Captain Cook Country from Great Ayton
8 miles Fine and dry
We parked on Great Ayton High Street near to Suggitt's Cafe and crossed the River Leven by the steel bridge opposite the cafe.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills |
This bridge was erected in June 1919 by The Ayton Mine Company in memory of five soldiers who died in WW1 and it has recently been given a facelift and a Remembrance Panel, appropriate for this time of year.
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| Great Ayton |
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| Remembrance Panel on bridge |
After crossing the bridge we paused briefly to admire the old pissoir which has been located near the bridge as a non-operational feature and painted red for some reason. There were originally three of these and to my recollection when in use they were painted a tasteful green.
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| Gentlemen only please |
Leaving the old urinal we looked at the nearby waterfall and read a notice board close by that tells of the flood of 1840, which caused much damage and destroyed the Fulling Mill at Kildale. We would visit the site of the old mill later during today's walk.
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| A history of flooding |
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| Waterfall Park |
Leaving Waterfall Park behind we followed field paths along the River Leven to soon reach Woodhouse Farm.
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| Field paths |
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| Are they friendly? |
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| "Yes, got any apples?" |
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| Straight across the Ayton to Easby road |
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| The path leads along a deer fence |
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| ... to reach Woodhouse Farm |
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| Built 1712, Rebuilt 1905, Modernised 1962 |
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| Woodhouse Farm |
After crossing Woodhouse Farm's horse paddock and a bridge over the river to reach Easby Lane, we walked through Easby for half a mile before crossing a way-marked stile into fields just before Borough Green Farm where we began a steady climb to Easby Moor.
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| More horse fields |
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| Bridge at Easby |
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| This siren is new, a warning for flooding? |
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| Easby |
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| Roseberry across the fields |
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| Captain Cook's Monument in the distance |
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| Turn left at the sign into fields |
It's quite a steep climb to reach the moor gate where we noticed the date 1668 carved into the stone gatepost. We paused to take in the view down to Easby Hall and back to Great Ayton.
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| A long and steady climb to the moor |
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| Looks like they're burning leaves at Easby Hall |
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| The Moor Gate, the post has 1668 and TW carved into it. |
Reaching the Moor Gate we turned right to follow the path below the moor to Mill Bank Wood. Here we turned right again onto a permitted path, to descend very steeply in places, to the river and the remains of the old mill. TSB says that the wood is actually named after an old Bleach Mill where woollen cloth was 'fulled' in order to soften and shrink it to a warmer, closer weave. The mill was destroyed on the night of 21st July 1840 when heavy rains caused enormous volumes of water to burst two fishponds at Kildale Hall. A wall of water 40 feet high carried away two stone bridges, a corn mill, sluice gates, an earth dam and the bleaching mill, and was still 6 feet high as it rushed through Great Ayton.
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| Through dead bracken to reach... |
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| Mill Bank Wood, turn right to leave the main path |
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| ... and descend steeply |
Reaching the river we saw that the ruined foundations of the mill, just off the concessionary path, are almost hidden in undergrowth.
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| The site of the old mill |
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| Brickwork almost hidden |
Leaving the ruins of the mill we followed the river along the concessionary path. Tom Scott Burns mentions that a memorial stone inscribed Black Pepper is to be found here and reaching a bend Clive spotted the stone on the right, almost covered by plants and about 12 feet from the path.
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| Clive spots the stone |
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| Black Pepper |
TSB tells us this this marks the burial place of the favourite pony of Cecily Turton from Kildale Hall. We decided the horse must have dropped dead at this spot, as it would have been very difficult to bring it here for burial. Poor Cecily died in the 'flu epidemic of 1919 aged 20.
Leaving the stone we had a pleasant walk alongside the river passing by Kildale Force waterfall, all the while admiring the autumn colours.
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| Autumn colours |
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| Kildale Force |
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| A mile walk by the river |
Eventually we came out of the woods below Bankside Farm where large stones that have been positioned to deter motorists from parking also make ideal seats for a coffee stop.
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| Hikers' coffee tables |
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| Bankside Farm from our coffee stop |
Finishing our coffee we walked back uphill, passing Bankside Farm and continuing towards the trees of Coate Moor. Looking back we had a nice view of Kildale Church in the distance.
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| Kildale Church below |
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| The road climbs past Bankside Farm |
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| Turn left towards Gribdale |
We came to a fork where we turned left to walk through the trees of Coate Moor. A gentle climb led us to Captain Cook's Monument.
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| Coate Moor |
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| Approaching the monument |
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| Roseberry from the monument |
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| Captain Cook's Monument showing the bricked up door |
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| From 'Round and About the NY Moors' by TSB, note the door! |
TSB notes that the monument was built in 1827, the foundation stone being laid by Robert Campion of Whitby.
Walking down from the monument we passed the remains of old workings that is the site of Ayton Ironstone mines, last worked by Pease and Partners from 1909 to 1928.
We took care as we descended the slippery path through the trees and followed the track to reach some white cottages on the Gribdale Gate road.
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