Harkna four

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Harkna here.

I have walked Harkna 1. It is very direct but there is a considerable proportion of the route alone the busy A61.
The suggested route is a little longer (8.99km) but there is very much less road walking. The route is identical to Harkna 1 from the point where the route joins the Knaresborough Round footpath (grid ref 333561).
Leaving Harrogate the route crosses the Stray not on a footpath but in a direct diagonal over the grass. The Stray has open access and although there are footpaths the is no need to stick to them.
From grid ref 320540 to 326539 the route is on concrete roads owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society but these have permissive access to pedestrians and cyclists, though there are 5 or 6 days in the year when the Yorkshire Show is on when these roads are closed. However, when the Yorkshire Show is on all road in Harrogate and its surrounds are impassable with queuing traffic and nobody who is not going to the Show would choose to try to travel anywhere in Harrogate!
Fodder (a farm shop, cafe, toilets is at grid ref 328541).
The path from grid ref 330545 to 331551 runs across Stonefall Park, which was a brickworks/clay mine before becoming a landfill site and has since been reclaimed as an area of parkland and woodland. There is open public access. From this Park the route crosses some quiet residential streets before joining Harkna 1 and the walk across fields into Knaresborough.
Overall there is an ascent of 98m and a descent of 142m on this route

I have walked Harkna 1. It is very direct but there is a considerable proportion of the route alone the busy A61.
The suggested route is a little longer (8.99km) but there is very much less road walking. The route is identical to Harkna 1 from the point where the route joins the Knaresborough Round footpath (grid ref 333561).
Leaving Harrogate the route crosses the Stray not on a footpath but in a direct diagonal over the grass. The Stray has open access and although there are footpaths the is no need to stick to them.
From grid ref 320540 to 326539 the route is on concrete roads owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society but these have permissive access to pedestrians and cyclists, though there are 5 or 6 days in the year when the Yorkshire Show is on when these roads are closed. However, when the Yorkshire Show is on all road in Harrogate and its surrounds are impassable with queuing traffic and nobody who is not going to the Show would choose to try to travel anywhere in Harrogate!
Fodder (a farm shop, cafe, toilets is at grid ref 328541).
The path from grid ref 330545 to 331551 runs across Stonefall Park, which was a brickworks/clay mine before becoming a landfill site and has since been reclaimed as an area of parkland and woodland. There is open public access. From this Park the route crosses some quiet residential streets before joining Harkna 1 and the walk across fields into Knaresborough.
Overall there is an ascent of 98m and a descent of 142m on this route