A great 12-mile walk from Masham to Middleham in the Dales

A 12 mile walk which starts with a bus ride. Start with a visit to Middleham Castle, follow initially the River Cover, then the Ure which serenely meanders past Jervaulx Abbey through a quintessentially English countryside

Park in Masham and take the bus from Masham to Middleham and return back to Masham. The no 159 leaves Masham market place at 10.15 (at present every day bar Sunday) and takes 20 minutes. Middleham is a very attractive Dales village, one of the best. The traditional castle (home amongst others of Richard 111) is worthy of closer inspection and overlooks the village, find it via a series of cobbled streets from the market place. To start the walk, take the main road heading east for ¼ of a mile from the end of the village to a farm lane heading south. Continue down the lane for ¾ a mile to the River Cover. The lane becomes a footpath as it approaches the river. Turn left and follow the river for half a mile to Cover Bridge.

There is a traditional Dales pub at Cover Bridge situated on a fine pack horse bridge. It sits on the River Cover, just 150 metres from the confluence with the River Ure. The next mile of this ever changing walk is a real pleasure. The path sticks close to the river (Cover soon becoming the Ure) as it passes serenely through the landscape of the area. As well as walkers it is popular with fishermen…do watch out for the legendary ‘kelpie’ fish which allegedly leaps out to devour its victims. The path follows a mix of woodland and open walking till it arrives at the ruins of Jervaulx Abbey. Jervaulx Abbey was a Cistercian Abbey, the ruins today creating only a part impression of the size and power of the abbeys past.

Middleham Castle ruins (Image: Supplied)

Explore the remains of the abbey, set amongst the wild flowers, trees and shrubs which have been allowed to grow up within its walls. Then take the main track/road which crosses through the grounds of Jervaulx Abbey, a well preserved park full of sheep and deer (although I have never seen the deer!). After passing the gate house on the edge of the estate turn left at the road and follow this down to Kilgram Bridge. Although it was the monks who originally built this fine bridge if you lean over the side and look carefully in to the running water you will be able to see the foundations of an old Roman road, part of a ford for their legions on their way north. 

More walks:

Return a few metres along the road to Kilgram Grange to a track heading south east and parallel to the river. Keep the river in view as the well signposted path winds its way for two miles (sometimes difficult to see on the ground) until it leaves the river a little and arrives in the attractive village of Low Ellington. Head south east alongside some higher ground on a path past a small plantation and bend left back towards the river bank. The path then heads south to some marshy/wet ground before arriving at the wetlands reserve of Marland. Follow the marked paths through the reserve. You exit the wetlands at its southern end just a few hundred metres from the outskirts of Masham. The reserve makes an interesting end to this walk full of contrasts.

Fact Box:

Middleham to Masham map. (Image: Supplied)

Distance: Roughly 11.5 miles.

Height to Climb: 130m (430 feet)

Start: SE 127878. The bus drops you in the centre of Middleham.

Difficulty: Medium. Like all riverside walks the paths can be muddy and wet in places.  

Refreshments: There is plenty of pubs and cafes in Masham. Aside from the pub at Cover Bridge early in the walk there is no pubs or cafes enroute.

Be Prepared:

The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL30 & 302) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.

Please observe the Countryside Code and park sensibly.

Jonathan runs Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales:

• He has written 4 books on walking in the Dales; ‘The Yorkshire 3 Peaks’, ‘Walks without Stiles, ‘The Dales 30’ mountains a guide to ‘The Bracken Way. Please visit Where2walk where you can buy the books.
• Jonathan runs Navigation Training Courses from Long Preston and Reeth. The next ‘Introduction to Navigation’ course is at Reeth on the 5th September.
• You can buy Dales 30 Guide Book, T Shirts and branded caps from the new Dales 30 website. Start the challenge today.

Where2walk.co.uk features 100s of walks with descriptions across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs. Visit the website for details of all these walks, guiding days and navigation.