Gentle four mile strolls taking in the wildlife, geological heritage and social history of the landscape that joins the North York Moors National Park to the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are on offer on weekends in July and August.
Led by knowledgeable guides, the walks are free of charge and have been organised as part of the Lime & Ice Project. To book a place and for information on where to meet, people should call 01439 772738.
Walks in July
Following the River Rye from Nunnington, the first walk takes place at 2pm on Saturday 2 July. The focus of the walk is grasslands with guide Phil Lyth talking about their important role as habitats for a wide range of plants and animals, as well as the work undertaken to conserve them.
On Sunday 17 July at 2pm, Ted Hartley will lead a walk looking at the distinctive geology around Ampleforth including the impressive Coxwold-Gilling Gap – a mile and a half wide valley formed by two parallel faults. Find out about the violent upheavals that created this stunning landscape and why ammonites are often found around Gilling.
Walks in August
In the eighteenth century Joseph Foord used the area’s unique topography to bring water from the North York Moors to the dry villages of the limestone Tabular Hills. Starting from Hutton-le-Hole, a walk led by Peter Turton on Sunday 21 August at 2pm takes in a number of sites where parts of Foord’s water courses still remain.
Jennifer Smith, Lime & Ice Project Officer, said:,“Taken at a leisurely pace through rolling countryside, these informative walks will stretch the legs and the mind. The rich tapestry of habitats found on the walks also offers a great opportunity for wildlife spotting from kingfishers darting along the river banks to skylarks fluttering above farmland and the moors.”