Our drawing of the route, over road and path data from OpenStreetMap. It shows where the walk goes and what it goes through. It is not a survey and not a navigation aid — carry OS Explorer on the hill.
Three and a half miles across the Swale to Asenby and back down the far bank, an hour and a half, flat riverside and field path with two gates, one stile and a steep little pull up from the bridge. Start at Topcliffe bridge where there is roadside parking by the village hall, and the 70 bus between Thirsk and Ripon stops in the village; there is a well-known inn at Asenby if you want a halfway stop. The riverside pastures are grazed by cattle from May to October and a herd with calves is by far the most serious hazard here, so read each field before you unclip; the Swale is deep, fast and cold with steep banks either side of the bridge, so it is a river for drinking rather than swimming, and the meadows flood readily and stay wet well into spring.
Topcliffe sits on the lower River Swale where the waymarked Swale Way long-distance path runs through the vale between Boroughbridge and Richmond, and the riverside stretches here and downstream towards Cundall give flat, lush meadow walking of two to five miles out and back from the village bridge. The banks are grazed and can flood or erode after high water, so keep dogs on leads near stock and away from undercut edges. Finish in the bar of the Angel Inn on Long Street.
Large refurbished dining inn on Long Street in Topcliffe, close to the village's old bridge over the River Swale, with sixteen bedrooms, a garden and patio. Dogs are welcome in the bar area only, which suits a drink or bar meal after a Swale-side stroll. The restaurant side is dog-free.
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