Embsay and Rylstone Cross

Jim Grindle

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Embsay Moor is an exhilarating place for a walk and has a number of now well-surfaced bridleways, some of which this walk uses. Most of the climb is at the start, the rest of the walk being undulating until the end, where there is a steep descent through bracken with little by way of a path. The views are in all directions at different points in the walk and there is a definite feeling of being in wide open spaces. As you will see from the pictures in the description, this can be a very wild place in winter so you need to be well-equipped.

England - North England - Yorkshire - Yorkshire Dales - Wharfedale

Features

Ancient Monument, Birds, Butterflies, Cafe, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Industrial Archaeology, Moor, Pub, Public Transport, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife

8/31/2017 - Jim Grindle

The grading is justified because this is a hazardous area in winter, although Nicola may well have found it easy by her standards and in summer. I very much hope she enjoyed her day, anyway. Jim Grindle.

8/28/2017 - Nicola Howarth

This is far from strenuous. Also, it says OL2 is the map you need so I took OL2. In fact it is OL10. Also at Point 16 we turned right, cross the stream just before the wier and head over Embsay Crags for an excellent view. From here you could retrace your steps back to Pt16 or as we did, continue over the top, follow the bridleway until you see the gate on your RHS, go through this and drop down to the road just left of where Pt4 emerged on to the road. Turn L, go past the church to Pt3 & retrace your steps to the car park.

10/8/2013 - mark archer

A bit of a dreary start but the weather improved on the tops. Having just completed the Cracoe Skyline Walk, this approached Rylstone Cross from a different direction and it was pleasing to see how the routes overlapped. There is quite a lot of gravelled moorland track in this walk - not to everyone's taste. The high ground from Embsay was attained fairly quickly at the beginning, and after that it was steady all day. One or two slight adjustments to the walk...At WP5, the stile it says you go round, you now go over! At WP11, the sign now says 'Public Bridleway' and not 'BW Rylstone'. Apart from that, everything is as it says. The descent to Embsay Reservoir is quick but does involve wandering through some deep bracken at times - just keep an eye of right hand corner of the reservoir as stated.