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
1. Raby Castle
Date: 21/06/2021
Meeting Point: Raby Castle, Staindrop, Darlington, DL2 3AH
9:30 to 9:45am registration for 10:00am departure.
The first step of the Northern Trek begins in the magnificent grounds of stunning Raby Castle. We start by following a broad path through verdant grasslands, home to Red and Fallow Deer herds, as we take in the splendour of the fourteenth-century medieval castle.
We wander through Ladywood and up towards Raby Home Farm and Shotton, sharing the beautiful countryside with some superb flora and fauna. We eventually leave the Raby estate, and find ourselves heading over Cockfield Fell, a land pockmarked with evidence of ancient human settlements, including flint arrowheads dating back to 8000BC.
We skirt around Cockfield itself and return to Raby Estate, finishing back at Raby Castle - a fitting start to the Big Smile Walks.
Distance: 20.2 km ( 12.55 miles)
Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆