Ebbsca two

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This is a pleasant and varied route, mostly very quiet, apart from two short stretches along the busy A170. There are some stunning views across the Vale of Pickering and across to the Yorkshire Wolds. The terrain encompasses lanes, tracks, woodland, fields and a park. It crosses a driving range and small golf course, at Snainton, where one needs to be alert to stray golf balls, and skirts the GCHQ Irton Moor wireless station, where carrying a camera too obviously might be ill-advised.

The tracks are mostly good, though some are deeply rutted and might be less easy to negotiate in rain or after prolonged wet weather. On the approach to Seamer Beacon there is a stretch which was boggy during a very dry spring, which might become problematic in wetter conditions. Where the route follows the main road there is pavement on at least one side, with safe crossing points. The only potentially difficult crossing is at the top of Stepney Hill, opposite the Jacob's Mount caravan park. Here the path reaches the road close to a bend and the crest of the hill and it is safest to move a little down the road to the left, making use of the refuge, rather than attempting direct to the path on the opposite side.

In terms of access, there are numerous stiles, some gates and kissing gates, a footbridge and a narrow plank bridge over a stream. In addition there are two flights of concrete steps, the first down through the wood after skirting the Jacob's Mount caravan park and the second through Falsgrave Park.

The route passes through Snainton, East/West Ayton and Sawdon. Both Sawdon and Snainton have a pub, whilst Ayton has two pubs, both serving food, a small hotel, a shop and post office and a restaurant/tearoom.

In terms of interest along the route, there are churches, pinfolds, streams, farmland and woodland, with plenty of birds and wild flowers to be seen. In addition there is a high water marker which is itself strikingly high up, and just below the allotments and before the path leading to the reservoir and Falsgrave Park, a blue plaque marks a house used as a wireless station during WWII, working closely with Bletchley Park.

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