Approximately 6.5 miles (allow 2.5 hours – longer if you wish to visit historic Snape Chapel and Well Church) 4 stiles
Refreshments available – Milbank Arms, Well and Castle Arms and Methodist Church, Snape
A pleasant walk across farmland, through woods and along quiet country lanes. With far reaching views of the Hambleton Hills and Roseberry Topping. Passing historic Snape Castle and Well Church.
From the Milbank Arms walk out of the village towards Bedale along Well Lane. After approximately half a mile you will reach a clearly signed public footpath on the left.
Take this path keeping the wood on your right. The path goes steadily up hill. At the top of the track, turn right into the wood. After 20 yards take the path on the left which goes through the middle of the wood. Continue walking up hill. The path levels out and exits on the right of the wood.
You will see a footpath sign ahead in the middle of a hedge. Follow the path to the right of the hedge. This is an excellent spot to take a rest and admire the views of the Hambleton Hills and Roseberry Topping on a clear day. Enter Gray’s Plantation and follow the path to exit at a gate. Follow the way mark sign down a grassy bank to a second wooden gate. Cross the double track and go over a stile and follow the path upwards at the edge of a field. Follow the path upwards with the electric fence on your left and through a large metal gate. Carry on until the end of the field and over a wooden stile with a dog gate, and turn left. Immediately ahead is a hedge separating two fields. Walk straight ahead on the path to the left of the hedge, along the field boundary. The field is Long Meadows (aptly named). Proceed on past Warrener’s Bottom. You reach the corner of Long Meadows. Follow the field boundary and exit the field to the right onto Moor Lane.
Turn right on Moor Lane and follow the road. You will pass Rosskill Farm on the left. Continue down the road. You pass a telegraph pole on your right and shortly afterwards turn into a clearly defined farm track on the right. There is a way mark sign and a metal gate. The track leads to Snape Lawns. Continue on the farm track until you reach a concrete road. Turn left and follow the road until you reach Watery Lane.
Cross the road and walk straight ahead down Snape Avenue. You will pass Snape Castle. You may like to stop here and visit the Chapel which is open to the public. The original castle was built in the mid-thirteenth century. Catherine Parr spent time here with her second husband, John Neville, before his death in 1543 and her subsequent marriage to Henry VIII the same year. The magnificent tomb of John’s son – the last Lord Latimer – who died in 1577, can be seen in Well Church. At the end of the Avenue the road into Snape forks, but meets further in the village so take either fork. The left side takes you past the Castle Arms and the right past the Methodist Church. Both these places offer refreshments. Carry on through the village and take the road on the right after Olde Village Farm. This is Salmon Lane. Walk along past farm buildings until you see a bungalow on the left.
Just before the bungalow on the left, with a public footpath sign, there is a gap in the hedge on the right hand side of the road. Follow the footpath along the edge of the field until you reach a footbridge. Cross the bridge. Take a right turn for a few yards and turn left to follow the boundary of the field. At the end of the field turn left again until you see a gap in the hedge. Walk ahead keeping to the left hand edge of the field.
Look out for a wooden stile on your left and go over this into a long grazing field. The field is partially divided by a line of trees and hedges. Walk ahead with these on your left until you see another stile in the far corner. Go over the stile, turn right and keep the field on your left until you reach a grassy bridge over Lower Park Beck on the right.
Go over the bridge and follow the path into Low Park Wood on the left. Follow the path through the middle of the wood. It emerges onto a field edge. Turn left and follow the edge of the field for approximately 60 yards. Turn right along a track going slightly up hill. After a short time follow a well defined path on the left across the field towards the church. After crossing the field continue forwards and follow the path around two sides of an enclosed field. Go through the kissing gate on the left at the edge of the grave yard and follow the path onto Church Street. Turn right and back to the Milbank Arms. The church is well worth a visit. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book. On display is a Mosaic from the remains of a Roman villa complex and bath house excavated at Mill End. There is a very interesting time line of the Church and Parish.
We hope you have enjoyed your walk and learnt a little of the history of Well and Snape. This walk has been produced by the Wonderful Well community group. If you have any comments please send to [email protected]