Cover Banks Middleham

Leave the main street by going to the Castle. Pass to its left and along an enclosed track outside the Castle walls. At the end it emerges into a field with several options. Simply head up the wall-side, over the brow and down to the corner. Two stiles in quick succession lead you to the next field, head down the wall-side past a barn. Ahead you can see the river Cover. Pathless and becoming more wooded at the bottom you descend all the way to the riverbank.

Take a stile on the left and head downstream. A small path soon enters woodland, and then climbs above the river before dropping back down to leave the wood. Continue on a short way, and instead of going left up a green track remain on the riverbank to find a good path reforming to run hard by the rocky bank. This emerges again and runs on to some stepping-stones. These stepping-stones will lead you to East Witton but we are going a much more scenic route.

Continue walking down the bank and take a stile in front and then soon after, (ignore another green track rising to the left) take a stile into the small woodland along the riverbank. The way is now clear and most enjoyable as the path clings to the river to reach the pub a Cover Bridge. At the buildings we take a left to a gap-stile onto the road.

Cross the bridge and take some steps on the right down to the riverbank. Cross a stile onto the bank opposite the pub garden, but instead of following the Cover upstream, stay with the hedge as it curves round to the left. Go on to a stile/gate near the end, then resume along the hedge through two further stiles. Here a guidepost sends a path right towards the stepping-stones, but our way heads directly on, through a gate in a fence and on to a stile by a tiny barn. Pass round the back to a gap-stile then go left with the wall. Maintain this line until on a minor brow East Witton appears ahead. In a small enclosure take a small gate on the left at the end of the hedge, and head along the last field to emerge into the village street. Stay and look around this pretty village it suffered terribly at the hands of the Plague in 1563 and was rebuilt as an estate village.

Leave by turning right along the street, and at the end of the green a narrow road heads out of the village. Almost a once take a stile by a gate on the right. Two invisible paths head away: one goes to the stepping stones (again) while ours bears left to a gap-stile at the far end. Continue with the hedge on the right through two further fields to join grassy West Field Lane. Turn right along this leafy pathway to its end at a small wood. At the end of the track don’t take the gate into the field, but go left on a pleasant path running on to the far end of the trees.

Emerging into a field, go left and continue on to find a farm track forming. When it turns left through a gateway to approach the farm at East Witton Lodge, leave it and stay on another wall-side track. Through the gate at the end remain with the hedge on the right. When this kinks, slant across to rejoin it and remain with it past a small building to go through a gate in the hedge. On the other side continue on to the very corner.

Here a footbridge crosses a tiny stream to emerge into a big pasture. Cross straight over the center, a marker post on the brow helps. Cross to the far right corner, dropping down to a gap-stile a few meters away to the left. Drop down to step-stile below then head left along the fence-side, on top of the wooded brow overlooking the river. Towards the end drop down to reach Hullo Bridge. The river scenery here is lovely take a break and enjoy.

Across the bridge take a stile on the right and head downstream. Almost at once the path climbs the wooded bank into a field. Carry on along the top of the bank, all the way on to rise to a slim plantation. Twin stiles send a path through it to carry along the wooded top. As it starts to drop back down to the river, take advantage of the fact that the true course of the footpath contours left perfect for us as we work round to meet the wall cum fence opposite. Now back on the outward route, turn up with it to be back in Middleham within minutes