1st May 2016
Goathland (Heartbeat)
The above is a map with the route I took.
The above is the elevation of my walk.
I found this walk on another website called Where2Walk; they have a number of walks on there covering the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and the Lake District. I do not remember how I came across this site, but Goathland was the 1st walk I have done after viewing it on their site.
As some of you may know, Goathland is the village used to film the long running TV series Heartbeat, known in the program as Aidensfield.
Aidensfield, sorry I mean Goathland.
This is more or less a similar shot to the one used in the opening credits to Heartbeat. Take away the modern cars and replace them with cars from the 1960's and you would have Aidensfield.
One of the Police cars used in the TV series Heartbeat, outside Aidensfield Stores. The shop is a real shop; they have even kept the name.
There are two car parks in Goathland, both next to each other, the first one you come to, and there is a cabin where you pay to park. The second one has pay and display machines. They both cost £3 (in 2016) for the day; I parked in the second one because I didn't notice the first until I started my walk. There are toilets situated in the second car park.
After putting on my boots and getting my stuff sorted and put on my gear, I set off in the direction of the village green. On leaving the car park I noticed the road sign posts, they are from a bygone era, black and white, they look so much better than their modern day equivalent with the drab grey posts.
The sign post opposite the car park.
After leaving the car park, I turned left heading towards the Goathland Hotel, which was renamed The Aidensfield Arms in Heartbeat. It was at this point it started to rain; I had already put my waterproof jacket on as it was quite a cold day, so I carried on. Opposite the Hotel is Scripps Garage from the TV series. It still has the name above the door and some of the signs which would have been there in the TV series. Parked outside was another of the Ford Anglia Panda cars. The garage it's self is a souvenir shop.
Scripps Garage
After taking some photos, I headed back the way I had come, past the car park on my right to the village green. I walked past the shops next to the green looking at them and picturing scenes from Heartbeat. I wandered about for a while, trying to make up my mind if I should carry on with the walk, as at that point the rain looked like it was there for the day, in the end I decided to carry on with the walk.
At the far end of the green I turned left following the road out of the village, when I got to the church opposite the Mallyan Spout Hotel next to the mini roundabout I headed right, following the road until I past the last farm on the right. I then headed right following a track with the farm wall to my right.
Looking across the North York Moors from the wall of the farm.
I continued to follow the track downhill, the track starts to get steeper, and from here you can see the West Beck down below amongst the trees. Once I got to the river edge, I went right following the track along the river bank, stopping from time to time to take photos (was having trouble with my graduated ND filter, it was making everything look more green than it should have been and patchy), I then crossed the bridge over the river, it was around this time that the rain stopped. I soon came to another bridge to cross the river; from the bridge I could see Mallyan Spout Waterfall.
I spent some time around the waterfall taking photos.
Mallyan Spout Waterfall
Before I reached the waterfall, I looked at the route of the track, it seemed to go to the side of the waterfall and stop, and I thought I had somehow missed the correct track. I decided to go along the track anyway. This was the right choice as the track worked its way down to the waterfall.
After spending some time here I decided to continue along the track, the track starts to climb out of the valley with the river down below to the left. It seems no sooner you have gained some height than you start to head down again, when the track levels out there is a cottage in front of you. Here you can either turn right and head back to Goathland, or turn left to continue the walk. I had read on the Where2Walk website, that there was a pub worth a visit in a village called Beck Hole, this intrigued me, so I went left, I then came to a crossroads in the track, after consulting my map I went right through a gate, this is a short track leading to another gate, once through this gate you are on a road. I turned left and there was the pub, The Birch Hall Inn is like stepping back in time, the bar area has to be the smallest bar I have ever been in, the bar it's self is a hatch in the wall, and the floor was bare stone, I recommend a pint of Beckwatter (this is brewed exclusively for Birch Hall Inn by The North Yorkshire Brewing Company).
A lovely Pint
The public bar, with the serving hatch.
Birch Hall Inn
Once I was fed and watered, I left the pub and turned left following the road up the steep incline, around the sharp s-bends. I continued following the road to just past a large house on the left, where there is a public footpath going left. I headed along the footpath; the footpath goes between two high hedges then along the right hand side of a field. The footpath on this day was very muddy! At the end of the footpath is a stile. There is the railway line ahead of you. Once over the stile I followed the path down some steps towards the river. The river goes under a railway bridge and a footbridge. The footbridge goes over what is known as Thomason Foss Waterfall. The footpath continues the other side of the bridge, gently climbing and heading back towards Beck Hole.
I found a way to get down by the river and take some photos.
The Thomason Foss Waterfall under the footbridge under the railway bridge.
After taking some photos I headed back over the footbridge and back up the steps. Just before I went over the stile I noticed a beetle wandering around on one of the steps. I continued back along the footpath to the road. Once back at the road I turned left and followed the road back to the car park in Goathland. Once back at my car I changed my boots, and removed my waterproof jacket, and then I headed over to the village green and into a coffee shop for a quick coffee before heading home.
This walk was a lovely walk, would have been better without the rain, but all the same I enjoyed my day in and around Goathland.
The beetle I spotted near to Thomason Foss Waterfall.