Arden Great Moor Circular

10.5 miles              Dry and windy

This is a longer walk from the Tom Scott Burns book 'A Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills'.  We chose this route as much of the walk is on good paths and the recent snow and rain has made field tracks into quagmires.  TSB suggests starting the walk from Arden Hall but we prefer to park at Square Corner on the Osmotherley to Hawnby road.

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

We set off and climbed up Black Hambleton facing into a strong and cold wind.  Once on Hambleton we walked along the drovers' road known as Hambleton Street, which we followed for about 2.5 miles from Square Corner until we reached the ruins of an old drovers' inn that was known as Limekiln House.

Black Hambleton looms above in the distance

A steady climb

Still snow on the higher moor

Looking through the murk towards Kepwick

Close to this information stone about Limekiln House Inn is a small memorial 'To Bert'.  We would like to know more about this memorial but haven't been able to find anything online.

Clive secures Bert's memorial cross

Bert, man or beast?

At the site of these memorials we turned left to walk to the hidden valley of Thorodale.  A slippery mud path leads steeply down into the valley.

Steep descent into Thorodale

Thorodale

Walking through Thorodale

We followed our track through Thorodale Wood then North Moor Wood with brief glimpses of Thorodale Lake below.  As the track approached Arden Hall we found ourselves walking through masses of snowdrops which TSB suggests were probably planted by the nuns that occupied this site in the Benedictine nunnery of St Andrew, founded in 1148.  All that's left of the nunnery is an old chimney, now embodied into Arden Hall.

TSB says that the name Arden was probably derived from arn, an eagle, and doen, a deep valley - the valley of the eagle.

As we neared the hall we saw more and more little yellow flowers among the snowdrops.  These are winter aconites which are somewhat poisonous and also known as wolfsbane.  TSB says these were also planted by the nuns to use in preparations of medicine..

Approaching North Moor Wood

A nice green lane through the woods

Hiker's memorial bench

Our view from the bench

Wolfsbane

In a secluded spot overlooking a stream is a memorial bench which is dedicated to three hikers who were killed in a car crash when driving home from a hike in this area 27 years ago.  It is situated in a lovely sheltered spot and was ideal for our coffee stop.  Fresh flowers had been placed on the bench.   The sun came out and we enjoyed our scones with a fine view.

Refreshed we continued along the track to pay a visit to Arden Hall before retracing our steps back uphill to rejoin our earlier path, this time turning right to walk towards Mount Pleasant Farm.

Rear approach to Arden Hall

Views of Arden Hall

Arden Hall from the car park that TSB recommends as starting point for this walk

As we walked past Mount Pleasant Farm we had fine views over to Coomb Hill on our right.

Walking away from Arden Hall

North Moor Woods

Looking back at Arden Hall

Coomb Hill looking almost surreal in sunshine

Mount Pleasant Farm

Walking up from the farm we passed the pretty cottage known as Harker Gates then into the woods of North Moor. Ahead to our right was the unmistakable shape of Hawnby Hill.  

The last time we walked through these woods we saw trees being felled at an amazing rate by a logging machine.  Today the loggers have moved on and there is now an empty wasteland where we had stood and watched them at work.

Hawnby Hill

Harker Gates cottage

Early in 2017

The same spot today

Approaching Eskerdale Beck

After crossing Eskerdale Beck by a small bridge our path took us past two ruined farms, Brewster Hill and Cow Wath.  Although no longer occupied, the outbuildings of Brewster Hill are still in use and we looked into an old byre to see a couple of new born calves and their mothers.

The bridge over Eskerdale Beck

Brewster Hill with a window knocked out to allow sheep to shelter

Calf and mother at Brewster Hill

We continued following our faint path, now with the River Rye running parallel below us until after a couple of miles we passed the ruins of Far House.

A field path with the River Rye below

Passing the ruins of Cow Wath

Looking down at the River Rye

The ruins of Far House

We approached a gate where a spring ran into a large pool and then out again down towards the River Rye.  Here we were surprised to see masses of frogspawn and we wondered whether it would survive the unseasonably cold weather we are having this spring.

Masses of frogspawn on our path

Wheat Beck

Progress was slow on muddy paths as we passed by Low Locker Farm and over a large bridge at Dale Head.  Just upstream from this bridge is the source of the River Rye.

Lowe Locker Farm

Sheep on the skyline at Low Locker Farm

Muddy moorland paths

Wide bridge at Dale Head

Walking away from the bridge we passed by our last ruined farm before walking across the heather of Low Locker Moor to join the Osmotherley to Hawnby road where we turned left to walk back down to the car.

The last ruined farm of Dale Head

Disused lime kiln at Dale Head

Low Locker Moor gate

A place to grow what?  Is this expensive new information sign necessary on the little used road from
 Hawnby to Osmotherley?

A short drive took us to Osmotherley where we discussed an enjoyable walk over a pint in the Queen Catherine hotel.