500 trees planted by BMC volunteers in the remote North York Moors, plus 6 walks on the wild side

Mend Our Mountains Articles
23 Jan
2 min read

500 birch trees have been planted by BMC volunteers at Bransdale in the North York Moors. Walk these 6 nearby trails to appreciate the beauty of this remote corner of wilderness, south of the popular peak Roseberry Topping.

Eleven BMC Get Stuck In volunteers braved the cold, wet conditions this January to join five National Trust Rangers in planting 500 birch trees in Bransdale, a remote corner of the North York Moors, some 15 miles south of the popular peak Roseberry Topping.

To celebrate their hard work, we've picked our top six Komoot walks on the wild side in the Bransdale area so you can visit and appreciate the conservation work being carried out there. BMC members get a free Komoot map region bundle worth £8.99.

BMC Hill Walking Rep Steve Charles, Get Stuck In founder, says, "This was the first Get Stuck In event to be held in the North East and the first to involve tree planting. Birches were selected to be planted as they are a pioneer species which will grow in areas of poor site and soil conditions and low biodiversity, such as is found in Bransdale. The trees were planted in clumps over a wide area as the first stage in creating natural, broad-leaf woodland. We do hope to set up some regular upland restoration events for BMC volunteers in the North York Moors as part of the Get Stuck In initiative, which is funded by the Mend Our Mountains campaign from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust (ACT)."

BMC Access & Conservation volunteer for the North East Area, Mike Conlon, says, "It was great to work on such a worthwhile project with BMC volunteers from around the area and the National Trust Rangers. I made up a contingent of four from the Cleveland Mountaineering Club (CMC). Our members regularly undertake small conservation works, repairing stiles, clearing culverts, etc. It was good to meet other BMC members at Bransdale, and full marks to Ally for travelling up from Lincolnshire. Rod kept us all entertained / irritated with his booming laugh echoing around the valley all day long!

"Although we planted birch trees in clumps, it was explained that future planting of other species will fill in some of the gaps, including low-growing types, to provide diverse habitats. In time, the planting should contribute to the development of a magnificent, mixed woodland environment and landscape."

We now have new dates for our Get Stuck In volunteer footpath repair and conservation opportunities in 2025, as part of Mend Our Mountains and The Climate Project.

Top 6 walks around Bransdale

Top 6 walks around Bransdale
The North York Moors used to be almost entirely covered in forest. Some of it still remains, like this carpet of bluebells in beech woodland near Bransdale

Low Wood and Stork House loop

3.1 miles / 425ft ascent

An easy walk down to Hodge Beck bridge and past the ruins of Stork House before crossing the river once more to climb back up to the start.

Route on Komoot here

Kirby Rode stone waymarker – Bransdale Mill loop from Chop Gate

5.66 miles / 700 ft ascent

An easyish loop to take in the old stone waymarker at Kirby Rode, and Bransdale Mill.

Route on Komoot here

Pockley Moor and Rollgate Bank loop

8 miles / 950ft ascent

A longer circuit across Pockley Moor with an out and back to gain the high point of Rollgate Bank.

Route on Komoot here

Bransdale Mill loop from Rosedale Abbey

8.1 miles / 1,500 ft ascent

A more testing, hilly route to Bransdale Mill from Rosedale Abbey, taking in the high point of Shaw Ridge along the way.

Route on Komoot here

Round Hill – Ingleby Top and Drum House loop from Ingleby Greenhow

10.7 miles / 1,300ft ascent

A bracing hike across Bransdale Moor for fit walkers, passing Ingleby Top, the fascinating old mine workings of Drum House and Burton Howe Bronze Age burial mound.

Route on Komoot here

Urra Moor – Carr Ridge loop from Ingleby Greenhow

13.8 miles / 1,825 ft ascent

Good fitness and sure-footedness required for this half marathon-distance, hilly hike across Urra and Bransdale Moors and Bloworth Crossing, taking in the Cammon Stone, Bransdale Mill, Stump Cross and Carr Ridge.

Route on Komoot here

Get Stuck In volunteering with the BMC

Get Stuck In events are 1-3 day opportunities for BMC volunteers to give some love back to the landscapes we love to walk and climb in. There are a range of activities decided on nearer the time of the event according to the National Trust rangers who will be teaching you new skills, explaining more about their footpath repair and conservation activities and working alongside you.

Watch the video here

Support the BMC ACT Mend Our Mountains campaign

Path repair is a surprisingly costly business. Working in remote locations with complex equipment and adverse weather conditions makes rebuilding trails an enormous and expensive challenge.

  • £5 buys a pair of work gloves
  • £10 buys a replacement handle for a mattock
  • £25 buys a shovel or suncream & midge repellent for a ranger team
  • £50 buys five garden skips for moving soil
  • £150 buys protective clothing for path repairers
  • £250 fixes approximately one metre of footpath
  • £1000 flies ten bags of stone to an inaccessible mountain location

Support the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust Mend Our Mountains campaign to help projects like Get Stuck In repair and maintain the landscapes you love to walk and climb in.

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Cotswold Outdoor Discount

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