I’ve made it one of my goals to explore close to home as much as possible this summer. Thankfully, there are so many wonderful places to explore in Yorkshire! This hike around Rosedale in the North York Moors is a fantastic walk, discovering industrial ruins from the area’s mining heyday. This is definitely one of my new favorite places in the North York Moors, and a great place to go hiking! Here’s what you should know about this hike from Rosedale Abbey.

Starting the Rosedale Hike

The starting point for this hike around Rosedale is the village of Rosedale Abbey. Funny enough, there has never actually been an abbey in Rosedale Abbey! There was an old Cistercian priory, and now there is a church in the village. There is free parking on the streets around the village green. You’ll want OS map OL26: North York Moors (Western Area) for this hike. However, the North York Moors National Park have this route as a downloadable printout, which is what I used!

This hike really has it all: fields, farms, big open views, exposed tracks along the valley. As with any big walk, you should have sturdy hiking boots and a waterproof rain jacket. Make sure to bring plenty of snacks and water with you! You can check out my outdoor gear guide for all my hiking recommendations.

From the village green, walk out through the churchyard and through the campsite. Go over the footbridge and up the steps, then follow the road and paths to Thorgill.

Rosedale: Farms And Fields

Eventually the footpath brings you out onto a small road, and through the tiny village of Thorgill. Stay on the road and it eventually turns into a long track. While the directions from the North York Moors National Park route say to continue onto the track, you actually pass several farm buildings and through many fields. It was nearly 1 hour of walking! After the farm (be aware of the “bull in field” sign but it’s permissible to pass through), the path is along to the right of the farm and the route takes you on paths as opposed to a track.

You’ll cross through Hollin Bush Farm, more fields, and then over the stream through Dale Head Farm. Be aware here there was a large bull in the field, very close to the footbridge! It’s important to read signage and be alert of your surroundings.

There is a steep uphill hike along the bridleway, signposted to Great Fryupdale. It doesn’t take long but there is a very sharp incline! However, the views at the top are definitely worth it.

Industrial Heritage Around Rosedale

One of the best parts of this hike is getting to see the industrial heritage that is still present all around Rosedale. The walk takes you on the old mining railway track and you can see the ironstone mines, kilns, cottages, and more! The ironstone mines were so important to the area, and were active from the 1850s to the 1920s.

The old railway line has now been turned into a track, which makes for easy hiking along the ridge with great views down across the valley. There were two branches of the railway line at Rosedale, one for the mines above the kilns, and one for the kilns themselves. You pass along the large ruins of the old kilns, and there are a few information boards along this part of the trail. Entering the kiln ruins isn’t allowed, and even if it was it probably isn’t safe—so make sure you follow the “keep out” signage.

The views from up here really were incredible! It felt so quiet, and it’s crazy to think how loud and noisy it would have been when the mining was going on.

Hiking Back to Rosedale Abbey

Eventually, the old railway track leads you through to some buildings. Go down the road through Hill Cottages, and continue on the footpath through more farms and fields. The directions from the website are really clear and easy to follow. Eventually, you end up back at the campsite and it’s easy to get back to Rosedale Abbey. It took about 40 minutes to get from the end of the railway line back to the village.

This walk is 7.5 miles long and it took me 3.5 hours altogether. The route directions says it takes 5 hours, I’m not sure if we were just fast or it’s very approximate timings, but it took us a lot less time! You can treat yourself to an ice cream at the Rosedale Abbey village shop and enjoy it on the village green—that’s what we did!

Planning Your Trip

There is essentially no public transportation to Rosedale Abbey to start this walk. Ryecat Bus 173 runs from Pickering to Rosedale Abbey, but only on Mondays and only once each way—so there’s no way to get back to Pickering. There is a Moorsbus M6 service, however I’m not sure if those are operational due to the pandemic. Therefore, you will need your own car to get to Rosedale Abbey.

I did this hike as a daytrip from York, where I live. You can choose to base yourself in York and daytrip, or else you can look at staying somewhere in the North York Moors. Either way, you can search for hostels here, and for hotels and B&Bs here. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

If you’re looking for other walks in the area, it’s not super convenient due to the roads (there aren’t really roads to get from valley to valley east to west or vice versa). However, Rosedale Abbey isn’t far from Farndale, Hutton-le-Hole, or Lealholm in Great Fryupdale. Rosedale Abbey is also close to Goathland and Grosmont, and the Hole of Horcum. You can also see more kilns and remains of the mining industry at Bank Top!

This is such a unique part of the North York Moors National Park, and I loved getting to explore all the mining relics! If you’re looking for a great hike (especially if you like history), Rosedale is a beautiful area. I hope this helps in planning a hike around Rosedale!

Have you ever been hiking around Rosedale? What were your impressions of the area?

You might also like my posts:

16 Of The BEST Places To Visit In The North York Moors

55 Incredible Places To Visit In Yorkshire

North York Moors Hikes: Chop Gate To The Wainstones

Farndale Daffodils: An Easy Spring Walk In The North York Moors

Hiking The Hole Of Horcum In The North York Moors

Goathland To Grosmont: A Classic Hike In The North York Moors

My Outdoor Gear Guide For Hiking And Camping In The UK

All of my hiking posts!

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