North York Moors Walks
Rievaulx Terrace
Date: 13th Feb 2012
Distance: 1.0 miles
Ascent: negligible
Time: 1 hours 20 minutes
With: Lisa and Rhiannon
Start Grid Ref: SE580851
Walk Summary:
A very short family walk on the National Trust owned Rievaulx Terrace with great views up Ryedale and of Rievaulx Abbey.
Route Summary: A short walk through the woods to the Tuscan Temple before heading north along the Terrace to the Ionic Temple.
Pictures:
1. The woodland path at Rievaulx Terrace
2. Rhiannon being a nature detective in the woods
3. The Tuscan Temple on the southern end of Rievaulx Terrace
4. A snow covered Rievaulx Terrace
5. Looking down to Rievaulx Abbey
6. The view of Ryedale from Rievaulx Terrace
7. Looking along the Terrace towards the Ionic Temple
8. One of the paintings on the ceiling of the Ionic Temple
9. Snowdrops
Walk Detail: Due to it being only a mile long I wasn't initially going to include this walk on my website but in the end decided to do so for two reasons. Firstly it was utterly delightful and secondly it was, unlike many of my walks, perfect for those with young children or older people.
This was the first of two National Trust properties we visited over half term, making use of our recently renewed membership. The walk itself was a very simple stroll through the woods to the Tuscan Temple on the southern end of the terrace then north along the terrace itself to the Ionic Temple at the far end.
As the recent snow had almost completely thawed in Harrogate we were surprised to see thick snow still on the ground when we arrived at Rievaulx Terrace. Thankfully it was fairly wet snow so was very easy to walk on, not like the horrendous icy paths I'd skated around on in Stalybridge Country Park a few days before.
We paid a couple of pounds for a Nature Trail leaflet and the temporary use of a large pink magnifying glass which Rhiannon loved and one of the reasons why we took so long to complete the mile long route was that we spent a long time playing hide and seek, often using the magnifying glass for comic effect, much to Rhiannon's delight.
The snowy terrace contrasted beautifully with the dark grey clouds, especially when patches of sunlight hit the snow. The view from the Terrace up Ryedale and down to Rievaulx Abbey below was excellent and I imagine it would be a nice picnic spot in the summer, especially if you'd already visited the Abbey itself. The interior of the Ionic Temple was also worth a look.
This may well be the shortest walk on this website but it is one I'd definitely recommend if you are in the area.
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