Oh my Lordy. If you like art then if there is one thing you need to do before you die and that is go and walk this beautiful, well for me it was more like a pilgrimage, Andy Goldsworthy Hanging Stones walk. Tickets are fiendishly tricky to get hold of – I booked this weekend’s ticket a whole year in advance and at time of writing (August 2026) no tickets are currently available for the rest of the year or the next (subscribe for updates on when they will come available here).
Andy Goldsworthy is an important established artist primarily working in the medium of sculpture and photography. His Hanging Stones installation is a 7 mile ish walk punctured by a series of buildings in which he has created different interior installations. I am not going to add photos of each of the rooms as for me a key part of the the joy was discovering them and I am pleased that I did not do much research on each prior. Once you book your ticket, you are told where to collect in and on doing so are given an ordinance survey map, and a key and whilst the instructions try and make it clear, a big part of the experience is getting a little lost here and there.
Here are my tips to enjoy this wonderful gift that this artist has given us:
- I walked this trip on my own. Fell over quite badly a couple of times and there is no mobile phone service up there! So if you are a lone walker, make sure you book one of the earlier slots so that other later walkers will find you! Next time I am also taking trekking poles. Definitely wear walking boots and definitely tell someone you are doing the walk and what time you are due home so they can put out a search for you if you do indeed stumble and twist something.
- Do not underestimate the weather – having come from heat wave London and being a soft southerner I certainly did! Come prepared for all weathers in a day – part of the walk will take you up on the moors and it’s a very different kettle of fish up there when the wind is blowing! Next time I will bring a hat, gloves and proper wet weather gear and not just my Uniqlo rain mac.
- The website is scanty on where to stay but there are a tonne of places. I stayed at the super Crown Inn at Hutton Le Hole and spent two marvellous evenings sitting watching the sunset and the house martins whizzing in and out from under the eaves. The Ryedale Folk Museum is right next door and completely under promises from the outside and over delivers inside (the ladies on reception joked they should wear T-shirts that say ‘We are bigger than we look’ which obviously appealed to my feminist side but would also be very true). But one little known fact is that you can also stay at Fiona’s place where you collect the key for the walk but there are also a plethora of smart hotels – I stayed at Saltmoore after the walk and had the best recovery massage I have ever had in my life that fixed a couple of things from my falls. Also highly recommend the shepherds huts at Gisborough Hall (main hotel looks a little dated but the brand new huts are under the sky and super!) which are self catering.
- I found a number of the installations in the buildings on the walk incredibly moving and by this I am not talking about little tear, I am talking sobbing and in one, proper bawling. I am still trying to work out why – I suspect Goldsworthy’s work taps into something very primal about what it is to be human – but that is for you to decide and work out. So if travelling in a group, it may be an idea that you allow each other to enter the rooms individually. I was very very happy I did it alone and whilst the camaraderie on the bits between would have been lovely I do think entering as individuals would be my strong recommendation.
- What would a list be without a tip on where to pick up food for the journey. I highly recommend Abbey Stores and tearoom in the village where you start the walk. A super flat white, delicious cakes and quiches and other bits will get you set up perfectly for the walk. This is a photo of Ruth who served me, but the shop is owned by Helen and Craig!
Louisa Warfield is an art consultant who increasingly spends her spare time exploring art installations and galleries. If you would like some advice on art for your home, or how you could create a legacy on your estate then she can be contacted on 07855 803509 – how she charges is here.