The Corpse Road Hike is a route created by BBC Countryfile Magazine. It is a 6.8-mile route, which starts and finishes in Osmotherley. The route takes you over Beacon Hill and along the beautiful moors, in the North York National Park.
The BBC Countryfile Magazine named the hike Corpse Road from the history of the place. The main corpse road went from Osmotherley to Ravenscar, called the Lyke Wake Walk. Lyke is the old English name of the corpse and Wake means to watch over the body. The corpses would be carried to remote communities with the nearest church so that they could be buried in consecrated ground. Many years before that, the dead were transported over the moors for burial at the highest point. The roads were often known as corpse roads. Along the route, there are reminders of the history, hence why they called this route the Corpse Road.
The route took us just under 4-hours to complete, with stops for food and taking photos. It is classified as moderate difficulty. The highest point along the route is Beacon Hill, 299-metres (980-feet). The route can get quite muddy and slippery after a lot of rain. The paths are well-marked and easy to navigate. For most of the route, you are all following the Cleveland Way long-distance trail.
Parking
The route starts and finishes in the village of Osemotherley. We did the walk on a Sunday, arriving in Osemotherley around 11 am. We only just managed to find a parking spot. The village is only small and seems to be a very popular spot to park for day walks. Parking is along the roadside at no charge. My advice is to get there early to get a spot!
The Route
Follow this map, as you walk the route, you shouldn’t get lost! Make sure your location is turned on and you should be able to see exactly where you are, on this map. Or if you prefer, download the GPX file and use it on your choice of route tracker.
1.
From the village of Osmotherley, head up the hill, along the main street, leading out of the village towards Cod Beck Reservoir. Just after leaving the village, you should see a signpost on your left-hand side saying Cleveland Way. Follow the Cleveland Way, along Ruebury Lane up to Lady Chapel, a site of a medieval shrine.
2.
Continuing following the Cleveland Way, head through the gate and follow the path along the edge of the field towards another gate. Head through the second gate and you will see a path junction. Take the path that folks to your right-hand side, leading you up Beacon Hill, still following the Cleveland Way trail. Just before the summit of Beacon Hill, you will see a telecommunications station. This is the official starting point for the Lyke Wake Walk. Just past the telecommunication station, you will reach the summit of Beacon Hill. At the summit, you will see the summit marker. However, you will notice it on the other side of the fence for some reason.
3.
Following the path, you start to descend off the summit of Beacon Hill. Head through 2 gates and follow the path across Scarth Wood Moor. This was my favourite part of the walk. You should be able to see great views of the National Park, including Roseberry Topping in the distance. Just past the second gate, there just be a bench to your right. This is a perfect stop to enjoy your lunch while admiring the views.
4.
Eventually, after descending downhill gently, across Scarth Wood Moor, you should arrive at a signpost. Take the path to your right, which leads you down to the road. At the road, turn to your right and follow the road down to a car park. Just before reaching the bend in the road to the car park, there will be a footpath going off to your left with a little wooden bridge. Cross the bridge and take the bridal path, leading you quite steeply, uphill.
5.
Follow the bridleway for a while, until you reach another car park. At the car park, turn to your left, onto the road. Follow the road for a short distance until your reach a public footpath on your right-hand side.
6.
Take the footpath on your right-hand side and follow it down all the way to Hudy Gap Plantation. Just before reaching the plantation, you will arrive at a path junction, with a house on your right-hand side. At the junction, take the bridal path on your right-hand side and head through Hudy Gap Plantation. Follow the path until you reach the road.
7.
At the road, turn to your left and walk a few metres until you see a footpath sign pointing to Osmotherley, on your right-hand side. Take the footpath to your right and walk to the gate with a footpath sign. Got through the gate and follow the footpath markers all the way back into Osmotherley, where you started the walk.
If you have enjoyed this walk and would like to see more of my walking trails, click on this link: https://livingwiththewolf.co.uk/hiking-trails/
Here is a link about the village Osmotherley, on the North Yorkshire Moors website, for information about accommodation and eating places: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting/see-and-do/attractions/osmotherley
