West Tanfield Circular Walk and The Marmion Tower

Starting point  and OS Grid reference:  Free car park (donations) (SE 269788)		Ordnance Survey Map OS Explorer 298 - Nidderdale. Buy this map from List of OS Maps     Note: If you use OS Maps on-line, you can download this route via this link.
Distance: 8.7 miles	Date of Walk:  12 March 2014. Re-walked 27 May 2026
Ascent: Descent: See Walking Time Calculator	435 ft (123m) 435 ft (123m)
Traffic light rating:    (For explanation see My Walks page)
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To view route as a dynamic Ordnance Survey map click here.

Introduction: This walk from West Tanfield in North Yorkshire, makes use of some of the Ripon Rowel route at the beginning and end with a “cross country” section in between. The Ripon Rowel walk is a long distance footpath of some 50 miles in the countryside around Ripon.

West Tanfield is a very attractive village and the view from the bridge frequently crops up as a “Yorkshire” picture on calendars etc. The Marmion Tower sits alongside St Nicholas Church. The Tower, built between 1350 and 1400, is in the care of English Heritage and was the gatehouse to a long lost manor house. It is free to look round the Tower. If this was only the gatehouse, one can only wonder how grand the house itself must have been. There is an impressive projecting oriel window from which there are nice views. You need to take care on the spiral staircase. As a matter of interest, did you know that spiral staircases in castles etc almost always go anti-clockwise on the descent so that anyone defending against an intruder has the advantage with a sword.

St Nicholas Church is quite impressive too and contains effigies of Sir John and Lady Elizabeth Marmion. He died in 1387, fighting in Spain and his wife may have lived in Marmion Tower after his death.

The walk follows the River Ure for some of its length. There is some road walking – a short stretch on the main A6108 through North Stainley, though worth it, to see the village ponds and the old toll booth and a mile section on very quiet roads before reaching the tranquil village of Mickley.

The walk is very easy with little in the way of gradient. Good views across to the North York Moors.

The walk starts from the free car park at the West Tanfield Memorial Hall, immediately to the north of the river bridge. Donations requested. West Tanfield is on the A6108 between Ripon and Masham.

The best spot for a picnic is probably about half way round the walk, after you turn off the road below Frizer Hill. There are a few rocks on which to sit by the side of the path. Alternatively, there are benches in the village of Mickley.

Start: From the car park (SE 269788), cross the road and walk along Church Street, alongside the Bull Inn. The Marmion Tower is at the end of the street, on the left of the Church.

Retrace your steps to the main road and turn right over the road bridge. Immediately after crossing it, turn left to follow the right hand bank of the River Ure, in the direction of the Ripon Rowel fingerpost.

The path follows the riverbank for about half a mile before joining a tarmac track which leads into the Sleningford Watermill Caravan Park (SE 277784). Follow the track through the campsite. You first come to a complex of old buildings with the old watermill to the left. Chatting to the site manager when I first did the walk in 2014, I learned that it is probably 18^th century and that all the machinery is still in place. It may be restored in the future.

Continue past the reception and as the track bends left, head right (in effect straight on) to follow the public footpath fingerpost over the grass past the caravans. It leads to a walkers’ gate after which, turn left.

As you approach the next group of buildings (Sleningford Grange), the footpath goes through one gate and through a second one drops down the banking, to circle clockwise around the property.

You will come to another walkers’ gate on the right. Go through this and follow the path to the main A6108 at North Stainley (SE 286773). Turn left to walk along the road, now leaving the Ripon Rowel route.

North Stainley has a number of village ponds, the largest on the left having an information board outlining the wildlife you might see. The church St Mary The Virgin was closed when I passed but has intricately carved stonework around the doorway, now protected by a porch.

Continue along the road and turn right at Cock Pit Close (SE 286768), following the Public Bridleway fingerpost. Before you turn however, if you look ahead along the main road, there is a curious small round building you might want to investigate. There is no information about this but it is no doubt an old toll booth.

At the fork in Cock Pit Close, keep right and go through the walkers’ gate at the end. Keep to the left of the field beyond. At the end of the field, go through the five bar gate and turn left along a broad track. Route is indicated by a white arrow on the gate post. (Note, this may differ from older OS maps as expansion of a quarry has necessitated a diversion).

Reach Lightwater Farm, where there is a concrete drive. Turn right here, keeping to the right of the hedge. Do not walk on the drive as it is used by heavy lorries.

At the end of the field, you will reach a broad track. To the left is a tarmac lane. Turn left here then immediately right to follow a public bridleway through the trees.

You will reach the quarry road. Be aware of heavy lorries and continue the route along the broad track which is directly across the road. It is marked with a blue arrow.

You will reach some brick semi-detached houses. Follow the track in front of them, again marked with a blue arrow.

On reaching a lane, turn right along it. Along here between the trees are views to the North York Moors.

At the road junction, turn left and follow the road for about half a mile, ignoring the turn to Mickley – we are going there but I preferred footpaths to minimise road walking.

Follow the road until it does a sharp left hand turn. On the bend, turn right following the Public Bridleway fingerpost (SE 262755). Keep to the right hand boundary of the field. There are a few large stones along here where you could perch for a picnic.

Go through a gate at the end of the field and turn immediately left to enter a wood. The path meanders along its left hand boundary. Judging from the bulb leaves, it looks as though this will be a riot of blue in the bluebell season

About 50/75 yards after leaving the woods, turn right down what initially looks like a broad track and follow it downhill, keeping to the left of the fence when you get to the bottom (SE 250761). The path drops down, then climbs the banking and goes right to a double set of farm gates.

Go through the first gate only, then left over a stile. The onward direction is a little indistinct but is basically straight ahead, keeping to the left of the line of trees/hawthorn ahead of you, an old field boundary.

At the bottom of the second field, turn right through a gate, following the yellow arrow (SE 253767).

Over a small stile and through a walkers’ gate, ahead is a barn (SE 255766). Proceed to this then turn left, descending a wide track. At the junction of tracks where left clearly goes to the farm buildings, turn right, coming out at the road opposite Mickley Village Hall. Turn right here.

As the road bends right to leave the village (SE 258770), turn left by a bench, to rejoin the Ripon Rowel walk, clearly signposted. You enter a field and need to keep just to the right of the line of trees running ahead of you, along the middle of the field. Go through the gap in the woods ahead and bear left after the gate.

Stay on the Ripon Rowel walk route, ignoring one right turn by a dilapidated wall and another further on. Keep following the river [it was reported in September 2023 that this section is poorly maintained and obstructed by high bracken, though it was fine in May 2026. You may wish to take this into account according to the time of year].

As the river bends very sharply away from you (SE 269780), just by Quarry House Farm, the footpath route crosses two fields diagonally. However to save crops, I walked along the left hand edge of the two fields, then turned left along the boundary of the second to join the broad track to the farm. A right turn here takes you to the bridge at West Tanfield. Note the precarious steps up it to the old stile – stick to the track!

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