Kepwick, Limekiln House and the Old Drove Road

5.5 miles, warm and sunny

Our walk from The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills

We parked at the Church Hall car park in Kepwick and as we set off several calves ran over to see us.  They were lowing mournfully and had probably just been separated from their mothers; they seemed to be asking us to do something about it. 

 Where's my mummy?

 Gatehouse to Kepwick Hall

 Walking towards Nab Farm

We walked through Kepwick admiring some fine gardens and passed the grand entrance to Kepwick Hall before crossing the old railway line and leaving the road, heading along the farm track to Nab Farm.  Walking on past the farm we came to the remains of an old lime kiln, the furnace and chimney almost intact.  We strolled up Kepwick Moor  watching two peregrine falcons swooping overhead, their cross-bar markings showing clearly.  As we climbed we admired the cliffs of Whitestone Scar to the left and the old limestone quarries and their spoil tips to the right.  After a long and steady climb we reached Hambleton Street and the ruins of the old drovers inn, Limestone House, by which time I was ready for a little something so we sat among the ruins to enjoy our coffee and scones.  Nearby we saw a memorial cross with a slate inscribed 'Bert 1905', and speculated as to who Bert might have been and what his connection was with this place?

Cattle restraint pen at Nab Farm

 Our path runs diagonally across centre of photograph

Little Moor

 The top of a ruined limekiln

Limekiln

Refreshed we followed the old drove road which also forms part of the Coast to Coast Trail and is known as Hambleton Street.  As we walked we enjoyed the smell of heather and noticed how many peacock butterflies there were to be seen on this hike, a fact remarked on by Tom Scott Burns in The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills.  Eventually we arrived at a weathered standing stone which is the remains of Steeple Cross, apparently mentioned in a document of 1246.  To the right of the drove road at this point is a long barrow dating back 3000 years, but try as we might we couldn't make it out amongst the dense bracken and heather.

 Disused limestone quarry and spoil heaps

 Peacock butterfly

Looking back towards Nab Farm to the right and Kepwick in centre distance

We turned right at Steeple Cross and headed into a conifer forest for a while before descending gently to the mixed  woodland of Cowesby Wood.  According to TSB's notes we should skirt along this wood then descend over moorland alongside Pen Hill but wire fencing had been added to the wooden fence that crossed our path, giving the impression that there was no right of way.  We wondered if someone had replaced a stile incorrectly, deliberately or otherwise?   Looking ahead we could see the faint outline of our trail continuing and after consulting the map and my GPS and knowing ourselves to have right of way, we climbed over the fence and joined the track which soon became a much broader trail leading down towards Atlay Bank. 

 Bert's memorial

 The Old Drove Road

 Bull and cows alongside Drove Road

Approaching Steeple Cross

When we reached the escarpment above Atlay Bank we walked back and forth with a fine view down into Kepwick.  Unfortunately we could see no sign of our trail down.  We could see where the map and GPS said the track should be so we pushed our way into high bracken to find it and after a few yards we came to the channelled path that plunged down Atlay Bank, through rhododendron bushes and back to the road and our car waiting at the church hall.

 Looking down at Kepwick from Atlay Bank but where's the track?

 Clive enters the bracken

 Kepwick Church