Explore this family- friendly circular trail running through Studley Royal deer park, Seven Bridges Valley and the and the surrounding Yorkshire countryside, discovering wildlife a long the way
Distance: 5 miles | Time: 2-3 hours | Grade: Easy | Accessibility: Challenging
1. Start at Fountains Abbey Visitor Centre. Leave the visitor centre and follow the signs for St Mary’s Church, along the bridleway. Look out for St Mary’s Church: While it has a dark gothic exterior, inside the church is bursting with colour. It has animals, insects and birds in the carvings and designs. Can you spot the exotic parrots?
2. When you reach the church, follow the mown path on the right across the deer park towards the lake. Look out for Deer park: There are three types of deer that have their home here. Red deer are the biggest, fallow deer have a spotted coat and sika deer are chestnut-coloured with a darker line on their back.
3. Walk around the lake away from the tea-room and towards the footbridge. Look out for Waterfowl: Mute swans, geese, mallard and coots can be spotted here whatever the season.
4. Cross the footbridge to enter the Seven Bridges Valley. Follow the path, heading for the small stone bridges.
5. Pass through a metal gate and follow the path until you reach a narrow footbridge on the right. Cross the bridge and follow the path uphill. At the top of the hill, take the left path and continue until you pass through a wooden gate.
6. Amble across the open fields following the grassy path. Exit the field through the wooden gate and turn left, following the lane passing Whitcliffe Hall, until you reach a small area of woodland. Take this woodland path with the fence on the left (which is a permissible route). Continue along the path until you emerge at an open field looking out across the city of Ripon. Follow the field edge on the left until you reach Hell Wath Cottage. Look out for views and woodpeckers: Enjoy the views from the open fields where you’ll also see cows and sheep that often graze there. Tap, tap, tap – if you’re lucky you might also hear a great spotted woodpecker.
7. Go down the steps, turn left and continue straight on to cross a footbridge. Follow the bridleway until you reach a junction of footpaths. Take the left path which will bring you into Studley Roger village. Look out for Robins: Robins can be spotted flitting in and out of the hedges.
8. On reaching the road, go straight across following the public footpath taking you into the deer park. Follow the path heading towards St Mary’s Church. When you reach the church, pass through the gate and turn left along the bridleway returning to the visitor centre.
(Credit: Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal)