A-Walking: Birk Brow to Danby Lodge via Commondale

Each of our three walks on Sunday, 29th September, took place in the Esk Dale area of the North York Moors. The A-walk started at Birk Brow while the B-Walk and C-walk set off from Slapewath and Charltons, respectively. All of the walks finished at the Moors Centre in Danby.
 
The A-Walk was led by Jeff Hunt (pictured below). There were seven walkers in the group. Jeff's route took in Stanghow Moor, High Moor, Westworth Wood, Guisborough Woods, North Ings Moor, Commondale, Castleton, Danby Park, Rosedale Intake, Clitherbeck, Castleton Pits and the Moors Centre. The walk covered a distance of 14.5 miles and involved a total ascent of 1200 feet.

From our drop-off location in the car park at Birk Brow {NZ 658 148}, we took a southerly bearing in order to reach Woodhill Gill Head. From here we continued south over Stanghow Moor along the Quakers' Causeway to arrive at the track junction at {NZ 659 129}. Now turning onto a north-westerly bearing, we made our way to Westworth Wood where we had a short drink-stop.
 
Maintaining our easterly bearing we walked through a section of Guisborough Woods and then turned onto a southerly bearing at {NZ 624 141}. As we approached Penrod Hill we changed our direction slightly, to a south-easterly bearing, and maintained this until we reached the small village of Commondale - where we stopped for lunch.
 
After our lunch-stop, we continued on our south-easterly bearing until we arrived at the minor road near Castleton. Now changing to an easterly bearing we walked along a good track to Danby Park where we joined the Pannierman's Causeway. This took us in a north-easterly direction to Clitherbeck Farm. We circled around the farm and stopped for a short tea-break on the open moorland near Castleton Pits {NZ 720 099}.
 
Following our tea-stop, we made our way to the minor road at {NZ 726 087} near Danby Beacon. Turning right along this road, we descended in a southerly, come westerly, direction in order to arrive at the Danby Moors Centre - where our expedition ended.
 
Many thanks to Jeff for leading the walk.
 
A selection of some of the photos that were taken during today's walking expedition can be seen by clicking on the pink button below:

Credits:
Many thanks to Phil Barker for taking the photographs.
 

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