Saturday Walk: 30th August – medium category – c 7.3 miles, circular walk from the Mistal cafe on the Chevin

I’m choosing another walk close to home for the next one. It was mentioned how much people liked the food at the Mistal (previously the Cheerful Chilli) so we’ll go there for lunch after this walk on the Chevin. Last time we used them they let us start the walk from there and we used their parking. They’re not open until later in the week, so I’ll double check and confirm back to you all. It’s one I’ve made up to be the right length. This walk has a bit of up and down in it but it’s mostly gradual and we’re not going up the Chevin steps. The total ascending is just over 1000 feet. I estimate that this walk will take around 3 hours.

I have emailed my previous contact but not had a response as yet. Previously they wanted a pre-order, so please have a look at the menu link and let me know what food you would like, if you sign up for this walk.

BREAKFAST, BRUNCH & LUNCH MENU

The walk will start from the Mistal café car park on the left-hand side as you descend the Chevin on East Chevin Road at 9:00am. 

We’ll turn left out of the Mistal car park and walk down and through the public car park on the other side of the road to pick up the little path by the side of the road. We’ll come out on the East Chevin Road and carefully cross it to head up the path at the side of the house. This takes us up to Surprise View. We’ll continue past there and into the woods where eventually we emerge into a field where we can see the York Gate Road. We cross York Gate and pick up another path which heads down towards an old quarry, we’ll turn left along another good path and come out past Upcroft Farm. We’ll head down Carlton Lane a little way and then pick up another path which will bring us out in West Carlton. We cross Carlton Lane again and take Mall Lane up towards the Chevin Lodge Hotel. We’ll wander through their grounds (York Gate Plantation) and come out on York Gate again. We cut across a couple of fields and descend to East Chevin Road, which we’ll cross and walk down along the pavement until we pick up a path into the Chevin Forest park. We’ll do a decent loop in here before emerging back at The Mistal in time for lunch.

If there has been some rain before this walk there will be some muddy stretches. We will encounter a variety of stiles and livestock will be in the fields. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear, which take account of the weather forecast, and bring a drink. Poles are still optional but as you all know, they are useful on the uphill and downhill sections of this walk as well as for stability if we encounter any mud. I do my best to assess the weather and the likely walking conditions but would ask everyone to decide whether a particular walk is right for them on that day. Please note that everyone taking part in the walk does so at their own risk.

OS Map link, which you can view even if you do not have the app. You should be able to see the route and the walk profile

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/28323111/wi-route-from-the-mistal-on-otley-chevin