Round Ripon Ultra

About trip

Terrain – mixed road, hard packed trail, muddy woodland, heather moorland and a couple of pretty mucky farms, which leave the shoes smelling ripe! Start – Studley Roger Village Hall HG4 3AY – After 50 m Turn R onto footpath for half mile – CAUTION – cross road and run towards Ripon on left side of road – Turn L after 2nd mini roundabout, park on your right – keep SO junction until T junction – Turn R and then immediately L down narrow footpath between walls – Turn R at end and run down to join main road – Turn L on road and past Victorian Clock Tower – Just before bridge over river - turn L down road with river on your R – when road ends continue SO through gate – you are now on the RIPON ROWEL footpath – keep eyes open for Ripon Rowel signs – the path follows the river for ¾ mile – leaving the river at OS ref. 735313 turn L uphill across field towards farm buildings (South Parks Farm) – run through the farm and continue up road ¼ mile to T junction – Turn R (north) – follow this road 2 miles thro’ Middle Parks farm to North Parks Farm – after the Farm you pass a quarry entrance – keep SO then turn R onto track to N. Stainley – On reaching small village road turn L and at main road turn R – up main road ½ mile to CHECK POINT 1 – After checkpoint path goes between houses and descends to field gate – Turn L and after 200m climb bank then follow river on your R –through caravan site – Footpath bears R and follows river until the main road at West Tanfield – Cross road and continue on track until path turns L just before buildings – path skirts R edge or field and rejoins river – Follow path beside river until fork in path, bear slightly L through wood, over gates, across large field and enter village of Mickley – Turn L on track and after 20m turn R through village – As road bears L turn R into woodland (wooden sign for Ripon Rowel) – The path broadly follows the river all the way to Masham, with the usual undulations and short deviations through the woods – upon exiting the wood into a large field, keeping the river on your R cross field diagonally and rejoin riverside path – After approx 2 miles, on reaching road – turn R and cross bridge – IMMEDIATELY after bridge turn R and re-enter woods – with river still on R – exit woods after 200m and run along path beside river into Masham – As you enter the square run to L of Border House Teas and head to R of “Bah Humbugs” into Church Street – turn R immediately after HSBC bank following Theastons Brewery Tour sign into alleyway – turn R on road and in 200m you will reach CHECKPOINT 2 – After check point continue on well marked footpath for 1 mile until you reach road – turn L on road and in 100m turn R on track – follow LONG track 1 mile until reach road – turn L on road down hill over bridge and turn R up steep hill – continue up hill on road – DO NOT take Ripon Rowel when signed R off road on corner at OS Ref. 797183 – keep running on road up hill. – turn R on road up hill ½ mile to CHECKPOINT 3 – Leave checkpoint across field, farm on L after 200 m. – Turn L after farm and after 50m turn R - cross stile down hill, wall on L to wood at btm. – turn L and at road, go R uphill (the worst hill in race) 1 mile to village of Ilton – Turn R at OS Ref. 781192 across boggy area (tape or signs will guide you) along side of wall – cross wall and head south east (aim to L side of 2 large oak trees) – you can see path exiting field up bank through wall – through wall turn L and after 30m turn R follow path parallel to grouse butts for 400m until small path through heather on R – follow path 50m to exit moor – cross track, stile and grass moorland, after 300m turn R at road – you now have 2 miles of road running – after 1 mile turn R at T and follow road for a mile at first up hill then down,wood on R – when you see ruins on L and road turns a corner L – look out for stile and footpath on R. OS Ref. 745194 - DON’T MISS THIS – – The path heads sharply downhill 50m then across bridge and follows stream 50m before heading due south – an indistinct track crosses the heather moorland –crossing the beck and through small field gate – running between 2 walls – and past the “sighting tower” – turn R through farm to join track – turn sharp L and descend to bridge then climb to road – turn L and after 100m turn R down rocky track across stream and up grass for 200m – turn L thro’ gate and in 100m turn R – over another stream, follow track up hill to road – Uphill on road 200m to T, turn R and after 100m L onto track (just before Drovers Pub) – Continue SO through gate onto muddy moorland track – bear R after 300m across moor to track heading south – 200m on track then it joins road – continue SO to CHECKPOINT 4 – After checkpoint follow road – turn R after 50m –passing farm on R – soon after, footpath leaves road through gate on L – follow path downhill to stream – turn L and 20m cross bridge over stream and cross stile – Ripon Rowel route turns R after bridge and then L up hill – head SO after bridge OS Ref. 691214 up hill parallel with the Ripon Rowel route but on L side of fence – re join Ripon Rowel after going uphill for 2 fields. – turn L on grassy track– then over gate and descend past small lake on R uphill – through gate to meet road – run along road initially downhill then ascend for 100m before down steeply into woods – ascend on road but keep eyes open for Ripon Rowel sign on L – path descends to Evestone lake follow with lake on R until end of lake then turn R and ascend up steep wooded bank – cross stile – diagonally across field to concrete road – turn L – into farmyard through gate –through stile on R over field to another farm – immediately after farm footpath goes through gate in hedge on L (easy to MISS)– join track and meet main road in 75 m – turn L and after 20m turn R through stile – across 3 fields with hedge on L – footpath turns L over small bridge, over stile and then R and L downhill into Sawley. – On reaching village turn R and imm. L by church, following Low Gate Lane for 1 mile – look carefully for footpath on L side at OS Ref. 681261 (just before road ascends) take footpath down hill into woods across stream – meet main track and turn R over stile up hill to road by Fountains Abbey – turn L uphill 50m, turn R follow Way of Roses sign (red & white rose) –take track to road – footpath is on L side of road behind hedge – after ½ mile cross road to large gates into Studley Royal Deer Park – St Mary’s church on L – run like the wind, downhill over 2 cattle grids (gates on L and R for the wary) and into Studley Roger village – turn L up street and CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE FINISHED THE ROUND RIPON ULTRA