START from the National Park Centre

Cross the car park on the Sutton Bank side of the centre.

Join a firm path that crosses a side road where it leaves the main road.

A firm path runs right along the scarp to a viewing platform: Gormire Lake appears far below.

A little further a steep path left will be your return route, but for now a flat stride opens out with big views.

Through woodland the path emerges on the crest of Whitestone Cliff, with a seat to your left: young children should be restrained here!

Just yards further is a more airy plinth.

Beyond Whitestone Cliff drop slightly to another seat on a promontory. A

huge arc commences above South Woods, this lengthy section being in clear view.

After commencing a minor rise above the forest near the far end, a junction is reached.

Take the path left along a gently declining way to a bridle-gate into the forest.

The path runs on then drops to cross a forest road, continuing down the forest edge to a bridle-gate.

Slant right down Little Moor to another bridle-gate back into trees, and a path slants right down to a junction at the wood base.

Turn left through a gate, on a fenceside path along the wood bottom.

Page down Through a bridle-gate drop towards Greendale, but where the bridleway goes right through a gate, bear left, pathless above a wood.

Quickly reaching a fence-stile, a path heads away through colourful country.

Gaining a little height it crosses to a wood top, then on to a knoll.

Beyond here drop to stiles through a pencil wood, and emerging into fields the way invisibly forks.

Bear right past a fence corner and across to a hedge corner, then down its side to a stile onto a track.

Go left with the hedge, outside Southwoods Hall and above a pond to a junction at Midge Holm Gate.

Head directly away, and through a gate a hedgerowed track rises steadily to Southwoods Lodge.

Turn left on a broad path into trees.

At a near immediate fork go right on the main path, after a slight rise quickly approaching Gormire Lake.

With the lake almost hidden, bear right at the first fork: this will lead all the way round the western shore, close to the water’s edge.

Towards the end it merges into a footpath descending from the right, and a little further it bears away from the lake to gently rise through open country to meet a firm path.

Go left to rejoin the shore, quickly reaching a junction: take the path climbing steeply right.

Entering Garbutt Wood, branch right at a junction to rise less severely.

It levels out to pass a massive boulder, then recommences its uphill slant, opening out from trees to rejoin the outward path. The start of the walk is along to the right.

This walk is found in Paul Hannon’s book entitled Walking in Yorkshire – North York Moors –South & West (£4.99).