Hasty Bank, Cold Moor and Upper Bilsdale
8 miles Murky but mostly dry
We parked at Clay Bank Car Park and crossed the road to climb Hasty Bank. The bracken is still high and is very wet after yesterday's rain so we decided to follow Tom Scott Burns' official route, shown below, which meant we would miss the bracken but wouldn't pass the Lady of Bilsdale, carved into the face of Old Quarry. (see map)
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| Today's route from The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills |
At 1306' Hasty Bank provided us with a good climb before we had even warmed up, but any difficulty was rewarded by fine views back into Bilsdale as we climbed.
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| Beginning the climb of Hasty Bank |
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| Looking back as we climb |
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| "G'Morning mate" |
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| At the top and a fine view over to Bank Foot and the old Incline railway in the distance |
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| The Lady of Bilsdale on a previous visit, we didn't meet her today |
We now walked across the moor top, known as White Hill, to reach the Wainstones, where we picked our way carefully through the rocks before descending into Garfitts Gap and climbing onto Cold Moor.
TSB explains that the name Wainstones is believed to derive from the Saxon 'wanian' - to howl, and that the naming of the stones means 'stones of lamentation'. TSB mentions that his favourite graffitti to be found on the Wainstones is 'RO WOOING TD 1712' but we have yet to come across it. We did see plenty of other graffitti however, the oldest we spotted dated 1836.
From Garfitts Gap we climbed to the top of Cold Moor (1318') where we turned left to follow the ridge for 2.5miles into a stiff south westerly breeze. We should have had views towards the Pennines in the west and Roseberry Topping and Easby Moor to the east but didn't because of poor visibility.
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| Descending into Garfitts Gap |
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| Climbing Cold Moor |
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| A long ridge walk |
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| Over towards Easby Moor |
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| Bear left at the fork as it gets misty |
Eventually we took a clear fork to the left, taking us gently down to the village of Chop Gate. This track is known as Cold Moor Lane and we passed through a gate where the path becomes a hollow lane. TSB says that it is possible that this passageway was established by prehistoric man and has continued in use throughout history to the present day.
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| The path immediately starts to descend |
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| Bilsdale Hall to the left and Seave Green to the right |
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| A hollow lane to Chop Gate |
Hollow lanes are ancient pathways which have been hollowed out over time, very often where peat or turf was repeatedly dragged down from the moor on sledges. Below is a photograph of Thomas Leckenby of Mount House Farm Bilsdale, leading his sledge of turves off Urra Moor in the early 1930s. The strips of cut turf were dried in heaps called 'rooks' and were used as fuel and for building walls.
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| Thomas Leckenby on Urra Moor, from 'Round and About the North Yorkshire Moors' by Tom Scott Burns |
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Cold Moor Lane led us to Chop Gate where we emerged at the old Wesleyan Chapel that is almost hidden between houses.
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| The Wesleyan Chapel, hidden among houses |
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| Work being carried out, we suspect it is being converted into a house |
TSB says the reason for the strange location of the chapel is that the landowner, Lord Feversham, was C of E and totally against a non-conformist church being established in the dale. However a local shop keeper sold the Methodists this plot of land and the chapel was built in 1858. It reportedly contained an interesting harmonium (pump organ) but now appears to be in the throes of conversion to housing.
TSB says that the name Chop Gate is thought to be derived from the old Scandinavian term kaup meaning pedlar and with a number of pannier tracks converging on the village it must have been like a market place in times gone by.
We turned left into the B1257 and walked along to Seave Green whose name is thought to derive from its owner in 1301, Nicholas del Seves. Here we crossed the road to the tarmac track to Bilsdale Hall. On the left we passed Chisel Hill Mill which ceased operation in 1930 and later became a recording studio that was used by Chris Rea in the 1980s.
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| Seave Green. The flag says "Caution grass cutting in progress" It wasn't. |
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| Approaching Seave Green Farm |
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| Chisel Hill Mill |
Reaching Bilsdale Hall we left our route to follow a lane to St Hilda's Church where we stopped for coffee and scones.
The attractive church was rebuilt in 1851 in the shape and style of the original church but sadly we have yet to find it open to visitors, today being no exception.
We sat on a bench near its entrance and enjoyed our coffee with a fine view of Bilsdale, albeit seen through the mist.
After finishing our coffee we explored the graveyard where there are some ancient stones, many with interesting though maudlin verses. Years of grass-strimming has caked a green deposit on the stones making the inscriptions very hard to read.
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| "A daughter wife and mother sleeps below, how many ties were severed with one blow, wives daughters mothers all ye mortals see, how scant the term of human life may be, live a true life and death in vain will call, who lives in Jesus will not die at all" |
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"Beware dear friends and weep not here, Here must I lie Till Christ appear, And in his coming hope to have, A joyful rising from the grave"
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| "Sleep on blest creature in thy urn, Our sobs and tears cannot awake thee, Weel (sic) stay until it be our turn" |
Eventually we returned to Baysdale Hall and re-joined TSB's route and began the steep climb up to follow the alternative dotted path on the map above, going steeply uphill to reach Urra Moor at Medd Crag.
After pausing to admire the view and regain our breath we turned left and followed the ridge, with a succession of sweeping views of Bilsdale below us. As well as being on the ridge of the moor we also noticed we were walking alongside the remains of an earthworks. This earthworks stretches for 2.5 miles and its origin is forgotten, perhaps defensive, or it may have been an animal enclosure. It was known as Cliff Dyke, and a couple of centuries ago as Cromwell's Lines.
TSB mentions two witches who inhabited Bilsdale's moors, Peg Humphreys and her companion Alice Wood, who was said to take the form of a cat or hare.
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| Crossing a wet bit on Urra Moor |
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| The Wainstones on the opposite site of Bilsdale |
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| A long walk alongside Cliff Dyke |
We followed the earthworks and eventually came to a little valley where we crossed a stream known as Maiden Spring, at 1300'. I stepped onto a loose stone here and my left foot slipped knee deep into the stream giving me a wet foot for the remainder of the walk.
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| Clive crosses Maiden Spring, I follow less successfully |
Leaving the beck we continued to follow the earthworks until rejoining the Cleveland Way track on Carr Ridge. We turned left and walked steeply down to Haggs Gate to rejoin the main road for a few yards returning us to Clay Bank Car Park and the car.
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| Nearing the end and the mist comes down again |
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| Left at the sign |
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| An old colleague of Clive and who shares his birthday |
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| "John Meadows, voluntary ranger for the North York Moors National Park for 20 years. Walker of paths, work task regular and the providor of bacon butties" |
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| Down to the car park |
A short drive took us to the fleshpots of Great Broughton where we enjoyed a pint and discussed an interesting walk.
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| "To TSB!" |
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