Mulgrave woods run inland along the valley below the village of Lythe. The estate is vast and it is a beautiful place to take a leisurely family stroll or try a longer circular walk.
The area of woodland known as Mulgrave woods is owned and managed by the Mulgrave Estate, they have created a number of trails throughout the area.
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The woods are only open to the public on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and are closed during May. One of the gems you will come across whilst visiting is the ruins of Mulgrave Castle. This is also a great place to get a panoramic view of the valley. The best way to get to Mulgrave woods is via the Sandsend to Mulgrave circular walk which we have suggested in this article.
Sandsend to Mulgrave Castle Circular Walk, 4 Miles, Easy Walk
The ancient Mulgrave woods near Whitby have some fantastic walking trails to follow. The estate is magnificent and has many paths that lead you to small becks, pretty waterfalls and even the ruins of Mulgrave Castle. The paths are pretty sheltered so it’s a perfect way to get out on an adventure when that bracing seafront wind gets all too much.
This walk begins on the coast at Sandsend, there is a car park here that lies west of the beach. From here you follow the path in a west direction which takes you along the East Bow Beck. After roughly one mile you will come across Mulgrave Castle. We like to stop for a picnic here if the weather is good.
After exploring the castle ruins you then follow alongside the Sandsend Beck which will lead you back to the car park. If you would like to extend your walk, Sandsend is also on the Cleveland Way. You can follow this along the dramatic coastline and spot plenty of wildlife. Follow it east to get to Whitby or north to Runswick Bay. You can follow the full route here.
The Old Mulgrave Castle
Constructed in the 13th Century, the Old Mulgrave Castle was a defensive residence replacing the Foss Castle which was also located at the time in Mulgrave woods. Since then it has been a happy home to many different families. The castle was built on a narrow ridge between Sandsend and East Row Becks. Work began slowly in 1069. By the time it was given to Peter de Mauley can you imagine that it would have featured an oval-shaped platform surrounded by a high curtain wall and dry moats framing either end of the structure? There was also a drawbridge.
The castle started to ruin by 1309. When it changed hands during the 17th century it sadly deteriorated further. It became a hunting lodge in 1626 and was seized for war purposes in 1642. After the victory, the castle was destroyed to prevent it from being used in the future as a military base.
The new Mulgrave Castle has been built nearby, and the Earl of Mulgrave ordered his landscaper to romanticize the ruins of the old castle. Keeping them fitting with the surrounding woodland. The Gatehouse towers were rebuilt beautifully and they remodelled sections of the collapsed keep too. Restoration continued in the 1990s, and several features were further fortified and landscaped to their present condition. Find further information here.
At certain times of the year, you can also access the formal gardens at Mulgrave, they are beautiful and so worth a visit. You can find garden open days on the Mulgrave Estate website.
Let us know if you have visited Mulgrave woods in the comments, we love to hear your experiences.
Thanks for this very thorough information on Mulgrave Castle’s history and how to get to it.
Well made paths to follow. Shame no sign posts though. I had to refer to google maps to work out where I was a lot of the time and guesstimate where a path may end up.
Thank you for allowing public access.
Allow plenty of time on your parking Incase you do end up too far from the car park and get a fine in the post.
Lovely walk and scenery, but we went wrong a couple of times where the paths split into two directions. A few sign posts or a little map here and there would be very useful.
Note, that regardless of what is said, it is very easy to miss the castle if you just keep on the circular path, but once you find it, it is well worth the effort.