Walking in North Yorkshire: Hazel Head to Arnsgill and Cow Ridge

Hazel Head to Arnsgill and Cow Ridge

7 miles Cool and showery

We approached Hazel Head Car Park via a 7 mile drive from Osmotherley on the Hawnby road. We passed Square Corner and after driving past the ford at Blow Gill ('ravine with the dark ford') parked our cars at Hazel Head car park, some distance uphill.

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

View from Hazel Head Car Park

We walked back to Blow Gill, where we admired the waterfall and an old lime kiln at the side of the road before climbing back up the road to the entrance to Street Gate Farm.

Lime Kiln at Blow Gill

Blow Gill

Leave the road at Street Gate Farm

Tom Scott Burns explains that a number of farmers in the region had their own lime kilns for burning lime, which was used for lime washing walls and dressing the land, a custom going back to Roman times. The lime neutralises the acid in the moorland soil allowing more varied crops to be grown.

The farm track is overgrown and very muddy. It leads past Street Gate Farm and into South Wood. This is an old lane and TSB tells how these lanes were used by tinkers and pedlars who became very numerous in the Middle Ages. These travelling salesmen not only sold their goods but also played a big part in circulating news and delivering letters between settlements.

Street Gate Farm

Muddy lane

A noisy welcome at Hagg House Farm

We wondered what these were - traps?

The track leads past another farm, Hagg House, where our arrival was heralded by a deafening cacophony of barking from a pen of spaniels.

We continued along the wet lane until we reached Birk Wood Farm where we turned right just before the building and climbed steeply to reach the Osmotherley to Hawnby road. Here we paused to examine another lime kiln, which probably once belonged to Plane Tree farm.

Tree house at Hagg House

We followed the old lane between farms

We saw a few large ants' nests at the side of the lane

Very busy!

Birkwood Farm - turn right after gate

Climb past a couple of fields

Lime kiln at Plane Tree Farm

Weather vane near Plane Tree Farm

We left the Lane at a gate opposite the Birkwood Farm entrance, to start another steep climb to reach the moor. Passing the moor gate we walked along the edge of the moor, looking west to the grand building of Snilesworth Lodge. Eventually the path drops from the moor to reach Arnsgill Beck which is crossed by a footbridge, just before Hill End Farm.

Easterside and Hawnby Hills in the distance

Walking along the edge of the moor

Oyster catchers

Snilesworth Lodge

Keeper's cottage

We leave the shooters' track..

.. to drop down a hollow lane

Iron fox target

Dropping down to Arns Gill

Crossing the bridge is easy, getting off it not so.

Getting from the footbridge to Hill End Farm means crossing some very wet ground and we picked our way carefully, using clumps of reeds as supports in the marshy ground. Then a steep climb took us to the side of Hill End Farm, all the time watched and barked at by the farm's spaniels, fortunately penned in.

Hill End Farm, dog pen to right

Looking back down to Arns Gill

Passing the old farm buildings

Hill End Farm's lime kiln

Hardy hill cattle

Our climb took us past the farm to the top of Arnsgill Ridge where we joined a shooters' track to pass through the moor gate and walk towards a distant plantation of conifers.

In the past we have stopped along this ridge with its fine views to enjoy our coffee but today a brisk wind kept us moving and we followed the track until it drops down to the ruin of Head House.

Head House

Exploring the out building ruins...

... we find a sheltered spot for coffee

While we enjoyed our coffee and scones we were kept amused by a solitary lamb, which edged closer and closer to us, bleating as it did so. It turned out to be merely curious and not a pet, as it was soon off when we approached it.

Refreshed we had a look inside the building, which is always unlocked and makes a useful shelter if caught in a storm.

We are approached

Inside Head House

New ceiling

Remains of a swallow which probably came down the chimney

They get some tough visitors here

The next room is not so tidy

Leaving Head House we dropped down to re-cross Arns Gill and then climbed to Cow Ridge. We strode out along the moor path for a couple of miles passing fairly near to Bilsdale Mast, the top of which was lost in low cloud.

Leaving Head House

Arns Gill

Looking back

A new trap

The rat or stoat touches the plastic in the middle and the trap snaps down from the far side

Head House and its shelter of conifers viewed from Cow Ridge

Bilsdale Mast, top in cloud

We came to a cairn which marks the location of Iron Howe. TSB points out that all along this stretch are well preserved field boundaries, enclosures and over 300 cairns dating from 2,300 to 800 BC. Although they don't show well in the photographs they are in fact very noticeable as you walk along this stretch of the path.

Walking along Cow Ridge

Some early heather in sheltered spots

Iron Howe

Many iron age settlement remains

After Iron Howe we descended gradually back towards Blow Gill.
On our left we spotted the old Wesleyan Chapel ruins, where we have stopped to rest on TSB's Hawnby to Hazel Head walk. Below us we saw the unusually named Scotland Farm, and now on tarmac we dropped back to Blow Gill and our cars.