A new series of walks have been created on the Mulgrave Estate – opening up paths, woodland, farmland and heritage features which have previously been private to the public.
Around two thirds of the 17.4 mile combined network follow new concessionary paths, created especially for this project, which is the brainchild of Lord Normanby who owns the Mulgrave Estate.
Over the last few months, estate staff – led by Countryside Manager, John Beech and Terry Herron, who heads up the Forestry and Countryside team – have been working to install new gates, steps, pedestrian bridges and numerous waymarking posts, as well as preparing route maps and associated web content.
The three interlinked walks are The Mulgrave Way, Foss Mill Crossing and Guard House Way, which all enjoy spectacular views of the countryside and coastline.
Lord Normanby is a keen walker and designed the routes himself to link up existing, but broken footpaths, and avoid busy roads.
He said: “I saw a chance to create something for people who share this love of walking. I have personally designed these routes and it has been a fascinating exercise to identify the best routes, taking many factors into account. I’ve enjoyed it immensely.
“The aim was to establish a grid of walks between the Esk Valley Way and the Cleveland Way, now the National Coastal Path. What I like, and what I believe most walkers like, is to be able to walk a continuous trail. There are lots of footpaths already in the area, some of which are great, but they don’t always link up.
“Also, the existing paths weren’t always ideal. Some end at a busy and dangerous road, which you’d have to negotiate to reach the next village or the next piece of path. By offering an alternative route, we can avoid such unattractive options. In places an existing footpath didn’t always have the best views, and it’s been possible to improve this by creating an alternative.”
The Mulgrave Way is a walk between Sandsend and Glaisdale; Guard House Way is from Runswick to Lythe; Foss Mill Crossing goes from Hutton Mulgrave to Goldsborough and also connects the other two routes together.
It is hoped the routes will appeal to families looking for a fun day out with children, experienced walkers looking for a full day out, or for them to be a peaceful spot where people can enjoy the views, nature and wildlife around them.
The routes also provide an opportunity for people to discover local shops and businesses along the way, boosting footfall.
Ben Garstang, Mulgrave Estate director said: “It is my hope the Mulgrave Walks will not only encourage more people to explore and appreciate this beautiful part of Yorkshire, but also help drive increased footfall to the many tourism and hospitality businesses in the locality.
“By drawing visitors throughout the year – including the quieter months between Autumn and Spring when traditional seaside tourism naturally slows – and turning days to stays we aim to support the wider rural economy and strengthen the vitality of our local communities.”
As the walks pass through farmland, the estate is appealing for walkers to respect tenants and working environments.
Mr Garstang added: “The creation of these three walks has been made possible thanks to the vision of Lord Normanby, whose longstanding desire to share more of the estate’s landscape with the public has inspired the development of the Mulgrave Walks project.
“We are also sincerely grateful to our farming tenants, whose willingness to host new permissive paths through their working landscapes has been central to bringing this project to life.”
The estate has been working with the North York Moors National Park Authority on connecting the new paths to existing ones, adding that the project represents a shift from the reason national parks were created in the first place.
Joel Brookfield, Director of Recreation and Wellbeing at the North York Moors National Park Authority, explained: “Nearly a century ago it was the ‘mass trespass’ of private land that ultimately led to the creation of the National Parks. Now we are in a position where a major landowner has made a significant commitment to open up his land for walkers to enjoy for years to come. We’ve come a long way.
“We have over 1,400 miles of paths in the North York Moors ready for people to use – and thanks to Mulgrave Estate we have even more miles for everyone to enjoy.”
