Breathtaking Wainstones Circular Walk

Ok, this walk to the Wainstones is now officially my favourite up here in Yorkshire. You will walk surrounded by so much heather, skirt across the highest moor in the North York Moors, with breathtaking views down into the valley, and across to the pointy peak of Roseberry Topping. You will have some solid uphill climbs, and a bit of a scramble to top it off.

Looking down the hill to the valley and a hill rising up on the other side on the walk down from the Wainstones in the North York Moors National Park. The hills are covered in a mix of heather and trees. There are three people walking down the hill.

Looking down along the undulating hillside, to the valley and hills in the distance, on the walk towards the Wainstones. There are four people walking down the hill.

Looking down into the valley and a village below, and groups of trees all around, on the circular walk back from the Wainstones.

Basically, if you want a good old stomp across the moors, with a bit of adventure, and to die for views, then this is the one.

Want to give Roseberry Topping a go? Find out more about how to do it here.

I have since tried a route from Osmotherley, not too far from the Wainstones, which also gives you a good bit of moorland walking, also with a view to Roseberry Topping. You can read about that one here.

I did this walk on a gloriously sunny Easter bank holiday weekend, and was expecting there to be a lot of people about. However, for most of the route, there was barely anyone else. It was a little busier around the Wainstones, but not too bad considering it was Easter. I also saw lots of lambs.

A few sheep grazing in a large green grass field. There is a lamb with one of the sheep. There is a tree covered hill in the distance.

What I’m going to do in this guide, is first give a you a bit of an overview of what to expect when doing the full circular Wainstones walking route, with logistics, a map, and some useful tips. I will then go on to describe the route step by step with lots of photos.

What are the Wainstones?

The Wainstones are a dramatic rocky outcrop of sandstone. The largest group in the North York Moors. You can see the Wainstones in the distance, during the first part of the walk, however, it’s not until you are right in them that you realise the magnitude of them.

The rocks of the Wainstones rising up on the right, with a trail on the left on the walk around them. There is a steep drop down to the left.

A mass of rocks of the Wainstones rising up ahead.

Have you heard of the Hole of Horcum? It’s a massive crater type formation in the North York Moors. If you like dramatic, then you might like this walk that takes you through it and along the top of it.

How long is the Wainstones walk?

This circular walk to the Wainstones is just over 8 miles long. There is a much shorter route to walk to the Wainstones, however, you would miss out on so much if you took that. Before heading out, I was toying up which one to take, and I’m so glad I picked this one.

The two moors you will walk across are the Cold Moor and Urra Moor. Both are filled with heather.

Fun Fact: Urra more contains one of the largest areas of heather moorland in England and Wales.

Looking along a ditch filled with Heather, towards the valley and hills in the distance.

A dirt trail with a trail signpost, and surround by heather and tall grass, on the circular walk back from the Wainstones.

How hard is the Wainstones walk?

I would class this Wainstones walk as mostly moderate, verging on challenging. You will have a few hill climbs leading up to, and just past the Wainstones, however, for the rest of the walk back, it’s pretty level and easy.

There is a lot of mud near the start, and it’s a bit boggy on the way back. It hadn’t rained for a bit (about a week) when I did the walk, so I can only imagine how bad it would be after lot’s of rainfall.

A strip of muddy trail in ditch with a stone wall on the right. — Some of the mud near the start

A very buggy strip of trail, surround by tall hay grass, and a stone wall to the left. — Some of the bog from later on

A big puddle and mass of bog, with a partially sunken step ladder through it.

Is the walk dog friendly?

With a few guidelines, this Wainstones circular walk is suitable for dogs. I saw a bunch of them about.

There are two stiles at the very end, which can be avoided (I explain how in the route description further down). There are sheep on the moors after the Wainstones, on the walk back. Dogs must be on lead for this bit. Between 1st March and 31st July, dogs must be on lead at all times due to ground nesting birds. They must be under close control the other times.

A sheep standing in the heather, with a vast view to the really and hills beyond, on the walk back from the Wainstones.

For the scramble up the Wainstones, if this is too difficult, there are other trails around them that take you in the direction you want to go.

Tips

Wear hiking boots due to the mud, bog and rocks.
Due to the mud/bog, I would suggest not doing this route if it’s been raining recently.

There is a lot of heather, so if you want to see a mass of purple, then come do this walk in Autumn.
There is no phone signal anywhere, so look up what you need to look up, or load up your online map before you get there.
At the Wainstones, you need to scramble up to the top of the rocks to find the path. I did this but didn’t quite find the correct path, but sort of went with it, which I then regretted. I will explain more when I describe the route below. My tip is to find the correct path. I think it’s an obvious paved path. I will show you when I describe the route below.

Logistics

Start/finish: Chop Gate
Where is it: The Wainstones are located in the North York Moors. Post code for Chop Gate is TS9 7JL.
Distance: 8.3 miles
Time: 3h (without stops)
Difficulty: Moderate/challenging
Terrain: Dirt trail, grass, mud, bog, rocks, big rocks (some scrambling is involved), stone steps.
Dog friendly: Yes, with a few guidelines (see further back for details).

Amenities: Chop Gate has a pub (The Buck Inn), and cafe. Nothing else for the rest of the route.
Time of year: I did the walk in early spring

Parking to walk to the Wainstones

In Chop Gate there is the village hall car park which is part owned by the North Yorkshire National Park Authority. I did not know this when I got there, and it wasn’t obvious in anyway where you could park. It is not marked on Google Maps either. The village hall is further down the road from the pub.

The pub has parking which is for customers, so you might be able to park there if you eat at the pub after (don’t quote me on this).

Usually I just copy everyone else, but there was no one around when I was there. I found a little marked roadside parking on the side street in front of some houses (it’s small, and can fit maybe three cars). It looked like it might belong to the houses, but there were no signs saying I couldn’t park there. So I quickly dumped my car and left before anyone had a chance to see me and make me move. Sorry if this is your house and you read this.

Alternate parking

If you have any problems parking, you can park near to the Wainstones at Clay Bank Car park (TS9 7HX), and start the walk from there. If you do this, still to the walk clockwise if you want to finish at the Wainstones.

Map for the Wainstones Circular walk

You can find my more detailed route map for the Wainstones circular walk on AllTrails.

Route description for the Wainstones Circular walk

Starting from Chop Gate, the trail start is behind some houses on a side road (Rosedale road). Conveniently, it was right by where I parked (but we know that I was a bit sneaky and maybe shouldn’t have parked there).

A stone walled house on the right, and some more on the left and a road through them leading to the main road. There are three rubbish bins outside the house on the left. — Here I am standing on the side street. The trail to walk to the Wainstones, is to the left of the house on the left.

There is a very small, almost missable footpath sign. Once you have found it, the rest of the walk up until you are quite near the Wainstones, is in a straight(ish) line. You basically stay on this trail until you reach the big drop.

A small drive leading behind some houses, with a hedge on the left side of it and the houses to the right. There is a white van parked on the drive. — The trail is up here

The muddy trail

For this first part of the walk, the trail is uphill, a bit under trees, and a bit out of them. With lots of mud. Once I started to see some of the views, I had a feeling this was going to be a great day. But these views are nothing compared to what is to come.

A dirt trail leading uphill lined with messy hedges and trees.

A long grass trail leading straight and up, lined with short hedges and a few trees with orange leaves on the right.

Looking across the short green grass to a hill ahead, and a small house with a red roof at the bottom of the hill, on the walk towards the Wainstones.

A muddy trail leading to a wooden gate in the stone wall.

After going through a few gates, you will be on the moor.

Walk up the moor

The trail will continue to take you uphill, first alongside the stone wall, and then away from it. Although it’s a lot of uphill, I didn’t find it too taxing….Maybe because I stopped a lot to take in the views. The only thing that would make this better, would be the heather in bloom.

a dirt trail with a stone wall on the right and hill rising up on the left with dead orange fern.

Looking down along the underling hill, with a stone wall cutting across it and the valley and hills in the distance.

looking along the hills side of heather to the valley and hills in the distance on the walk towards the Wainstones.

The trail is fairly rugged, a little muddy in places, with the occasional rocky bits.

A dirt trail leading uphill through the brown heather. The sky is blue with some fluffy white clouds.

A rocky trail leading uphill surround by heather.

Once you reach the top, the trail will level out, and you will have a good old stretch on easy path, surrounded by so much beauty. You will get your first view to Roseberry Topping way way in the distance.

A wide dirt trail through the heather, with a few puddles in the trail.

Looking acorns the heather to the vast view beyond, with a view to Roseberry Topping in the distance, and the Wainstones to the right, way ahead.

When walking along here, I could see some rocks far ahead, and wondered if those were the Wainstones (they were). What I can say now, is that what you can see from here, is nothing like what it’s like to walk amongst them. They are way way more grand than you realise, which you don’t see until you are in them.

Keep going, past the pile of rocks, until you reach the very end with a steep drop and a view of green as far as the eye can see.

Looking down into the valley and hills rising beyond, with fields of green and beige, and groups of trees dotted about.

A trail leading through the heather towards the top of the hill, with a fern people walking along it.

Looking down towards a mass of green fields as far as the eye can see.

Walk towards the Wainstones

From here, turn right onto the paved trail, and make your way downhill. Looking straight ahead, you can see the Wainstones on the next hill, which is where you will walk to next.

A stone paved trail on the right, disappearing down the hill, with a hill rising up ahead.

A trail with a few people walking along it, leading downhill into the valley, and a hill rising up on the other side, on the way to the Wainstones.

The trail becomes a bit more dirt and rocky to reach the bottom of this hill. Then you walk across the grass to reach the stone steps and then paved trail, to take you up the next hill.

A wooden gate in the stone wall with a green grass hill rising up on the other side, on the walk towards the Wainstones.

Stone steps leading up the hill on the walk up to the Wainstones.

Keep walking up and you will soon find yourself amongst a mass of rocks which are the Wainstones.

A paved stone trail leading up to the left, with the mass of rocks of the Wainstones on the right on the walk up to them.

They reminded me a little of the big rocks at Simon’s Seat, over in the Yorkshire Dales. Funny enough, that’s my favourite walk over in that area. I must like big rocks.

Scramble up the Wainstones

I didn’t realise I would have to scramble up at first, so started to make my way along a trail on the left side of the stones. When I check my map, I realised I was too far left, so went back, walked across the Wainstones, and along the other side.

Checking my map again, I was now too far right. That’s when it hit me I needed to climb up them.

This is where you need to use your imagination and figure out a way up.

Once I reached the top and found a trail, I could see I was still too far right, but I decided to go with it and follow this one, hoping it would take me where I wanted (it didn’t).

A barely visible trail leading along the edge of the hill, with fern and messy grass. There are a few rocks ahead to the left. — This is the trail I took at the top

This is where I recommend finding the main path. I think I missed out on some cool views by not finding it.

If you like hikes with scrambles, then you might like Pen-y-Ghent over in the Dales.

Walking along the top

As I said, I took this little dirt trail, hoping it would take me where I wanted, however, it seemed to be taking me further and further away. I couldn’t cut across, because there was a mass of heather in between. So once I came across a massive strip of bog, I took my chance and stomped through it to get me to the other side, where I discovered a very obvious stone paved path.

A stone paved trail curving along the end of the top of the hill, surrounded by brown heather, with a view down into the valley below on the right. — This the the path you want to find when you go up the Wainstones

Looking down the hill to the valley filled with masses of trees, and heather on the hillside, on the walk away from the Wainstones.

I walked back a little to see what I had missed, and saw that it was all rugged and cliffy. You know I love cliffy.

Continuing along the paved trail, it will lead you to the downhill with a view ahead to another hill. That’s the next one (don’t worry, it’s also the last one you have to go up).

A stone paved trail on the right, along the edge of the hill top, with a drop to the left.

A stone paved trail leading downhill, through some rocks, with a vast view down into the valley filled with fields and masses of trees, and a hill rising up on the other side, on the walk away from the Wainstones.

Go down then back up

This downhill is fairly rugged, and steep in parts, with a mix of dirt and paved stones. Then when you reach the wooden gate and trail signpost, go through the gate, and continue downhill on the path next to the stone wall.

This will lead you down to the road, where you go straight across to pick up the trail on the other side.

A narrow stone paved trail leading down the hill, with a tree with green leaves on the left side of the trail. The trail isn surround by over grown grass, fern and heather. There is a hill rising up in the distance.

A wooden gate and stone wall, with a wooden trail signpost.

A stone paved trail leading down to the road, with a stone wall on the left. There is a hill rising up on the other side of the road with a trail running up it. There is a cyclist with a red jacket on the road. — You will be heading up that trail on the other side

You will now head straight back uphill. First on stone paved trail, then on grass, then a bit more stone path, through a stone wall, to reach the junction.

A stone paved trial leading uphill on the left, with a stone wall on the left side of it, and grassy field to the right.

A dirt trail through the grass field, leading up the hill ahead, with a stone wall on the left.

Make sure to look back at the views on the way up….

Looking down the stone paved trail as it cuts through a dip in the hill, with an orange coloured hill rising beyond, on the circular walk back from the Wainstones.

Looking down the hill to the valley, and a hill covered in trees rising up on the other side, on the circular walk back from the Wainstones. There is a stone wall running down the hill on the right side.

Walk across the moor

At the junction, don’t take the obvious Cleveland Way trail, but instead take the right bridleway trail.

This bit of the trail is quite rugged and whilst it was dry for me, I can see it getting a bit messy during wetter days…but the real mess is about to come.

A rocky dirt trail leading through the brown heather, and a view of green way in the distance.

A dirt trail through the grass and surround by heather.

Further along, there are a few trail signpost with arrows, letting you know you are going the correct way.

A grassy trail with a wooden trail signpost and blue arrow pointing straight ahead.

The bog

You will see a massive ditch coming up, and the arrows direct you around it to get over to the other side. This is where things started to get wet. Whilst the trail is pretty obvious, as there is no where else to turn, there were an unusual amount of trail arrows. I felt like they were there to tell me to keep going and not be deterred by all the bog.

Looking into a ditch between the hills covered in dead orange fern and heather. With a view ahead to the valley and hills.

A stone walkway through the bog, heather and tall grass in shades of brown and orange.

A mass of tall hay grass, and a wet dirt trial leading through it, with a wooden stump trail signpost poking up to the left.

A wet strip of trail surround by brown heather and hay grass, with a view ahead to the valley and hills, with the sun shining down on them.

Once out of the bog mess, the trail curves you around so that you are walking along the edge of the hill, with the most marvellous views down across the valley.

Looking across the heather in shades of green and brown to the valley below, on the circular walk back from the Wainstones. The Valley is surround by hills.

Looking down into the valley and a village below, and groups of trees all around, on the circular walk back from the Wainstones, in the North York Moors.

A sheep standing in the heather, looking at the camera, with a vast view to the really and hills beyond, on the walk back from the Wainstones.

Don’t let your guard down yet though, as there are some more messy bits to come. One has a nice ladder crossing, another has a ladder crossing which has been partially claimed by the bog.

A small step ladder across a boggy patch in the ground.

Apart from the bog and mud, I found this section of the walk to be quite lovely. After all the hills, it was nice way to finish, along level(ish) ground. A chance to take in the beauty of my surroundings, and think about everything I had seen before, on the walk to and past the Wainstones.

If you like grand views and lots of heather, then you should check out this route around the Hole of Horcum. It’s my second favourite walk in the North York Moors.

Walk down off the hill

Some way along, keep an eye out for a grass trail leading down the hill to the right. It’s quite obvious, but don’t worry if you miss it, as just past here is another option to turn right at the trail junction, with a signpost.

A grass trail leading straight and disappearing down the hill, with a view into the valley below in various shades of green.

Down the hill, you will be led through a wooden gate, then down some more grass and then dirt, and through another gate. Keep going down the grass hill to reach the dirt track trail.

A trail leading through the middle of the hills to a wooden fence in the stone wall.

A grass trail leading straight, surrounded by orange hay grass, with a view to the valley and hill on the other side, which is covered in green grass fields.

A wooden fence in the stone wall, with a view to green grass fields and hills on the other side in the distance.

Looking down the green grass hill, with yellow gorse to the right and a stone wall running down the hill, on the walk back from the Wainstones. There is a group of houses at the bottom on the hill, and hills rising up on the other side.

A muddy dirt track with a tone wall on the left, and leafless trees on the right. — This is looking back when on the dirt trail track

This will lead you under woodland trees briefly to reach the road, where you turn left.

A dirt track type trial lined with strips of grass, leading through a mass of woodland trees. There is a moss covered stone wall to the right of the track.

A road lined with gras backs with some yellow flowers. There is a moss covered stone wall to the right. The road is lined with big trees. The sun is shining down onto the road.

This is a very pretty bit of road, only tainted by the sound of the main road at the bottom. As I walked past the quaint houses, I thought about how lovely it would be to live here, if it wasn’t for noise.

A road leading down and curving to the left. the road is lined with neatly cut grass, and a neat hedge to the right, and stone wall to the left. There are some cottages on the right side behind. the hedge.

The final stretch of the Wainstones circular walk

When you reach the main road, go straight across it to pick up the trail on the other side

Note: If you have come with a dog, the stiles are coming up. You can instead get back to Chop Gate by turning left on this road. It’s only a short way back.

Staying on the trail, it’s a short uphill under the trees on the mud, then out in the open on the grass.

A muddy dirt trail through the trees, leading up through a ditch with dirt banks and tree roots up the banks.

Looking down along the grass trail to some leafless trees below, and a hill rising up on the other side, near the end of the Wainstones circular walk. — The view looking back

As you get higher up, you will see a farm type roof shelter ahead. As I got closer to it, I started to feel a little uneasy, like I shouldn’t be here. I started to fear a dog might come and start chasing me (I am forever scarred by the dog chase on the Sutton Bank walk). So I check my map and realised my instinct was correct, so rushed back before a dog appeared.

I found the correct way which is very well hidden. It’s a little stile next to the gate.

A wooden style hidden under the bushes and trees.

Over this stile, you need to continue straight across the edge of the field. I was still on edge. The dog fear had set itself on me.

Looking down and across the hill of neatly cut green grass, with ground of trees below and a small group of houses at the bottom. There is a hill rising up on the other side. — The view looking back when in the field

Sticking to the edge, you will be led onto a sheltered strip, which I found to be the boggiest, wettest bit of the whole Wainstones walk route. There was no fighting this bit. The only way is to stomp right through it. Feet half submerged.

A very muddy and boggy strip of grass trail, lined with wire fence and some bushes and trees.

Over the stile at the end, turn left, and you will be on the trail from the start. Follow it down and you will reach Chop Gate.

Pin it for later: Wainstones circular walk guide

Wainstones walk guide across the moors in Yorkshire.

For more things to do in the area, you can check out the National Parks website.