Appleton-le-Moors and Lastingham from Hutton-le-Hole

7.2 miles                                   Sunny

Appleton-le-Moors is an isolated village that I have never visited and this new walk would satisfy my curiosity.  

We travelled over the moors road via Castleton and Blakey Ridge to Hutton-le-Hole, where we parked in The Crown Hotel's car park at a cost of £3 which was the cheapest parking in the village.

Today's walk - GPS track available on request

We parked here

The OS map shows a series of green lanes (Oxclose Lane, Bottomfield Lane, Lingmoor Lane, Ings Back Lane and South Ings Lane) between Hutton-le-Hole and Appleton-le-Moors and we decided to make this our route.

The lanes are easy to find and follow but we were walking in the middle of the potato harvest and these green lanes had been churned up by a combination of farm vehicles and a period of continual rain.

Hutton-le-Hole

Oxclose Lane

Bottomfield Lane

Lingmoor Lane

Ings Back Lane

Ings Back Lane deteriorates!

Turning in to South Ings Lane from Ings Lane

South Ings Lane emerges by the road directly opposite the parish church of Christ Church in Apleton-le-Moors.  This is a very strange church for the area, apparently built in the French style and is open during the day to visitors.  We entered and looked around and chatted to a lady arranging flowers, before walking through the village.  

Christ Church, Appleton-le-Moors

Unusual boat shaped roof

Sgraffito frieze depicting Palm Sunday

An attractive red sgaffito frieze is a major feature of the church. Sgraffito technique is where the stone is scraped to reveal a different colour underneath.

Looking towards the altar

Bellringers remembered!

We were impressed by Appleton-le-Moors. It is a pretty village with some lovely houses and after admiring them we settled down on a bench to enjoy our coffee and scones while watching the comings and goings in the high street.

Appleton Hall, a private dwelling of some size

Dogs guarding Appleton Hall!

House on High Street

The stone head above the porch appears to be either a sphinx or be-wigged man

Village House

Weather vanes in Appleton-le-Moors

Three Faces House, I'd like to know the story behind this  (see PS below!)

I think the sign says Three Faces   and dated 1835  

Village Hall was once the village school and built by the same hand as the church

Low Cross

An ideal spot for coffee and scones

We left Appleton-le-Moors by Kirkgate Lane passing the remains of two medieval crosses, Low Cross and High Cross.

Kirkgate Lane beomes Oldfield Lane and runs into Lastingham where we walked through the village and briefly left our route to look at the church of St Mary's, opposite the Blacksmiths Arms.

High Cross

Lastingham comes into view

Lastingham

Weather vane at Lastingham

The Blacksmiths Arms

 St Mary's Church was open and we went in to have a look around.  A notice explained that it has an early Norman crypt constructed in 1078, unique amongst English churches, and we descended the stairs to explore.  The crypt was constructed as the original intention had been to build an abbey here, on the site of a 7th century monastery.

St Mary's Church, Lastingham

St Mary's Church

Crypt

Part of Saxon Cross

The original top of Ana Cross (see below)

Leaving the church we passed an old well, dedicated to St Cedd, and headed out of the village on a tarmac road that ends abruptly at the edge of the moor.

St Cedd's Well

Weather-vanes in Lastingham

Leaving tarmac and reaching the moor

Turn left at the Millennium Cross

Follow the sign to Hutton-le-Hole

Our route now took us along the edge of the moors along a way-marked path to Hutton-le-Hole, where we were disappointed to find the pub was shut.

Moors path from Lastingham to Hutton 

Clear way-marks all the way

The constant rain seems to have made the sheep look very clean

Leave the road for a last green lane...

... to Hutton-le-Hole

The wet weather has brought lots of fungus 

Crossing Hutton Beck

Oh, no!

A short drive took us back to Blakey Ridge and The Lion, a pub since the 16th century, where we sat and discussed the merits of this new walk.

The Lion at Blakey

To St Cedd!

PS    Re. the Three Faces House.  I have been told that the three faces are "the three blood suckers - the lawyer, the doctor and the clergyman."   Thanks to Paul for that information!

PPS  Further information from Steve.  TSB has discussed this house in 'Round and About the North Yorkshire Moors'. The sign does not say Three Faces as I thought; it is a nine letter mnemonic for 'The Art Of Treating Life: How To Get Bread'.  Steve informs me that there used to be a further carving of 5 faces, the victims of the bloodsuckers, which has been removed to the rear garden.