Kirkbymoorside and St Gregory’s Minster Walk

If you enjoy visiting fascinating historical sites and don’t mind getting your feet wet, the Kirkbymoorside and St Gregory’s Minster Walk is an excellent option for getting out onto the trails to explore the local history of the North York Moors.

Setting out from the trailhead, you will initially head to the northwest through Kirkbymoorside, before turning to the southwest to leave the boundaries of the market town behind. After traversing the picturesque farmland, you will arrive at the fascinating site of Kirkdale Cave. Here, you will find a cave that was discovered in 1821 and filled with fossilized mammals that aren’t currently found in Britain, including hippos, elephants, rhinos, and hyenas.

From here, you will head north through the forest along Hodge Beck and loop around St Gregory’s Minster, an 11th C church that was built on the site of an earlier church dating back to the late 6th Century. After viewing the historic building, you will make your way to the southeast along Hodge Beck towards Welburn, before turning to the northeast to once again traverse the countryside on the return to Kirkbymoorside.