Eston Hills Circular from Flatts Lane

5.5 miles     

Bank Holiday and we are dog sitting so this local TSB walk is ideal being fairly short and quiet, and especially as we haven't walked it for nearly five years.

We approached Flatts Lane via the A171 and parked in the public car park that is built on the site of the old Normanby Brick and Tile Company, which was established in 1883.

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

From the car park we walked along the field to a stile which took us on to Flatts Lane, emerging opposite Rose Cottage. A sign directed us over the road to go up new steps to a footpath running alongside the cottage which leads to a path into Ten Acre Bank, where we immediately left civilisation behind.  

Leaving the visitors' centre

Across a field..

.. to Flatts Lane. Carole points at the footpath opposite

Entering Ten Acre Bank

A short climb brought us to a T junction where we turned right and followed a pleasant path parallel to Flatts Lane until we turned left over a stile and into a meadow that leads to Mill Farm and then Claphams Wood. 

On Ten Acre Bank

This is a lovely path and we were surprised that it is so little walked and in fact we didn't see another soul until we reached the Nab monument.  It was difficult to believe that we were not far above the main Guisborough road. Gorse was in full flower and made a nice contrast with the white flowers of hawthorn and blackthorn trees.

Blackthorn and gorse flowers on Ten Acre Bank

Looking across at Roseberry from Ten Acre Bank

After walking through fields for a mile we reached Mill Farm which we skirted to reach Claphams Wood. A walk through dense trees and bushes led us to a sharp left turn and the beginning of our uphill climb.

Mill Farm

First stile at Mill Farm is obvious

The second is harder to spot.  

Into Claphams Wood

Timber bridge is very slippery

Beginning the climb alongside Claphams Wood

View looking back towards Roseberry

A steady climb alongside the wood on little walked paths, thick with  brambles, brought us to Moordale Bog and TSB tells us that here, hidden among the undergrowth, is the ruins of Upsall Pit, run by Bolckow, Vaughan and Co from 1866 and then Dorman Long and Co until 1945.  The shaft was 564 feet deep and in all 63 million tons of iron ore were extracted from these hills between 1850 and 1949. 

We turned right into trees again and after a short time came to a wooden memorial to a German WWll bomber which had crashed here.  The writing was indistinct but a Google search revealed:

German bombers often flew over the Eston Hills while heading for targets further inland, such as Manchester. On 30 March 1941 a Junkers Ju 88 was shot down by two Spitfires of No. 41 Squadron, piloted by Tony Lovell and Archie Winskill, over Middlesbrough. The aircraft dived into the ground at Barnaby Moor, Eston; the engines and most of the airframe were entirely buried upon impact.

In Claphams Wood

Memorial

We continued with our walk, climbing steadily uphill, passing the location of the now hidden deserted village of Barnaby, once the home to a small community of miners.  TSB says that the foundations of two rows of cottages can still be seen, as can the capped well.  Provisions for the village were brought via the underground mine railway. 

Another climb took us onto Wilton Moor where we came to a convenient bench with a view across to Roseberry Topping, an ideal place to sit and enjoy our coffee.

Climbing on to Wilton Moor

The first of several burnt out cars we saw today

"Pleasant but not a strong smell"

Coffee!

After coffee our path headed north west across Eston Moor where TSB says early man built barrows and left flint tools dating from 6000 to 2000 BC, until we reached a cluster of transmitter masts. 

Here we found a strong smell of smoke and discovered the remains of what must have been a large fire.  In fact the next mile would reveal several more sites where fires have been set, as well as burnt cars and a burnt quad bike, showing that although very quiet today, this area is not far from bandit country.

Bramble smells smoke!

Sad sight

The transmitter masts

We walked on towards the Eston Nab Monument where we paused to read the bronze inscription.  At this spot a beacon tower was constructed in 1808 during the Napoleonic Wars.  After 1815 it was used as a house and from 1884 was the home of a David Helm and his wife until 1933, when the body of 80 year old Mr Helm, who had outlived his wife by a year, was carried by horse drawn cart down for burial at Wilton churchyard.  In 1956 it was finally demolished and the present monument was built by ICI, using the stone from the original beacon.   We stood and enjoyed an amazing panoramic view of Teesside and beyond.

The area around the monument was once an Iron Age hill fort dating from 550 BC.  TSB says that it probably served as a refuge for surrounding settlements and calcined bones have been found at the site which prove that cannibalism took place, possibly when ancient warriors were besieged on the nab.

Trig point and beacon

The old ICI works and sea beyond

The Tees River and the Transporter Bridge are just visible in the distance

The only other walkers we saw today

Eston and Ormesby below

We followed the path along the escarpment and reached Carr Pond.

Following the ridge path

Quad bike

Carr Pond

How do they get them up here?!

Starting the descent

We now started the descent to return to Flatts Lane and our car.  We agreed that it had been an interesting walk with great views in the clear weather, and it was good to get an unfamiliar view of familiar places so close to our home.

Back at the Visitor Centre