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

7.5 miles                                   Very hot and Sunny

Sadly Tom Scott Burns never published his walks for the eastern flank of the North York Moors but we are sure he will have walked this area many times.

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 is the cheapest parking in the village.

Today's walk marked by the yellow line

We parked behind The Crown for £3

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.

We followed the road south out of the village and left the tarmac at a small hill called Austin Head, which we circumnavigated to cross a field and join Bottomfield Lane.

Hutton le Hole

Walk south past the Folk Museum

... to leave the village

Hutton le Hole

Turn off the road towards Cropton

The lanes are easy to find and follow and today's dry conditions made them a pleasure to walk.

This is very easy walking along level paths through fields of crops, some filled with poppies.

Bottomfields Lane

Turning into South Ings Lane

Plover

South Ings Lane emerges by the road directly opposite the parish church of Christ Church in Appleton-le-Moors.  We decided to visit the church on our way out of the village and turned right to walk up the High Street looking at the houses as we did so.

Christ Church

Appleton-le-Moors

Interesting houses in Appleton

Weather vane in Appleton

The Moors Inn

Appleton-le-Moors is a pretty village with some lovely houses.  One of these is known as Three Faces House and is described in Tom Scott Burns' book 'Round and About the North Yorkshire Moors'. On the front of the house are three stone faces which represent "the three blood suckers - the lawyer, the doctor and the clergyman."

Three Faces House

Mnemonic - see below

The letters below the faces spell out the first letters of a mnenomic, "The Art Of Treating Life: How To Get Bread."  There used to be a further carving of 5 faces, the victims of the bloodsuckers, which has apparently been removed to the rear garden.

The village hall and public seating

"Pass the biscuits Clive.."

After admiring the village houses we sat in the public garden at the front of the village hall, where tables and benches are provided for those urgently requiring coffee and scones.  We spent a pleasant half hour in the shade before resuming our walk, back along the high street to the church.

Christ Church is a very strange church for the area, apparently built in the French style and is open during the day to visitors.  An attractive red sgraffito frieze is a major feature of the church. Sgraffito technique is where the stone is scraped to reveal a different colour underneath.  

Christ Church

A large church for the village

... with a sgraffito frieze

Sgraffito technique

A penitent in Christ Church

Leaving the church we exited Appleton-le-Moors by Kirkgate Lane passing the remains of two medieval crosses, Low Cross and High Cross.

Low Cross

Clive feels the heat

At Low Cross we turned right into Hamley Lane whose name changes at a left turn to Howldale Lane.  We followed it to reach Hagg Wood on our left and here took the second of two footpaths, that run along the bottom of the wood.

More weather vanes at Appleton

George's fresh eggs

Hamley Lane

From Howldale Lane

Turning off Howldale Lane into towards Hagg Wood

Approaching Hagg Wood

We walked alongside Hagg Wood to reach Lastingham.

"Tell yer fortune, sir.."

Nearing Lastingham

St Mary's Church, Lastingham

Weather vanes in Lastingham

One of the residents appears familiar...

We would normally visit the 11th century church of St Mary's in Lastingham but time was pressing so we continued through the village until the tarmac road ends abruptly on reaching the moor and a modern cross.

Modern cross on the village outskirts

Following Beau Geste through the afternoon heat

Our route now took us along the edge of the moors along a way-marked path towards Hutton-le-Hole.

Walking down to the stream at Mary Magdeline Well

More Jubilee Jinks, at High Cross House

High Cross House

A summer snooze at High Cross Plain

Eventually even my trusty Tuareg guide started to wilt in the heat

The rooftops of Hutton-le-Hole appear ahead

The route back to Hutton-le-Hole is simple and clearly marked and we soon re-entered the High Street where we were delighted to find The Crown open for business. 

Cheers!

This is a pleasant walk covering fields, villages and moorland and ideal for a summer walk.