Start/finish point - The Worsley Arms Hotel
Parking Hovingham can be reached from Malton (Rail Station) on the 194 bus. If you are not staying at the hotel the Village Hall has a car park - please make a contribution to the voluntary box. The village is served well and has 2 cafes, a pub and hotel as well as a bakery at the northern end by the ford.
mapRecommend the 1:25000 sheet Pathfinder 643
Hazards - none too serious but in prolonged periods of wet weather (usually winter) Hollin Hill Bog is as the name suggests and as you can imagine, presents unpleasant walking conditions
Highlights - at the beginning on the ascent out of the village views E over the Vale of Pickering and distant views of the Wolds, then mixed woodland scenery and bog, gentle rolling hills (Howardian Hills AONB) affording local views of the Howardian Hills and then Northwards toward the North York Moors over the Vale of Pickering on the descent back down to the Vale . Lots of options to extend or alter the walk route to suit.
Other points of interest - Deer are usually around particularly in the woodland fringes, Sparrow Hawks occupy the quarries and buzzards are often seen taking the thermals rising up from the Vale.
Route
1 - Starting from The Worsley Arms with the Hotel behind you turn left which is essentially due South & staying on the same side as the hotel head uphill
2 - Cross the main road (safest on the corner) and head up the footpath initially to the right of the Sheriff Hutton Road and keep walking uphill, cross the road and pass the unmade layby and turn left immediately after the layby
3 - it is now a case of following this track (between hedgerows at first). Stop at the top for views. Continue along this track into the woodland where the track veers left to the Southeast. The track starts to swing slightly to the right & you will see a downhill track on the left leading down to a gate.Go down to and through the gate.
4 - The route is directly ahead across the start of Hollin Hill Bog. The first bit is not too bad. There is a left hand turn down to a stream where you then turn right following the stream. Depending on the time of year this can be a beautiful path with wild garlic growing along it's course, but there are usually some wet parts.
5 - The path comes to a track and it is a case of another left hand turn through 2 gates and following along a path at the bottom of a field and watercourse. At the time of writing the field has pig arcs in it (but it did used to have potatoes in it!)
6 - In a short distance the path comes to another farm track and turning left takes you over a concrete bridge and through a gate. The path heads slightly left alongside the woodland fringe - and almost immediately there is an obvious path into the woodland on the left here. The next short section of path can be boggy in wet weather but improves as height is gained.
7 - The path quickly comes to an obvious right turn uphill, follow the path up. The path skirts the eastern side of Hollin Hill and after a short distance of uphill comes to another track.
8 - There is a pedestrian gate across the track (and slightly to the left). Go through the gate and follow the obvious field side path along the woodland edge/field boundary.
9 - After a short distance the woodland peters out on the left and there is an obvious track heading more or less north, have a good look around at the views as you will soon be back in the vale. The track leads off the Howardian Hills and down the western side of Wath Quarry down to the B1257.
10. Turn right and stay on the verge until reaching the sign pointing to a pedestrian gate on the opposite side of the road. Take care crossing - this is a blind bend at the end of a long straight section of the road so cars are usually going fast.
11 - Once through the gate it is the final few steps of descent and then round to the R briefly onto a farm track over Wath Beck then turn left and then right & follow the hedge/boundary the end of the field where another footpath is joined.
12 - Turn left onto the path & soon you will see Hovingham in the distance ahead. The path goes into another field roughly heading west with a left turn needed to follow a drainage ditch to a footbridge over the ditch. Cross the bridge and follow the obvious field edge path to Hovingham (just over half a mile to go). The footpath enters the village by the tennis court and bowling green and places you into the car park of the Hovingham Inn. When you get to road turn left to return to the starting point