Abbey Trail
A 118-mile long distance path which visits seven abbeys in the counties of West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. The abbeys are Kirkstall, Fountains, Byland, Rievaulx, Lastingham, Rosedale, and Whitby. With map, statistics, and GPX route file.
Statistics and Files
Grid Ref: SE 259 361
Distance: 118 miles (191 km)
Time: 50–60 hours
Duration: 8–12 days
Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps (1:25,000):
OL26 North York Moors — Western Area
OL27 North York Moors — Eastern Area
288 Bradford, Huddersfield and East Calderdale
289 Leeds, Harrogate, Wetherby and Pontefract
297 Lower Wharfedale and Washburn Valley
298 Nidderdale
299 Ripon, Boroughbridge and Easingwold
302 Northallerton and Thirsk
Summary
The Abbey Trail is a long-distance footpath which crosses beautiful Yorkshire countryside while visiting some of the historic county's greatest abbeys. It links seven of these historic buildings, namely Kirkstall, Fountains, Byland, Rievaulx, Lastingham, Rosedale, and Whitby. In essence the Abbey Trail is a great long-distance path with an ecclesiastical and historical theme. Apart from the abbeys, the walk — which begins in Leeds and crosses the Vales of York and Mowbray and the North York Moors — also visits Guiseley, Otley, Pateley Bridge, Ripon, Thirsk, Kilburn, Helmsley, Gillamoor, Hutton-le-Hole, Glaisdale, and Egton Bridge before finishing in Whitby.