The Bridestones – Medium Walk

Discover some mysterious rock formations, called the Bridestones in this walk in Dalby Forest. The walk can be short just to see The Bridestones or longer to include open moorland walking. This walk will guide you through the longer version. It will take approximately two hours to complete.

Getting ThereFrom Middlesbrough go up Ormesby Bank, then turn left onto Middlesbrough road. Follow the A171 to Whitby and then take the right turning to Sleights and stay on the A169. Look for the left turning indicated as Dalby Forest Drive. Stay on this road until you see another left turning to Dalby Forest. This will take you into Dalby Forest.  You will reach a toll booth to enter the forest and there is a £7.00 charge to get into the forest.

The Bridestones Walk route

From the Bridestones car park northern side, commence the walk going past the National Trust marker. Take the right turn and then the left fork in the path.

Take the left path

You will now climb through the wood. At the right bear right through some birch

trees.

You will now reach open moorland and the Bridestones will be in sight. Make

your way towards them. There are two sets of Bridestones. The low Bride Stones are the ones on the path and you can follow the path further on to see the high Bridestones. The stones themselves are made from sandstone

and have been shaped due to weathering. The most distinguishable

stone is called the Pepper Pot.

Continue on until you reach the last of the low bridestones

and the path bears left. You can follow this path to reach the high Bridestones for a

detour. Otherwise carry on with your walk taking the moorland

route to the right.

 Carry on this moorland track which eventually

meets a larger path to the edge of a regenerating

forest. Turn left and follow this path for another 800

metres.

When you reach the edge of the moor, turn left immediately

onto a track, keeping a wire fence on your right.

You will soon come to a pond. After the pond

climb a stile and onto turn left onto the farm  track.

Follow this farm track until you come to a gate approach High Pastures Farm

Go through the gate and immediately to your right go through another gate and follow the fence on your left

 Where the ground falls down

into a dip look for a gap on the left and follow the top edge of

the enclosure.

 Towards the end of this

enclosure veer to the right and drop to a stile in the

bottom right corner

Climb diagonally through the next field to head for a gate

which will lead you onto a lane. Turn left and follow the lane to where it dips and beyond this

dip is a waymarked track to the left.

Keep ahead and through a gate into the Low Pastures Farmyard. Pass through the

farmyard and look for a signpost to the Bridestones.

Follow this path which descends through fields and into a

woodland. Over a stile carry on down and then follow a bend by

a cottage.

Go left past the front of the cottage, rising to walk away along a grassy path, which

later drops to cross a stream.

Continue by a fence to your left and you will eventually reach

the car park.