1. (Start) Set off due west through the village, passing the former school/youth hostel now refurbished as the village hall. Pause to study the display boards depicting the history of the village and its surroundings. The village shop is on the right. Continue along the road passing the Manor House. As the road swings right bear left through gate to follow a bridleway into a steep sided dale. Walk up this dale for about a mile and then take the right fork at a gate to climb steadily up to Thixendale Grange. Go through gates and walk along the farm track to the road.

2. (3.2km, 2miles) Turn right along the road then, in about ¼ mile, turn left along a lane to Hanging Grimston. Pass a farm and come to the edge of the Wolds escarpment overlooking the Vale of York. Go through the gate right to follow the Chalklands Way along the field side. The way ahead becomes more overgrown by a cattle trough, so go through a gate on the left (with access land marker) and continue by the hedge along the top. The land drops away steeply left into Deep Dale. At the corner of the field go right then left over two stiles to mainting direction by the hedge along the top of Hanging Grimston Wold. The field narrows to a gate, where it can be muddy.

3. (6km, 3¾ miles) Cross the road to a footpath gate and head down the field keeping towards the left to find a rickety gate by trees. Walk down into the widening Brownmoor Dale keeping to the left-hand side. For a chalk valley this dale is surprisingly boggy – after rain there may well be on pond above the track that crosses up to Brown Moor Farm. Continuing down, where grasses and sedges emphasise the wet areas down the middle of the dale, bear left to a gate onto the Birdsall Road. Turn left and walk along the road up to Aldro Farm. Opposite the farm turn right along the lane towards Toisland.

4. (8.0km, 5 miles) This lane keeps along a broad ridge with the Wolds to the south and glimpses of the Moors to the north. After 1¼ miles of easy walking you reach the end of tarmac on Toisland Wold and join the Yorkshire Wolds Way. Continue ahead through gates following a tractor track alongside North Plantation. With Wharram Percy Farm across to the north take a right turn onto the Centenary Way which heads south towards Raisthorpe. Walk down this track ignoring a path to the left until the way ahead becomes private and a footpath sign directs you right, along a field edge to a gate above Court Dale

5. (12.8km, 8 miles) Go through the gate and turn left along the top of the dale before dropping down to a gate at the bottom. Cross the farm track and head slightly uphill and along a bank above horse jumps to an awkward stile in the corner. Cross and continue along the side of Water Dale to drop down by the cricket pitch and pavilion. Another gate brings you into Thixendale village near the Cross Keys Inn. Turn right to walk back through the village to the church and village hall.

Arnold Underwood (Jan 2013)