Hanging Stones Walk – stunning Andrew Goldsworthy art installations hidden in barns across Northdale in the North York Moors

This had been on my list of things to do for a couple of years and after my first attempt to do the walk had to be cancelled with a family bereavement, I finally managed to book a time slot earlier this year in February and head out with just my dog for company.

The walk is only available to a limited number of visitors a day and advance booking is required (£10 per adult). Up to 6 people each hour can commence the walk to protect the landscape and allow visitors the time to take in the art. The trail was commissioned by David Ross (one of the founders of Carphone Warehouse) and his Ross Foundation which supports the Arts.

Ross partnered with the internationally acclaimed artist Andrew Goldsworthy who is most famous for his site-specific sculptures and land art, usually situated in natural settings. I have always been a fan and there are some of his other works on display at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

The Hanging Stones was conceived by Andrew Goldsworthy as a single artwork, but the challenge of viewing the artwork is that they are spread out across Northdale and required a six mile walk to see everything!

Goldsworthy states “The name suggests precariousness – appropriate for a project that looks to re-establish derelict and semi-derelict buildings in order to give them new purpose, thus arresting their inevitable slide into disrepair and in some cases imminent collapse”.

“I have tried to see something that is in some ways already there – I like the discipline of working within an existing framework. It is the valley itself, not me, that has set the terms of engagement and created my rationale for Hanging Stones. The buildings set the pace and rhythm for Hanging Stones”.

There are 10 barns or buildings in total dotted across the landscape, 9 existing buildings that were in varying states of disrepair and one new building. Each locations hosts an installation.

Once I had booked my slot for 10am, I received my instructions. I was to visit a local bed and breakfast to collect a key and a laminated map. I had already downloaded the area onto the OS Maps app I have on my phone for extra help and found this to be really useful in cross referencing with the map.

The set of keys which open each large padlock on the barns containing the artworks

The day I arrived the forecast was dire with heavy rain likely all day (it had been pouring down for the week before too). I managed to get soaked just collecting the key and I was informed by the owner of the BnB that both the 9am and the 11am group after me had cancelled, so there was no need to rush.

He also suggested the 6 mile walk would take 5-6 hours. I have to admit on hearing this that I was sceptical, being reasonably fit I thought even at 2 mile an hour pace and taking in the artworks that 3 hours would be closer.

I parked up in Rosedale Abbey – a small village in the Moors in Rosedale which used to have an Abbey!

The ground was heavily water-logged, I set out and with the pouring rain found that it was so muddy water was coming over the top into my boots after just 5 minutes– I should have worn gaiters!

One of the marker stones

It’s worth mentioning that as well as the map, there are small marker stones dotted around the walk to help with your navigation.

The terrain was pretty-tricky being so wet. Had it been dry the gentle ups and downs would have been a breeze, but it was so slippy I had to be careful with sliding and balance. I was very glad I had brought my walking poles.

I would also recommend taking sandwiches as there are some benches inside an old shooting lodge which makes an ideal lunch stop half-way around.

I am not going to show the contents of every barn, but I am sharing some of the shots of the landscape, the barns themselves and key artworks in the hope that you get a good flavour of the walk.

Red Barn!

Fingers crossed enough inspiration to book and experience this yourself.

On completion of the walk, I arrived back to the car like a drenched rat. I hadn’t fallen over fortunately but my boots and trousers were covered in mud. I had a change of clothes fortunately so managed to dry off before returning the key.

When I returned the key and map, I admitted that my 3 hours goal had been wrong. The walk had taken 5.5 hours! I had been walking at just over one mile an hour pace, but with the time taken to view the Goldsworthy artworks, the slow going of the rough, slippy paths and a few bits of difficult navigation it had been a real adventure, albeit a slow one.

Andrew Goldsworth describes the installations as “Hanging Stones is both discreet and dramatic. Visible to those who know it is there and hidden to those that don’t. It will be so rooted in what is already there that it would be difficult to say where the work begins or ends”.

A Hanging Stone!

It was a great day and the artworks took your breath away each time you opened a barn door. All in all it really was a memorable experience and one I won’t forget. I would say that because of the weather, it was a dark day too and doing the walk solo (even with my black lab), it did feel quite spooky entering some of the spaces.

To find out more or to book a walking slot visithttps://hangingstones.org/introduction/