The Lord Stones to Cringle Moor and Clough

6 miles                             Wet, then fine and cool

Heavy rain as we set off today so we decided to do one of Tom Scott Burns's shorter walks and drove to the Lord Stones Cafe where we parked with a clear conscience, knowing that we would give them our business on our return.

 

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

 

Tom Scott Burns explains that the Lord Stones Cafe takes its name from the Three Lords' Stones tumulus, which is situated immediately behind the cafe.  The modern name for this tumulus derives from the three estate boundaries held by the local land owning lords: Helmsley, Busby and Whorlton, which meet here.  The present owners have placed a few 'faux Lord stones' on the green ridge north of the cafe.

We walked past the cafe and turned right to climb up to the summit of Cringle Moor and to the stone memorial often called Falconer's Seat, named after Alec Falconer, who wrote the 'Wayfarer' column in the Saturday Evening Gazette in the 1950s.

There's a great view from this spot and the memorial's plaque points out all the surrounding features

Walking along Busby Moor

Looking back towards Lord Stones from the climb to Falconer's Seat

We reach Falconer's Seat Memorial

The view from Falconer's Seat

Leaving the memorial we walked on and after about 100 yards looked down onto a rock face where long ago, in more literate times, someone carved 'Tempus exploro omnis negotium'.  TSB says this roughly translates as "I'll try anything once and everything in time."  Hmm.  Google translates it as "Time solves all problems", which sounds more likely, though not as much fun.

Looking east from Falconer's Seat

Tempus exploro omnis negotium - Highbrow graffiti

On Cringle Moor

We walked east across the ridge and then negotiated the steep descent from Cringle Moor (from Cranimoor - circular moor) with care on the wet stones.  Below us we could see an empty Larson Trap, which when baited is used to catch magpies and crows who pass through the slots into the trap and cannot get out.  

Passing the old stone remains of Donna Cross we reached a new Cleveland Way sign with a pointer right signed 'Beak Hills', and here we turned right following the little walked right of way across grass.

Looking down at the Larson trap

Descending from Cringle Moor

The remains of Donna Cross

At the new sign, turn right for Beak Hills

No path at first...

... but soon becomes a farm track

The walk across a grassy field brought us to a path that changed from grass to stone as we progressed and eventually becomes tarmac.  TSB says this was an ancient pannier-man's trod, along which lime, fish, salt, jet and alum were once transported.  It now joins the farms of Beak Hills, Cold Moor Cote and Stone Intake to the Chop Gate to Carlton road.


Reaching Stone Intake Farm we turned right into a field at a sign just before the farm buildings, and descended across several fields as we dropped down to Raisdale Beck soon reaching the Chop Gate to Lords Stone road.  We followed the tarmac lane for a hundred yards or so before turning left into a drive leading to Raisdale Mill.

Approaching Beak Hills Farm

October 1st is long past and the pheasants are more wary...

Dropping through fields from Stone Intake Farm

Ornate hedge at Stone Intake Farm

Reaching the mill we sat at an old picnic table to enjoy our coffee in what had now become a sunny, though cool, afternoon.  

Buildings at Raisdale Mill

Green man at Raisdale Mill

Coffee and scones at Raisdale Mill

Some strange old decorations...

.. and several trees had fairies among the branches

We set off from the mill, across the fields alongside Raisdale Beck.  The grass was extremely wet after after this morning's heavy rain and we splodged along until we reached a conifer plantation and forestry path which made much easier walking.   We followed the forestry track until it crosses Raisdale Beck and swings sharply left.  At this point we turned right, following a yellow waymark sign into fields and the remains of the hamlet of Clough.

Raisdale Beck

Forestry path

The ruined buildings of Clough

Clough

The word Clough comes from the Anglo-Saxon for a valley with steep sides and is a rather sad spot with fairly extensive ruins showing that it was once a thriving community.  After Clough the path crosses several boggy, reedy fields.  There is no path as such but yellow waymarks indicate the way at every field boundary.  We continued straight ahead until we reached Staindale Farm where we were met enthusiastically by a young ram.   He careered towards us and then stood to be patted, obviously a pet.

  

Mine workings on Wath Hill opposite Staindale Farm

Staindale Farm appears in the distance

Someone rushes to see us

He's obviously a pet and....

... he looks just like the weather vane at Staindale Farm!

After Staindale Farm we continued following yellow way marks through fields soon reaching Thwaites House, and shortly after, the tarmac road almost adjacent to the Lords Stone Cafe.

We are watched with interest....

... as we walk through fields after Staindale Farm

Reaching Thwaites House

Pond at Thwaites House

This is a nice, short walk and ideal for a winter's day.