Whorlton Castle and Church from Swainby

6 miles                           Cool and misty

 

Low cloud over the hills meant we should aim for a low level walk today and at this time of year we always seem to stray towards this particular walk.  We parked at the roadside in Swainby and before crossing the river we noticed a restored pinfold, similar to the one at Osmotherley.  A pinfold is where stray animals were kept until they were reclaimed by their owners after payment of a fine.

Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills

Pinfold

Swainby from the pinfold

We then walked up the high street and turned left into a footpath just before the church.

This footpath passes along the back of houses and we quickly left Swainby, which Tom Scott Burns informs us means 'Swain's Farm', from the old Norse name Sveinn.  Our footpath soon joined a lane which took us very quickly to Whorlton Castle.  TSB tells us that there have been a number of castles on this site, even before the Domesday Book which records it as Wirueltun in 1086. William the Conqueror gave the manor to Robert Count de Mortain, and then it passed into the hands of the de Meynell family.  The castle was surrounded by a deep moat over which was a drawbridge.  In 1323 Edward II was known to have stayed at Whorlton Castle while hunting deer in North Yorkshire and during the Cromwellian period Royalists held the castle and were bombarded by Roundheads from Whorl Hill to the East and Toft Hill to the West.

Turning off the high street ...

... into a path behind houses

Whorlton Castle gatehouse from the road

Looking towards the keep

Inside the castle

The castle's Norman keep

The rear of the gatehouse

All that remains of the castle are the gatehouse and what is left of the keep.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whorlton_Castle

A few yards further along the tarmac lane brought us to the old Saxon church of Holy Cross. There is a tale that an underground passage links the castle to this nearby church and we decided to stop off to have a look round.  The church was locked and we peered through the grill in the chancel door.  We could just see the bog oak effigy of the second Lord Nicholas de Meynell who died in 1322, as described by TSB.  There are some very interesting tombstones dating from the early 1700s.

The old Church of Holy Cross

Bog oak effigy

'In perfect hilth he went from home, and little thought his glass was run, but dying in so short a space, I hope his soul in  a good place'

'Remember man as thou goes by as thou art now so wonce was I As I am now so must thou be remember man that thou must die'

The rear of the old church

We returned to the lane and followed it to the junction with Whorlton Lane, where we climbed a stile into fields and headed straight towards Whorl Hill, which dominates the skyline.  The field paths were not as muddy as we had expected, perhaps today's strong cold wind had dried them somewhat.  
A steady climb took us into the trees of Whorl Hill (old Norse 'hvirfill' - 'high hill with a rounded top') and we continued to climb until our track levelled out and we circumnavigated the hill, just inside the tree line.  TSB informs us that in 1810 one of Britain's largest hoards of Roman silver coins (weighing 2 stones) was dug up on Whorl Hill by a local farmer whilst ploughing his field.  We followed the path with a fine view down to Swainby through the trees, until we dropped away from the main path to exit the woods at Bank Lane via the garden of a bungalow.

Sheep in the turnips

Turn right at the farm...

... to climb Whorl Hill

Turning off the main path....

... to reach Bank Lane

We now walked up Bank Lane towards Live Moor and Round Hill, neither of which we could see through the low cloud.  Reaching the trees of Faceby Plantation a short sharp climb brought us to a path below Round Hill, and here, sheltered from the wind, we sat to enjoy our coffee and scones.

Climbing Bank Lane

Towards Faceby Plantation

A sharp climb through the trees...

... brought us to the moor gate

We followed the path between the plantation and Round Hill

... and had coffee in the shelter of these trees

We now climbed once more, to reach the moor top and the stone path of the Cleveland Way.  We turned right and walked into a cold head wind, following the Cleveland Way through the mist with no views whatsoever.

Climbing to Live Moor

We reach the Cleveland Way

Following the Cleveland Way through the mist

We descended down a slippery slope to Huthwaite Green where we were surprised to see an old railway goods vehicle at the side of the path. This reminded us that the mineral railway once ran up this valley into Scugdale, although little trace can be seen of it now.

We crossed the tarmac of Scugdale Lane and passed Hollin Hill Farm where eggs and honey were for sale and wondered who passes this spot to buy them?

 

We glimpse Whorl Hill through the mist

The trees of Huthwaite Green....

... and a tricky descent on wet stone

Old railway wagon

Eggs and honey for sale at Hollin Hill Farm

The lane led us over the ford at Scugdale Beck, where it seemed that recent flood water had left debris, and into a field, which we crossed still following the Cleveland Way, to reach the trees of Clain Wood.

Sheep at Hollin Hill Farm

Ford and flood debris at Scugdale Beck

The Cleveland Way path to Clain Wood

Obstruction in Clain Wood

We followed the Cleveland Way through the woods, at times walking parallel with the dismantled railway, until we reached the tarmac of the Sheepwash to Swainby road.

As we descended along this road we saw a stoat run across the road in front of us, leaving its prey, a rabbit taking its last breaths.  Looking at the rabbit we saw that its neck and vertebrae had been bitten through.  We were sorry for the rabbit but there was nothing we could do and we walked off leaving it, no doubt for the stoat to return to.

Efficiently executed

We walked down the hill to Swainby, passing a field containing attractive Southdown 'teddy bear' sheep and some Herdwick sheep, both unusual for this area.

Having seen the old Church of Holy Cross at Whorlton we decided to pop in and see the new Church of Holy Cross, in Swainby, which was built around 1875- 1877, to replace the old church at Whorlton.  The church was open to visitors and had been decorated for Christmas.

Weather vane at Swainby

Southdown sheep

... and Herdwicks

Footballer weather vane

Looking down to Swainby Village

Church of the Holy Cross, Swainby

Looking towards the altar

The altar window

The rear of the church

Leaving the church we passed the Old Parochial School of Whorlton and wondered, not for the first time, where Whorlton begins and Swainby ends.

Whorlton Parochial School

Continuing down the High Street we came to the Black Horse Public House, where the festive lights enticed us inside to enjoy a pint of Black Sheep and a chat with the landlord.

The Black Horse, Swainby

Inside the Black Horse!