Malham, Kirkby Malham and Airton Circular

Parking: Yorkshire Dales National Park Visitor Centre car park at the southern edge of Malham village. (BD23 4DA) Grid ref. SD 899 627. If this is full, there is parking on the roadside leading to the village and in busy periods, the local farmers will open fields to allow parking. You will need to pay for all parking; take cash and card so you have all options.

(S/E) From the NT car park walk to the exit and turn immediately right onto the track which leads behind the car park. At the first junction go left/straight ahead. There is a homemade signpost for Kirkby Malham. Follow the good track up to Hall Close and pass through a large wooden gate. Continue to a wooden stile on the right. Cross the stile into the field and follow the path diagonally left toward the wall. At the corner of the wall head for a gate and stone step/stile. Cross the stile and follow the track, which curves towards a stone barn and a wooden stile beside the barn and a gate.

(1) Go over the stile and follow the good track to a metal gate and ladder stile. Go through or over and follow the track towards Acraplatts farm. As you pass through the gap in the wall to enter the farm, stop following the good track. Instead veer diagonally leftwards across the grass towards the woods. You will see a wooden gate and a signpost.

(2) Go through the gate and walk down to cross the stream via a small bridge, then ascend into a pasture with a ruin. Walk towards the ruin and pass it on the left. Continue to a gate (which may be open) with a stone stile a few metres to its left. Go through or over either of these into the next field and walk diagonally uphill towards a second ruin. On the right of the ruin is a stone stile with a picket gate.

(3) Cross over this and walk to the track. At the track turn left and walk to a metal gate with a stile on its left. Go through the gate and to the road (Grains Lane). At the junction turn left and walk downhill towards Kirkby Malham. Take care with traffic. As you pass the 30mph sign and the first houses on the left, look out for a lane on the right which leads to the church.

(4) Turn right and walk to a wooden gate with a pedestrian gap on its right. Pass through the gap and follow the lane as it curves leftwards to the church. Pass The Vicarage, which is a fine example of dales building from the 1600's and St Michael's Church is usually open so that you can visit and appreciate this excellent example of a local village church. Walk through the church yard and out of the gate with the Victoria Inn on your left. Turn right and walk back up the lane to a wider parking area and a finger post.

(5) Follow the path to cross a bridge and then ascend to pass through two gates and into a field. Walk diagonally rightwards to an obvious plantation of trees and walk with these on your right up to a track and stile. Cross the stile and follow the grassy path in a south-westerly direction to pass a fingerpost. The path then gently descends to a stream and a corner where walls join; pass a second post just before the stream. Cross the stone stile and walk with the wall on your left to a large wooden gate on the left with a kissing gate on its left.

(6) Turn left and pass through the gate. Walk across the field to a wall with a line of young trees next to it and pick up a track. Follow the track to an opening in the wall (no gate) and beyond this walk to a metal gate diagonally on your right. Go through the metal gate and walk with the wall on your left to an opening in the next wall (no gate). Pass through this and walk with the wall on your left to pass over a stone stile and then onto a second stone stile.

(7) Cross the second stone stile and walk diagonally left (South East) towards a wall. Follow this with the wall on your left to go over another stone stile and then through two openings (no gates) in the subsequent walls. At the second opening walk across the field to a wooden gate with a fingerpost. Go through the gate and walk to the wall on the right. Walk down the field with the wall on your right to a wooden gate and the road.

(8) Go through the gate and at the road turn right. Take care on this short section of road as there is no verge at first; walk single file and when possible cross to the left side to see around the bend. Walk along the road to a signpost and wooden gate (10), or continue to the farm shop at Town End Farm (9), cross over to it and browse the local products or enjoy their refreshments. If you do the latter, return to the gate and post.

(10) Go through the gate and walk down to a bridge, cross over and walk to a picket gate. Go through and walk diagonally leftwards to pick up a path which runs northwards. Follow this path across the field to a wall and walk with the wall on your right to two gates in quick succession. Now follow the riverside path (If it is boggy underfoot it is possible to walk rightwards and up to the tree line where it is drier) to pass through a gate. Now the path leads to the bridge at Hanlith.

(11) Ascend the stone steps and at the top turn left to cross the bridge. After the bridge turn immediately right and follow the road to Scalegill Mill. At the entrance pass through the gate on the left and follow the path which leads beside the mill and the mill race. Follow the path, passing between gates as necessary, to a stone stile with a picket gate.

(12) Cross over. On the far side is Aire Head, where the water from Malham Tarn rises again to form the River Aire. Keep on following the path and pass through gates as necessary to arrive back in Malham at two large wooden gates. Go through and turn left back to the car park.(S/E)

Generally a low level walk but in winter and in a northerly breeze it can be cold. There are few places for respite but the church at Kirkby Malham offers shelter, as does the farm shop at Airton.

In summer the pastures will be dry, but in late autumn, winter and spring some land will be soft underfoot and you will get muddy boots. In these conditions I recommend boots rather than approach-type shoes or trainers. Walking this in winter after a hard overnight freeze is a good option, especially with an early start on a bright day to get great views of the frost covered landscape.

Parking and Start: There is parking at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Visitor Centre at the southern edge of the village. (BD23 4DA) Grid ref. SD 899 627.
The carpark fills quickly and costs £5.50 to park for over 2 hours. There is also free parking on the edge of the road that leads to the village, but please remember to park sensibly and do not block any farm gates or cause an obstruction. In addition, on busy days a paid, overflow carpark is opened in a field on the right as you approach the village.

Places of Interest: St. Michael's Church is well worth a visit. Inside are box pews, some of which date back to the 1600's. The church is an excellent example of vernacular architecture and is often referred to as 'the cathedral of the dales.'

Refreshments: There are plenty of places for refreshments in Malham village, including ice cream and pubs. The Lister Arms is particularly good, but the Buck Inn and Beck Hall Hotel are also popular.

Next to St. Michael's Church is the Victoria Inn; however this may not be open until the late afternoon, so it is worth checking their website first https://www.victoriakirkbymalham.co.uk/

Halfway around, the Town End Farm Shop offers a great local butchery, local products and a tea room. It is well worth a stop off here.

Accommodation: Hill Top Farm
Hill Top Farm in Malham was featured in the most recent David Attenborough series "Saving our Wild Isles", as an example of farmers changing their practice to re-establish biodiversity.
The farm has a cottage and a bunkhouse, and the author can recommend staying here. School groups are also welcome.