A WALK of two distinct halves, on good paths through woodland and by riverbank.

Start from the square in the centre of Grassington.

From the square head up the main street past the Devonshire Arms to a crossroads by the Town Hall, then turn left on Chapel Street.

Part way on turn right up Bank Lane, which quickly loses its surface and swings left as a walled track. At

a path junction towards the end, turn left through a small gate, over a plank bridge and across the field to a stile.

From it go left a short way down to another stile. Cross straight over the track here to a stile in the opposite wall.

Bear right across a large, undulating field to find a similar stile onto an enclosed track.

Accompany this green lane to its demise, and take the right-hand gate. Cross to the far end of the field, and on to a stile into Grass Wood.

A good path heads up through the trees, keeping right on a broader path at the first fork. The path rises steadily for some time to reach a brow near a wall corner.

Now level, the broad, firmer path runs through a clearing to a cross-path. The thin path left offers a tiny diversion up a limestone scar to Fort Gregory, an Iron Age hillfort.

Back at the cross-paths resume along the main path, now broadening into a track. However, quickly approaching a broader clearing, leave the track for a less firm path branching right.

It maintains a level course through trees with a limestone pavement on the left, before descending towards the far end of the wood.

After a sharp left turn the descent gathers pace, merging into the track forsaken earlier. Continuing down, the track ends at Grass Wood Lane.

Turn left along the road for a few minutes until a gate on the right into Lower Grass Wood.

Of several paths heading away, take the main one bearing left along the wood edge: soon forking, the right branch takes you down to the Wharfe’s bank.

Resuming downstream a super path soon rises onto a higher bank, to merge with another. Further, at an angled cross-paths on a knoll, bear right on the main one back down to the river and on to a kissing-gate out of the wood.

Delightful riverbank walking on open pastures leads to a wooded knoll.

Here is Ghaistrill’s Strid, where the river is channelled through and over rocky shelves. The path runs to a stile ahead, into a short enclosed spell above the river.

A couple of stiles further the riverbank is regained. Through a couple of small gates resume along the bank, and on bridging a sidestream Grassington Bridge appears ahead.

On approaching it the path bears left to rise to a gate to emerge onto the B6265. Turn left up the footway to finish.

* Have you missed any of Paul’s previous Country Walks articles? If so, they can still be viewed on the website@keighleynews.co.uk by clicking on the What’s On heading of the top of the homepage, then Out & About and finally Walks. You will find all his past articles to inspire lots of great walks.