Back, turns south, then crosses back to the east bank. Not surprisingly, that no longer happens. When you reach Jugger Howe Beck, turn left and follow the path along the east bank of the beck.

After a short distance we reach the bridge over the beck (don't cross it). A clear track climbs up the side of the hill towards the top of Jugger Howe Moor. Take it, but after a very short distance leave it and follow the foot path that runs across the side of the moor.

When I last did this walk the path did not follow the route shown on the OS map. The right of way is shown cutting corners, climbing up and down the side of the hill and ending up on the top of the moor. At the time the in-places slightly swampy path stays in the valley bottom, taking advantage of the flat ground at the bottom of the valley (I did this walk after wet weather and it was perfectly walkable). Follow this path along the valley bottom as it runs roughly towards the east.

This has now changed, and the offical right of way has been restored, so it is possible to follow this path as it runs along the hillside and thus avoid the wet valley bottom.

 

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After about one and a third miles our valley is joined from the left by the valley of Helwath Wash Beck. Cross the bridge over this beck, then turn right and follow the path closest to Jugger Howe Beck as it runs south. After a short distance cross a bridge over the beck, and follow the path through the woods on the western (right) bank of the beck.
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Once again our path deviates from the right of way. At the southern end of the woods, the path is shown climbing up the steep side of the valley, before dropping back into the valley bottom. In fact the path follows the side of the beck all the way along the valley, until it reaches the track that comes down the side of the hill. Turn left onto this track and follow it down to a bridge over the beck. Once over the beck, turn right and follow the track as it climbs up out of the woods. At the top of hill, the track turns left, and joins a minor road.

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Turn right at the road, and follow it until it begins to drop down back towards the beck once again.
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As the road begins to descend, look for a right of way leaving to the left. Follow this path across the fields.
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After just over three hundred feet, the path crosses over a stile and turns right. Follow it along the edge of the next two fields, then turn left onto a track.
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Follow this track along two fields, until it reaches a small lane. Cross this lane into the next field. The edge of this field curves around to the right.
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Follow the field edge all the way round the curve. As the field edge begins to straighten out, cross over a stile into the field to the left, and cut across this field to the far right corner.
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Cross a stile in the far corner of this field that takes you onto the road through the tiny village of Harwood Dale. Turn left onto this road, and follow it through the village.
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Outside the village the road turns left and straightens out. Follow this first straight segment as it heads towards Harwood Dale Forest. Before reaching the trees, the road turns sharply to the right. Turn right and follow the road east for 500 feet, before turning left onto a track that heads towards the trees.
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Follow this track to the edge of the trees. At the edge of the trees, we reach a T-junction. Turn left onto this track. After a very short distance, turn right onto a footpath that leads through the trees. Do not follow the track as it heads downhill. Note that the OS map shows this track as being inside the woods, but the edge of the woods has since been pushed back to the track.
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Our path reaches a forest track at Teydale Farm. Turn right and then almost immediately left, on a path that soon reaches the main A 171. Cross this road (carefully!). On the far side of the road, turn onto the side road, signposted for Ravenscar. Ignore the signposted footpath - it runs through too narrow a space at the edge of the fields. Instead, stay on the road, then after 700 feet, turn right (still towards Ravenscar). We follow this road for just under a mile, as it climbs up onto the edge of Staintondale Moor.

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A footpath is shown crossing a field and cutting a corner off our route, but this path doesn't appear to exist on the ground, so remain on the road until you reach a good quality farm track on the left of the road. Turn left onto this track.

This track runs straight for half a mile, then turns through 45 degrees to the right, runs this was for a short distance, then turns through another 45 degrees and runs back to the Ravenscar road close to a windmill. Follow the track through these turns.

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At the road turn left and follow a minor road that climbs up towards a clearly visible TV transmitter.
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Just after reaching this transmitter station, turn left onto a track that crosses the open moor, passing just to the right of a triangulation pillar. This section of the path gives us great views west across the moors, but never quite gives us a clear view of Robin Hood's Bay.
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After eight tenths of a mile, a footpath leaves our track and heads right. Ignore this turn, and continue straight along the path.
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After another quarter of a mile, there is another split in the path. This time the track heads left, while a minor path continues straight on. Follow this minor path. It should bring us back to the A 171 directly opposite the entrance to our car park. Once again, cross the main road carefully.