Walking in North Yorkshire

Kildale to Baysdale and its Lost Abbey

9 miles Cold and wet

We parked at the side of the road in Kildale and left the village towards Little Kildale.

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

House with plaque dated 1836 in Kildale High Street

Memorial Stone to John Wesley

Tom Scott Burns informs us that Kildale is a village of great antiquity. There are several 'Kildals' in Norway and the village was probably named by the Vikings. It was called Childale in the Domesday Book. In 1156 there was a wooden castle built by the Percys, Earls of Northumberland, on the site where the church now stands.

Walking through the village we turned off the road towards Little Kildale and passed through a couple of sheep fields before reaching Little Kildale Wood and then carrying on to Warren Farm.

Mules near Kildale

Little Kildale ahead

Pigeon weather vane at Little Kildale

Cottages at Little Kildale

Looking over to Easby Moor

Following our path past Warren Farm we came to a large square chimney as we descended to Leven Vale. This is the remains of an ironstone mine that was operational between 1866 and 1874.

There is obviously work taking place at the mine. It appears that the mine entrances are being permanently capped, probably for safety reasons. The work is still ongoing but there was no sign of any workers this morning.

Warren Farm

Heavy machinery has churned up our path. We wondered why...?

Now we know why, work taking place at the old mine

It looks like the old mine has been capped

Crossing the River Leven, whose source was just to our right, we started a climb up through meadows towards Kildale Moor, quickly gaining on a group of mountain bikers who had dismounted to push their bikes uphill.

The source of the River Leven

Climbing Kildale Moor

We overtook the cyclists who told us they were heading straight to Baysdale Hall once they had negotiated the moor. Having reached the top at 900 feet, we descended towards Baysdale Beck, soon reaching the remains of an old barn where our path turned sharp left.

Crossing the top of Kildale Moor

The old buildings appear below us...

.. and reaching the first ruin we turn sharp left

The track, which runs parallel to Baysdale Beck, is an old lime road that enabled limestone to be carried from Commondale into Cleveland, and we followed this for 1.5 miles until we reached a tarmac road.

We turned right onto the tarmac road and walked steeply downhill to pretty Hob Hole, where we sat on a couple of boulders to enjoy our coffee and scones.

Walking the old lime road

Turn right downhill when you reach tarmac

I drop my scone as the camera clicks.....

Our view of Hob Hole water splash from our coffee stop

Plenty of water in Baysdale Beck

Hob Hole was supposed to be the haunt of a mischievous hobgoblin called Padfoot, who taunted weary travellers and TSB reports a Canon Atkinson speaking of Padfoot, "Padfoot, a precursor of death; sometimes visible, sometimes invisible, but ever and anon padding lightly in the rear of people, then again before them or at their side, and uttering a roar unlike the voice of any known animal."

Fortunately there was no sign of Padfoot today and we ate our scones in peace before crossing the ford and heading steeply up the tarmac road, then turning right into John Breckon Road. As we walked along this narrow road we had views down towards Westerdale on our left.

Entering John Breckon Road

The bump on the horizon is The Seated Man at Westerdale

Westerdale village below us

After half a mile or so we turned off John Breckon Road to follow a heather track that returned us back along the opposite side of Baysdale Beck, passing a memorial to Alan Clegg 'Who loved these moors'. After a mile or so we arrived at Great Hograh Beck where there is a small stone footbridge and a wooden memorial seat.

TSB notes that the footbridge was built in 1938, according to an inscription, and was the work of Rowland Close, of nearby Low House Farm.

Leaving John Breckon Road...

.. to cross the moor, wet after yesterday's heavy rain

Memorial bench at Great Hograh Beck

The bridge is dated 1938

Shortly after the stone bridge we turned right onto a wide track and followed the path across the moor. We walked downhill and passed by the above mentioned Low House Farm where Clive fed apples to a horse and a couple of Shetland ponies.

Sandy track to Low House Farm

Low House Farm

Ducks snoozing at Low House Farm

'Any apples?'

Clive shares out an apple

A fascinating 'handlebar' moustache!

Saying goodbye to the ponies we followed the track to pass Thorntree House Farm to reach Baysdale Abbey.

Tom Scott Burns explains that in the middle ages land rents for Baysdale were paid with the heads of wolves, which were numerous in the area, and one can imagine this wild enclosed ravine in the 1300s, when cattle were over-wintered in the valley bottom. In fact, TSB explains, Baysdale is derived from Basdale meaning Cow Shed Valley. The Abbey Farm has been renovated and is now marketed as holiday lets.

Sheep at Thorntree House Farm

Baysdale Abbey

Passing by the abbey we crossed a quaint stone bridge which is apparently the only substantial remnant of the original abbey. Once over the bridge we followed the road to a footpath sign where we turned right to climb steeply through fields, all the way to the dale top, at a height of 1050 feet, where we paused to admire the view back to the abbey and collect our breath. This is using the short cut shown on the map above as dotted line opposite Baysdale Farm.

'Orginal' stone bridge

A substantial bridge

Turn right off the road...

... and climb uphill

A long slog to the top

Baysdale Abbey below

We joined a tarmac road and turned right to follow it. After a few minutes walking on this road we saw a stone memorial to the crew of a second world war plane that crashed on Kildale Moor; sadly the crew died from exposure before they could be rescued.

Turn right on meeting the tarmac lane

WWII Memorial

We followed the lane steadily down and eventually joined the Kildale road where we turned right towards the car. We had made good time so decided to pay a first visit to St Cuthbert's Church in Kildale.

The approach to the church is interesting as it is made by crossing a narrow bridge over the railway line. Below is Kildale Station and ahead the entrance to the church is framed by yew trees.

Approaching the church bridge...

looking down to Kildale Station from the bridge

St Cuthbert's church

The church is Victorian but replaced an old building that went back to Norman days. A lot of the original stone was used and as we entered we saw medieval grave slabs propped up in the porch.

The church was unlocked so we went inside for a closer look.