

1. Raby Castle
Meeting Point: Raby Castle
We begin the Big Smile in the magnificent grounds of Raby Castle. We follow a broad path through the grassy landscape where Red and Fallow Deer herds live wild. We pass the impressively maintained medieval castle, built between 1367 and 1390 by John Neville, the 3rd Baron Neville de Raby.
We wander through Ladywood and then up towards Raby Home Farm and then Shotton enjoying the beautiful countryside home to some superb flora and fauna.
Eventually, we leave the Raby estate and find ourselves heading over Cockfield fell, common land pock marked with evidence of human habitation including flint arrowheads dating back to 8000BC.
We skirt around Cockfield itself and back through the estate to finish back at Raby Castle in a wonderful start to the Big Smile Walks.
Distance: 20 km ( 12.47 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆

Sponsored By: The Ramside Hall Hotel

1. Raby Castle
Meeting Point: Raby Castle
We begin the Big Smile in the magnificent grounds of Raby Castle. We follow a broad path through the grassy landscape where Red and Fallow Deer herds live wild. We pass the impressively maintained medieval castle, built between 1367 and 1390 by John Neville, the 3rd Baron Neville de Raby.
We wander through Ladywood and then up towards Raby Home Farm and then Shotton enjoying the beautiful countryside home to some superb flora and fauna.
Eventually, we leave the Raby estate and find ourselves heading over Cockfield fell, common land pock marked with evidence of human habitation including flint arrowheads dating back to 8000BC.
We skirt around Cockfield itself and back through the estate to finish back at Raby Castle in a wonderful start to the Big Smile Walks.
Distance: 20 km ( 12.47 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆

Sponsored By: The Ramside Hall Hotel

42. The Malham March
Date: 17/08/2021
Meeting Point: Malham National Park Centre, Chapel Gate, Malham, BD23 4DA
The village of Malham, in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, has long been a popular destination for walkers, and is our starting point today. We cross the Malham Beck and take the riverside path all the way along to Gordale Scar - a limestone ravine containing two waterfalls, and a jewel in the crown of the National Park.
From here, we pick up a path along Stridebut Edge towards the impressive Malham Cove. The Cove is a huge curving amphitheatre-shaped cliff formation of white limestone rock, with a vertical cliff face of about 260 feet, and was once a massive waterfall.
At its heart is a more modest waterfall, and the starting point for the Malham Beck. Formed back in the ice-age, this is a well-known beauty spot and an unmissable landscape feature. We return to Malham from here on a route packed with dramatic scenery. If you enjoy limestone landscapes then this is the stage for you.
Distance: 17.4 km (10.81 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★☆☆☆
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