From the car park we went through a gate into St. Mary's churchyard, through a kissing gate at the far end of the churchyard, along a track then followed a narrow enclosed uphill path into High Kilburn.
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We followed the road through High Kilburn, passing the village green, descending to a sharp left bend where we left the road to pick up a farm track to Weatherill's Barn. Soon after Weatherill's Barn we turned left then sharp right to follow an enclosed track leading to a quiet lane. Here we continued straight ahead passing Kilburn Thicket and Fox Folly Farm. |
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Just before a stream we took a footpath to our left before crossing the stream by footbridge and following the path through several fields to reach a main road just outside Coxwold.
Here we turned left, passing Shandy Hall.
It was here that between 1760 and 1767 the witty and eccentric parson Laurence Sterne wrote Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey . The house is thought to have been built in 1430, but was considerabley altered in the 17th century.
After passing the 15th century St. Michael's Church we turned right at the crossroads then went over the site of a disused railway line where an old signal box can be seen now in use as a garden shed.
About 100m outside the village we turned left onto a footpath, crossing two bridges, then across fields to High Leys Farm.
We turned right here along a rough tarmacked road. Soon we picked up a footpath to our right, walking across fields with Beacon Banks Wood on our right, passing an OS column, to a minor road. Here we turned right then left into Husthwaite.
Just after the church we turned right on a footpath to Elphin Bridge Lane where we turned left to cross Elphin Bridge to reach the driveway to Angram Hall. Just after the driveway we left the road through a gate through, what was for us, a very muddy field. We continued to the right of Angram Grange where we went through a gate to the right of the farm to reach a road via a farm lane.
We carried on across the road passing through some farm buildings at Wildon Grange. From here the footpath follows a beck, firstly on the right bank then on the left bank after crossing a footbridge.
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Soon we reached a road which took us into Kilburn, passing the Mouseman Visitor Centre, back to the car park.
Robert Thompson, the 'Mouseman' was born in Kilburn in 1876. he carved his famous mouse trademark on all his furniture. The trademark originated from the expression 'as poor as a church mouse. The tradition has been carried on by his great grandsons, each with their own trademark mouse. Examples can be seen on church furniture in churches on the walk route.
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We decided we couldn't leave Kilburn without visiting The Forrester's Arms so we popped in for a couple of drinks.
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