Coomb Hill and Dale Town from Hawnby

6 miles                         Cool and dry

Tom Scott Burns suggests parking on the grass verge in front of the church at Hawnby but this is a wet grassy spot with a risk of getting bogged down so we parked at the village hall and walked back to the church, adding a mile to TSB's 5 mile walk description.

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

Clive finds a pound and pops it in the donation box

Lower Hawnby

Walking to the official start of today's walk

We walked along lane to reach All Saints Church which is practically invisible among trees until you are almost on top of it. TSB explains that the church is basically a Norman structure, rebuilt in the late 14th century and restored in 1876 at a cost of £600, raised by subscription.

All Saints Church 

The church was open to visitors so we popped in for a look around.

One of the most notable features is a modern window commemorating the dead of WWI.  

The altar window

Looking back down the church from the altar

The Revd. William Hughes was parson of Hawnby during the First World War and was known as 'The Fighting Parson' because of his encouragement of the young men of the area to join up.  Because of this Hawnby has a larger than usual 'roll of honour' and deaths including the parson's own three sons.  The window commemorates these men. 

The Revd. William Hughes at the commemorating of the window

We left the church and walked down to Church Bridge then immediately after crossing this we turned sharp left, then right at an Inn Way sign and began our climb to Coomb Hill.

Leaving All Saints Church

Hawnby Bridge

The River Rye 

Follow the Inn Way

... up Coomb Hill

Having gained height we circumnavigated the hill, passing the ruins of two old buildings and eventually dropping down to rejoin the same tarmac road we had left at Church Bridge.

Hawnby Hill 

Going up Coomb Hill

The trees of Coomb Hill

We see tarmac below

We walked along the road to reach the gates of Arden Hall and from this point the road begins a steep climb, eventually passing some old quarries to reach Daletown Common.  Having gained height we could look down to our right into Thorodale, catching a glimpse of Thorodale Lake through the saplings.

The rooftops of Arden Hall

Looking back to Hawnby Hill

We begin a long steep climb

Passing the old quarries

Thorodale Lake through the trees

We left the road to climb on to Daletown Common where we sat behind a stone wall to enjoy our coffee and scones out of the wind.

A fine view from Daletown Common

Coffee break

Crossing the common to pass through a gate we came to a dyke that follows the line of a dry stone wall to the right.  Apparently the dyke dates from the late Bronze Age, 900 - 600BC, and it is thought that it and other similar dykes were constructed to define the limits of farming settlements.

Shortly after passing a new plastic water tank we turned through a gate and walked across fields for a mile or so passing some hardy cattle to reach a barn.

We spot the new water tank

Clive soon replaces the fallen pipe to allow fresh water into the tub

The old barn

Just past the barn the path goes through an area of tumuli and TSB explains that before the moorland was enclosed there was a group of about 20 tumuli here, only 7 or 8 now remain. During the 1850s some excavation work was carried out and in one large mound, 40 - 50 feet diameter and 4 feet high, the skeleton of an Anglo Saxon lady of rank was found preserved in the limestone.  At her head was a bronze bowl with three handles, round her waist a leather girdle inlaid with garnets and her hair was secured with gold and silver.

Ancient tumuli

Our route now headed towards the perimeter of North Bank Wood before turning sharp left downhill at a sign just before Sunnybank Farm.  A steep and occasionally tricky descent back down to the River Rye followed.

Heading towards North Bank Wood

We can see Upper Hawnby in the distance, Easterside Hill behind

We are buzzed!

Nearly down

As we entered a field with Dalicar Bridge over the river ahead of us a heron took to the air and flew over us.

In the corner of the field is an old shed which contains two elderly tractors.  Outside the shed is another which looked as if it might have been used more recently.  They look as if a lot of care and attention would be required to get them up and running again.

Clive inspects a belt driven saw

This pair of pet sheep share the field with the tractors

Dalicar Bridge

We crossed Dalicar bridge and followed the tarmac back to Lower Hawnby, soon transferring to Upper Hawnby and The Owl, where we enjoyed a pint and discussed today's short but sweet TSB walk.

A pint at The Owl

Hawnby from our table