[1] START Our route really hits the ground running. From Richmond's sloping handsome market place (NZ171008) – all cobbles and Georgian town houses – follow New Road steeply downhill to Green Bridge above the river Swale. This is a strategic crossing point, over which the brooding outline of Richmond Castle (A) has glowered for almost a thousand years.

(A)As presented today Richmond Castle has one of the finest examples of Norman buildings in Britain including Scollands Hall, the Great Hall of the castle. The keep has a restored roof and floors but is shown with the original 11th-century main gate arch unblocked. This arch is now in the basement of the later 12th century keep which was built in front of it, the main gate then being moved to its present position which was dominated by the adjacent keep while the original arch we see today was filled-in to secure the keep.

[2] Cross the bridge and turn right to pick up the riverbank path. Keep straight ahead, following the stony, waterside path here, that stutters across the limestone. If the river is in spate, you may prefer to take the clear higher path, which drops down to the riverbank after half a mile at a point where the Swale takes a sharp right hand turn. There are sheltered, chicane-like rivulets along the way, where the Swale busily nibbles and loosens the soil around the riverbank trees, exposing gnarled, toe-like roots. This is a good place to spot dippers flitting across the water's surface. The boughs of oak trees are often weighed down with large numbers of jackdaws.

[3] Pass through a gate and continue along the large wetland meadow. In times of heavy rain, this becomes a huge sponge and floodplain, which means that the Swale at this point rarely experiences truly severe floods. The limestone gorge is coated with oak and beech, sycamore, elm and hazel, and the ash here are thought to be 400 years old.

[4] Follow the riverside path past Round Howe bridge to Hudswell Steps, where more than 300 steps zip almost vertically up the limestone scars. There's a handrail and a couple of brief level spots to pause. At the top of the steps, walk ahead through two fields and turn left in the village of Hudswell for the George and Dragon.(B) Retrace your path to the top of Hudswell Steps, but this time turnright through the top of Calfhall Woods. Once again, the views across and down into the valley are steep and far-reaching.

(B)This is Yorkshire's first community-owned pub, rescued from closure in 2010, and it has a Fijian chef – Ellie Tuvotu – who serves up dishes made from cassava and taro. Her unlikely journey from Fiji involved following her soldier husband, who was posted to the UK and the nearby Catterick garrison.

[5] The path descends steeply to the bridge by Round Howe, then cross the river to Reeth Road. Turn right and then take the second road left after the cemetery. Go through the gate, straight up the field and over a stile.

[6] Turn right along the lane, Westfields. From here, the adjoining brows of Wensleydale to the south are clearly visible; eastwards is the Vale of York. Closer by is Richmond Castle and its doleful history - not least of the conscientious objectors. Return to Richmond town centre via Newbiggin. The castle sits just behind the market square.