"There must be dales in Paradise
Which you and I will find.."

Saturday 30 May 2020

Eskdale, Danby Dale and Westerdale




8 miles                              Hot and sunny




This moorland walk that visits the secluded village of Westerdale is not a Tom Scott Burns walk but is across an area he will have known well.

We approached Castleton from the Whitby Moors road and parked our cars at a designated parking spot just outside the village as shown on the map below.


Today's walk - we parked at the parking place shown outside Castelton 

View from our car park


Castleton takes its name from the castle which stood on Castle Hill from 1089 to the 15th century, and is situated along the end of Castleton Rigg, an outcrop of Danby Moor.  



Leaving the car we walked straight downhill towards Castleton, after a couple of hundred yards we turned right, shortly after passing a small Quaker graveyard, at a sign for Didderhowe Farm.  

We walked down the farm track, past the farmhouse and into open fields.  

Turn right down this farm track


Looking back at Didderhowe Farm

The Esk Valley Walk sign

Walking through meadows

We were now walking through Danby Dale along the Esk Valley Walk and following its clear way marks always bearing the image of a fish. 

After Didderhowe Farm we entered meadows and for the next mile or so walked along the bottom of the dale, alongside Danby Beck, passing several farms.

Relaxing among the buttercups

West Green Farm

Dog weather vane at West Green Farm

West Green Fram

Plum Tree Farm

Danby Church in the distance
We could see St Hilda's Church on the other side of Danby Beck but there was no point in diverting as we knew it would be locked because of the virus.  

The walk through meadows was very pleasant and we passed by West Green Farm, Plum Tree Farm and then West Cliff Farm where we paused to watch the antics of peacocks, who obviously have free range of the farm.


Boardwalk over a marshy bit


The beautiful Esk Valley Walk


West Cliff Farm










Flight to the roof



We continue along the trail passing Blackmires Farm and its herd of British White Cattle, an old breed dating back to the 17th century.


Walking through Blackmires Farm


Tidy Blackmires Farm


British White Cattle


The Gaffer


Too much make-up

Our next farm was Stormy Hall and here we turned right onto a steep farm track leading us up to Castelton Rigg.  We paused occasionally to look back at superb views of Danby Dale.  As we climbed we were harrased by a pair of lapwings who swooped back and forth over us, we were probably near their chicks.


Just before reaching the top of our climb we stopped for coffee and scones at a disused quarry, giving us shelter from the breeze and a fine view back down Danby Dale.



Turn right and follow the road uphill


Stormy Hall


We are warned off by...



...Lapwings


Looking back, Danby in the distance


Time for coffee and scones


Danby Head


Refreshments over we crossed the main road to follow a footpath across Castleton Rigg.  Here we paused again to take in the fine view into a new valley and to pick out our two immediate objectives, Dale Head and Broad Gate Farms.



Descending towards Dale Head Farm




Dale Head Farm


Shelter for bee skeps



Dale Head Farm is beautifully kept and home to an unusual feature built in 1832, a stone shelter for bee skeps.  In the old days bees were kept in a straw skep and by placing them in the stone shelter they would stay dry in bad weather.


We turned right just beyond the Bee House and walked across several more fields to cross Tower Beck and reach Broad Gate Farm.  We followed the farm track and passed through a tiny stile set in the wall, crossing a field to reach a seven step stone stile which required concentration to climb over. 



Crossing Tower Beck


Broad Gate Farm


Weather vane at Broad Gate Farm 
7 step stone stiles




This one gates off to stop sheep climbing over
Across a field and over another step stile and we were entering the tiny village of Westerdale.   We walked along the street and stopped to admire Christ Church from the road, a sign prohibited entry to the graveyard.


Arriving at Westerdale 


Unusual figure seen as we enter the village


These three honeysuckle bushes smelled very nice





Christ Church from the road


The old Smithy, now a private house
Leaving the village we followed the road down to the River Esk where we stopped to look at its ancient bridge, Hunter's Sty Bridge, restored in the 1800s.


This bridge is a single span medieval bridge which was restored by the Duncombe family in 1874.  It dates from the 13th century and Hunter's Sty means Hunter's Steep Path, and was built to provide access to the Royal Forest of Pickering.



We crossed the village cricket field and climbed through several rough and un-waymarked pastures to reach the moor where we rejoined the Esk Valley Walk.  We stopped to watch a pair of curlews and could see that when on the ground they had their beaks open, presumably because of the heat.


Hunter's Sty Bridge


Curlew


Hot curlew


Westerdale Moor, above Dale View Farm

My watch told me the temperature was now 25 degrees. I was be-hatted but Clive had to resort to covering his head with an old t-shirt.



"Tell yer fortune, sir?"

We dropped down from Westerdale Moor to cross an un-named spring near Carr House.  We crossed New Road and climbed back up to the car park on the Westerdale road and the end of our walk.




Dropping down from Westerdale Moor


Cross the bridge...




... and return to the car park

This is a lovely walk for a summer's day and is simple to navigate.





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