Raincliffe Woods

The friends of Raincliffe Woods are pleased to bring to you three circular walks around Raincliffe Woods.

These walks will help you to enjoy one of the most beautiful parts of Scarborough Borough, letting you experience first hand, the wonderful flora and fauna, spectacular views of the coastline and countryside surrounding the woodland and quiet contemplations within the woodland scenery.

The walks are easy to follow and are waymarked in three different colours, orange, blue and green. They can be joined at any part of the route, depending on which car park you leave your car.

The Rowntree Trail takes you past Throxenby Mere and Raincliffe Meadow, which are just a couple of the great sights in this woodland. The route takes approximately 2 hours to complete and the walk is quite strenuous and the route steep in places as it climbs to and from the top of the wood.

Each of the circular walks has a name, Rowntree, Graham and Wallis. These names are very important in the history of Raincliffe Woods and instrumental in preserving the woods as a place of beauty.

In the mid 1800's, Raincliffe Woods belonged to the Earl of Londesborough, and was part of a 2,508 acre sporting and agricultural estate known as the Raincliffe Estate. Following the death of the Earl, the estate was put up for sale and was subsequently purchased by a West Riding timber merchant with the intention of clear felling the timber and selling off the land. The pending destruction of Raincliffe so incensed a group of local business men, that in 1925 they, CC Graham, George Rowntree and Arnold Wallis formed 'The Trust' and bought the woodland back to ensure it's survival.

Please note, paths can be slippery and uneven in places, so please wear suitable footwear. The walks can be quite strenuous and the route is steep in places as it climbs to and from the top of the wood.