Castle Bolton Walk
Visit the wonderful grounds of the 14th century Bolton Castle before exploring the beautiful countryside surrounding the village.
It's a short walk to the castle from the village of Castle Bolton. For a fee you can explore the gardens and the maze before climbing the castle for wonderful views over the Yorkshire Dales. You can also learn about the fascinating history of the castle. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed there for six months in the 16th century. After her defeat in Scotland at the Battle of Langside in 1568 she fled to England, posing a threat to the position of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I.
After exploring the castle the walk then heads towards Low Thoresby before visiting the nearby village of Redmire. The attractive little village is the terminus of the Wensleydale Railway. The heritage railway runs 22 miles (35 km) between Northallerton West station and Redmire. It's a great way to see this beautiful area.
From Redmire you cross the pretty Apedale Beck and return to the village.
To extend your walking in the area you can head south west and visit the fabulous Aysgarth Falls. The falls are one of the most visited attractions of the area and are well worth a visit.
The Herriot Way long distance footpath also runs through the area. The circular route takes you through areas of the Yorkshire Dales associated with the vet and author James Herriot.
Head south to the River Ure and you can try our Wensleydale Walk which visits Redmire Force waterfall and the vilage of Wensley, which gives its name to the dale of Wensleydale.
Castle Bolton Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Castle Bolton Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Castle Bolton OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Castle Bolton Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
The Leyburn to Castle Bolton Circular Walk visits the castle from the nearby market town. The trail uses part of the Leyburn Shawl Walk and other public footpaths to visit Redmire Force waterfall and the River Ure before making its way to the castle.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
View from the top of Bolton Castle. Mary, Queen of Scots was held prisoner at Bolton for six months. The story goes that she escaped and made her way towards Leyburn only to lose her 'shawl' on the way, hence the name ('The Shawl') of the cliff edge that runs westward out of Leyburn and is a well-known spot for easy walks with excellent views. See the Leyburn Shawl Walk for more details.
Bolton Castle. The castle is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War, and “slighted” afterwards, but much of it survived.
The castle was built between 1378 and 1399 by Richard, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton, and is an example of a quadrangular castle. It has never been sold and is still in the ownership of the descendants of the Scrope family. In this photo the colourful gardens can be seen in the foreground. There is also a maze, herb garden, wild flower meadow, rose garden and a vineyard on the site. Falconry displays are provided to visitors during some months.
Rookwith Bridge. A single timber beam footbridge over Walden Beck near West Burton.
Village pinfold at Redmire. Redmire is the terminus of the Wensleydale Railway. The heritage railway runs 22 miles between Northallerton West station and Redmire.
A corner of Redmire Green. The village was featured in the BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small, in the episode "Puppy Love", as the location of Darrowby bus stop. The village pub, the Bolton Arms, was also featured in the episode "Beauty of the Beast"
A smart new footbridge erected by NYCC over Apedale Beck at Redmire. Built high above the beck on strong foundations to avoid damage by spate floods which are quite common here.
Seat, Castle Bolton village. A place to relax near the village green. The village was largely constructed after the nearby castle and the houses were used by the retinue of Mary, Queen of Scots when she was imprisoned in the castle. The Dales artist Fred Lawson came for a holiday in 1910, set up his artist's studio in the middle of the village and loved it so much he never left.