North York Moors Walking Weekend | Hawnby

North York Moors Walking Weekend Hawnby, North York Moors

With Mark Reid FRGS, author of The Inn Way guidebooks & Mountain Leader

Join us for our North York Moors Walking Weekend amongst the heather moors and wooded valleys of Ryedale and the beautiful Tabular Hills, and enjoy a wonderful weekend of adventures, shared experiences and new friendships.

Hawnby is one of the prettiest villages in the North York Moors, a cluster of honey-coloured stone cottages set on a steep hillside overlooking Ryedale. Rising above the village is the narrow domed hill of Hawnby Hill, an outlier of the limestone Tabular Hills that provides a stunning viewpoint across the central moorlands. The walking in this area is superb, with so much history and heritage to see as well as amazing views including Hawnby Hill and Easterside Hill, Arden Hall, the historic All Saints Church, Hambleton Drove Road and the many deep wooded side valleys that lead to Rievaulx Abbey in the heart of Ryedale.

The Owl and Hawnby is one of the finest traditional country pubs in the North of England, with a cosy bar, excellent food and an extensive beer garden with magnificent vistas across the valley. Time passes slowly at Hawnby.

Mark Reid is the author of The Inn Way… to North York Moors and so knows the surrounding countryside extremely well.

Walking Weekend based from: The Owl, Hawnby

Weekend Walks

There will be a choice of two guided walks on Saturday and Sunday, with Mark Reid and his colleague (Mountain Leaders who have exceptional local knowledge). The precise routes will be determined just before the weekend, taking into consideration weather conditions etc. You will be able to sign up for your chosen walk at the Friday evening ‘icebreaker’, where you will also be able to discuss the walks with Mark.

Friday evening (9pm) – Meet at The Owl at Hawnby for our ‘icebreaker’ pub evening, where you can meet your fellow walkers and choose your walk for Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday (9:30am) – choice of adventurous or leisurely walks, with routes across the moors, hills and dales around Hawnby including Hawnby Hill, Easterside Hill, Ryedale and Rievaulx Abbey. Return back to the pub late afternoon to recount your day’s adventures.

Sunday (10am) – choice of adventurous or leisurely walks. Return back to the pub mid afternoon for a final drink before bidding fond farewells… until the next Walking Weekend!

Choice of walks: We usually offer a choice of adventurous, moderate or leisurely walks on both days. Saturday is a ‘full day’ from 9:30am until 5pm, whilst Sunday is a ‘half day’ from 10am until around 3pm. We will either split into two groups from the start, or we may walk as a larger group during the morning and then offer ‘longer’ or ‘shorter’ routes after lunch.

Evening entertainment

Friday evening (9pm) – Meet at The Owl at Hawnby for our ‘icebreaker’ pub evening, where you can relax, socialise and meet your fellow walkers, choose your level of walk for Saturday and Sunday.

Arriving early on Friday? Your guides will be eating at the pub at 7:30pm on Friday evening – you are most welcome to join us for a meal; just let us know so we can add you to our table.

Saturday evening (7:30pm) – Meal at The Owl at Hawnby (optional), followed by a fantastic Pub Quiz Night with Mark Reid as your quizmaster! Prizes for the winning team.