Bransdale is an area of moorland
managed by the National Trust; it is one of the most isolated valleys on the
North York Moors. There are only a few farmhouses and a hamlet called Cockayne
nearby, making it the perfect place for a quiet autumn walk.
Parking on the roadside, we
followed a route we’d found online, starting at the tiny church of St Nicholas.
We made our way downhill from here until we reached an area signposted
as Bransdale Basecamp and followed the arrows.
The surrounding scenery is lovely, the leaves were just starting to turn, and the heather was also out on the
moors. We passed an old building along the way, which is being
turned into a holiday cottage, and I imagine it would be a brilliant place to
stay, sort of in the middle of nowhere with open space for miles around.