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

Wednesday 30 September 2020

Bank Foot to Upper Baysdale and Burton Howe

 

Bank Foot to Upper Baysdale  and Burton Howe


11.3 miles                                         Fine and sunny



We parked at the road side near to Bank Foot Farm, which is approached from the unclassified road between Ingleby Greenhow and Battersby, and walked past the Grim Sheeper to climb to Turkey Nab.

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

Bank Foot Farm
The Grim Sheeper and Friend



Starting the climb

We walked past the farm and immediately started to climb the forestry path towards Turkey Nab.

The name Turkey Nab is believed to be a derivation of  Thurkill and Thurkill's hill road, which passes this point on its way to Stokesley from Kirbymoorside, is mentioned in the grant of land to Rievaulx Abbey.  Nab is derived from Norse Nabbi meaning projecting peak and Turkey Nab is where the cairns are situated to the side of the rocky quarry cliff that is often used by climbers.

Turkey Nab

On reaching the top we paused to admire the view and get our breath back.  There are fine views over Ingleby Greenhow and Battersby Junction and we picked out familiar land marks before stepping over a chain and following a moor path onto Ingleby Moor.


Looking back to Bank Foot
Battersby Junction
Carole checks for ancient petroglyphs - negative
At the top leave the path by crossing the chain
 

After crossing the chain barrier we joined a smaller track leading across Ingleby Moor, crossing Black Beck about a mile further on before a slight climb to bear left onto Middle Head Road. As we walked we were buzzed by a low flying jet.

On Ingleby Moor

Sunny and not a breath of wind

Bandits!

Shortly after crossing Black Beck we turned left at a junction and turned on to Middle Head Road.  A short walk brought us to an interesting group of large boulders known as the Cheese Stones and we walked over to have a better view. 

Middle Head Road
Baysdale Valley comes into view

Walking to the Cheese Stones

The Cheese Stones are a group of sandstone boulders that look down into the Baysdale Valley.  We found some interesting graffitti including what appears to be a carving made by a father and later his son, separated by 24 years. 







Father and son?
This appears to be a strange horned figure

Here is a photo of Tom Scott Burns at the Cheese Stones on 15th November 2001.  With many thanks to Don Burluraux and NYCam.

  


See http://www.nymcam.co.uk/111501.htm


Continuing along the moor we walked past the remains of a medieval cross and soon looked down onto Baysdale and the imposing building of Baysdale Abbey.  We walked through forestry and reached the sheep meadows that slope down to the abbey where we found a suitable soft spot to sit and enjoy our coffee and scones with a fine view.

Towards Baysdale
Through forestry...


.... to coffee

We finished our coffee and walked down to the Abbey and its farm buildings. 

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 it's easy to imagine how wild this enclosed ravine must have been in the 1300s, when cattle were over-wintered in the valley bottom.  

TSB explains that Baysdale is derived from Basdale meaning Cow Shed Valley.  The Abbey Farm has been renovated and is now marketed as holiday lets and we walked round the building, then followed the yellow way-marks uphill to Thorntree House.

Baysdale Abbey


Bat box at Abbey Farm
We receive a noisy welcome
Climbing to Thorntree House Farm

We passed Thorntree House and climbed through a forestry plantation to reach Baysdale Moor and as TSB relates, " an ever-unfolding sea of moorland". 

Through the plantation...
..to "an ever unfolding sea of moorland"

We followed the moorland track for about 1.5 miles and although our track turns right just before reaching an old stone shooting box, we decided to pop down to see it.

The shooting box
The date and cross would lead us to believe this graffitti is also the work of Maurice Close from the Cheese Stones
The old shooting box
View over to Westerdale from the shooting box

Back on our track we soon reached the old disused coal pits of Armouth Wath, ('ford at beck's clearing').  

Armouth Wath
Looking round the ruins at Armouth Wath


The beck at Armouth Wath
Not an old miner

Armouth Wath is a very bleak spot and life in the coal pits must have been hard.  Excavation work has been done at the ruins of the four colliery buildings and revealed that the pits were 106' deep.

We left following the colliers' track and a long climb brought us to the Bronze Age tumulus of Burton Howe.

On Burton Howe
Looking over to Urrah Moor from Burton Howe
I have company on Burton Howe
...but not for long

There are several tumuli here, apparently dating from 4500 - 1400 BC, some still containing coffins and cremated remains.

Our path now follows the escarpment across the open land of Ingleby Moor, locally known as Siberia, and devoid of interest until arriving at a well preserved standing stone near Tidy Brown Hill.  We could make out the inscription 'Ingleby and Stoxley' on the front, ' Kirby and Helmsley 1757' on one side and 'Guis Boro' on the other.

Strangely, TSB doesn't mention this stone in his walk description.



Walking in 'Siberia'



Carole replaces the cap stone

We now had a two mile walk along the escarpment with fine views, heather to our right and the villages of Cleveland below us to the left. 

Alfred J Brown in his book Tramping in Yorkshire, says, "Even the longest ridge must come to an end, and suddenly the road twists, hesitates, and takes the plunge gloriously down Turkey Nab. The Cleveland County is full of 'Nabs' but Turkey Nab will take some beating."

Arriving at Turkey Nab we rejoined our outward path, this time descending back to Bank Foot Farm and our car.

The long ridge walk


Back on the Bank Foot path


The Chicken Run at Bank Foot Farm
Handsome cockerel
We are welcomed back by the Grim Sheeper




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