Route Guide: Levisham, North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Cropton Forest.
Distance: 13 Miles - 2-4 miles on-road, 9-11 miles off-road.
Difficulty: Medium.
Time: About 2 and half to 3 hours.

Starting at the railway station, cross the line with care and turn to the right to follow the 
forest track, Hardigate Road which heads due north, parallel to the railway line. This section 
of the track is a permissive path. Please cycle with care and give way to all pedestrians and 
other users. After around 1.4 miles you will see a stream crossing under the track. Straight 
after this is a marker post on your left-hand side which indicates a track climbing to the left.
Take this track which begins to climb around to the right. It leads you up onto the hillside 
with views to your right towards  Levisham Moors, where you will see the ruins of Skelton Tower 
on Corn Hill Point.
After a few more yards on the main track you pass a single tree on your left-hand side, wityh a 
marker post justbeyond it. Take the track off to the left, climbing steeply around to the right, 
and head up to Waterpale Slack. Once onto more level ground, you will see another marker post. 
Keep left - more or less straight on - at this stage and follow the track through the forest for 
another few hundred yards. Eventually you reach the forestry road, Heads Road, which forms a 
T-junction with the track you are following.
Turn left onto Heads Road and follow this level road along Raindale Head. Soon the road swings 
sharp right out onto a clearing and you pass Hill Top Farm - approximately 4 miles from your 
start point. Descend the hill past the farm to join Stape Road heading due south. Turn left and 
follow the road as it climbs a little, before descending for around a mile. Soon after passing 
Rawcliffe House Farm on your right you arrive at a T-junction near a campsite. Turn left here 
and continue into Newton-on-Rawcliffe. On entering the village you have a choice of route: 
either to turn left and follow the lane along the top of Newton Banks and East Brow Banks; 
or to follow the road through Nwewton, descending past Lydds House.
If you choose the back lane past Newton, you enjoy a great view down over the start point in the 
valley - but then have to pass the site of a sewage works further on, as well as a farm scrapyard 
which is none too scenic. Whichever route you take you will eventually arrive at a junction with 
Ruddings Road - at GR812886 (village route) or GR823887 (scenic? route). You will then turn left 
and head due east towards Farwath Road.
Descend this steep track through the woods to reach the railway line again. Cross the stream 
either by the footbridge, or by the ford. Cross the railway line and take the wooden footbridge 
alongside the railway line which leads to a gate on your right. Go through the gate into a 
field and head to your left to follow the bridleway below the woods, heading due north through 
Levisham Wood.
Follow the track through the woods, keeping parallel to the railway line, and heading for 
Keldgate Slack. After approx. 1.25 miles you reach the outcrop. Follow the track below it and 
around it, then climb up the hill straight ahead to rejoin the road from Levisham. Turn left 
onto the road and enjoy the descent over the last few hundred yards down to your start point. 
The descent is steep at first but eases out as the road doubles back on itself round to the 
left.
The track through the wood can be very muddy in winter conditions, and you should be preparded 
to walk this part at this time of year.

This route was downloaded from:
Mountain Bike Extreme - http://www.mtbe.co.uk