An Autumn Walk in Wykeham Woods
There’s a particular kind of quiet you only find in a forest in October. It’s not silence exactly, it’s more like a hush, as though the trees are pausing to listen. I love walking in the woods when the trees change colour and the deciduous trees begin their slow, spectacular shedding. The crunch of leaves under my boots and the occasional sighting of the squirrels. It’s a place where you can slow down, phone reception isn't great, and that's just perfect, no distractions.
I set off just after nine from Raptor Viewpoint, mist still curled between the trunks like breath. There’s a softness to everything, the light, the air, the paths carpeted in copper and gold. Some of the trees are already bare-limbed, while others cling stubbornly to their yellowing leaves. The forest floor is dotted with mushrooms: ghostly white domes, burnt-orange toadstools, clusters like little villages on mossy logs. We walk through the carpark with the road behind us, following the path to the view point.
the path to the view point
This is my favourite time of year to walk here. The dogs and their humans are a little more spaced out, and the forest feels like it remembers itself. My own little dog, Ted, trots ahead with his nose down and tail up, occasionally checking back to make sure I’m still coming. We don’t talk much, but we both know this walk is one of the good ones. The view point is only a 5 minute walk from the carpark. We sit on one of the benches and take in Troutsdale below.
The view is stunning, a quiet valley of Troutsdale, hidden away from the tourism that Scarborough attracts. The benches overlook a dip in the land where the trees open up and the hills roll away in the distance. I always stop there. Today I’ve brought a flask of tea and a piece of homemade chocolate cake wrapped in greaseproof paper. It’s warm enough to sit without freezing, cool enough to appreciate the steam rising from the cup.
You don’t need much in October. A good coat, maybe. A dog, if you’ve got one. Something hot in a flask. And a stretch of quiet woods like this. We get up from the bench and with the view to are backs we take to the path to our left. This is where the adventure begins, we follow the narrow path through the woods keeping the carpark to our right. We are walking probably 30 metres parallel to the original path. We then come to some big stones (below) then crossing the road we carry on the path. Be careful on the road you are leaving a concealed footpath.
What I love about Wykeham is how it shifts with the seasons without ever losing its character. In spring, it smells green and new. In summer, the paths are dry and there's so much birdsong. But in October, it becomes something else. The kind of place that doesn’t ask anything of you except that you notice. No phone reception and just the forest, it's the perfect place to switch off. Wykeham Forest is full of tracks to explore. It's a place to have an adventure, not just a walk. Follow this path until you come across two large stones and bear right. This is a short circular route so take the next right doen a small path leavinf the forest track and you’ll pop out opposite the carpark.
By the time we loop back to the car park, the mist has burned off, and the sun is throwing long golden beams through the treetops. I brush leaves from my boots, and Ted shakes the woodland from his fur. We’re both a little calmer, a little more grounded than when we set out.
That’s the quiet gift of Wykeham Woods in autumn: it asks you to walk slowly, look closely, and let the forest do its work.
Walk Details: Wykeham Woods, North Moor Circular
• Start/Finish: North Moor Forestry England car park (near the old RAF site)
• Distance: Approx. 2 miles
• Terrain: Mostly flat forest tracks, some uneven ground in wetter areas
• Dog friendly: Very – just watch for cyclists and horse riders on shared paths
• Perfect for: Woodland wanderers, reflective ramblers, fungi-foragers and cyclists.
• Post-walk tip: Pop into the Hitch and brew in Wykeham for a warming lunch and a coffee.
• What to bring: Layers, a camera, and a flask of something hot
The little path to the right