Stage 7

This stage begins at St Michael's Church, Cold Kirby and ends at Rievaulx Abbey.

Walk Instructions

Start: St Michael’s Church, Cold Kirby
YO7 2HL What3Words cabbages.passions.recorders OS Grid reference 533 845
Distance- 4.5 miles Stage 7 of a 9 stage 41 mile trail
Grade: Moderate
USE THE OS MAP LINK St Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail Stage 7
Photos relate to * in text.

1

Leave the church gate and turn right for approximately 50 meters to the Cleveland Way signpost Rievaulx 3 miles) *. Here turn right down the hill.

2

Follow the Cleveland Way path down into the valley and up the other side till you reach a farm track where you turn left.

3

Carry on this track to a gate with the Cleveland Way acorn sign on it. *Go through the gate and keep to the right of the next field.

4

Follow this path as it becomes a sunken path and head for the next gate. Through this gate the path becomes stony and soon reaches the valley floor. The Cleveland Way sign points to the left on a clear track.*

5

Carry on a short distance to a T junction of tracks. Turn right, following the St Aelred's Pilgrim Trail waymarker.

6

After approximately half a mile you will see a wooden gate ahead of you. *Go through this gate to the conservation area and cross the stepping stones to the track on the other side. Please note- this is where the loop on the Trail crosses itself and there are 2 waymarkers pointing to the left and right. At this stage take the track to the left. Turn left along this track for a little more than half a mile with the stream and fishing lakes on your left till you reach the gate to the minor road between Rievaulx and Scawton.

7

Turn left along this road, for half a mile until you see Ashberry Bridge down a minor road to your left, with Ashberry farm* ahead of you. Go past the farm and you will see a gate on the right up into the woods with a St Aelred’s Way marker.

8

From this gate you walk uphill and then downhill through Ashberry Wood on a good path and depending on the time of year you may have views of Rievaulx Abbey to your right. The River Rye is below the path. There is a bench a short way on the uphill stretch. After a bit more than half a mile you reach a gate into a field. Follow the path to the left of this field and through another field to a track.

9

Turn right on this track and you will see the River Rye ahead of you to the left. Go over Bow Bridge and carry on following the track for more than half a mile until you reach Rievaulx Methodist Church and the minor road through Rievaulx. Turn right and you will see the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Rievaulx.

10

500 meters after the church you will come to Rievaulx Abbey.