Hasty Bank, Cold Moor and Upper Bilsdale

 8 miles                         Dull but dry

The official car park at Clay Bank now charges for parking but there is plenty of free space at the side of the road just beyond its entrance. We booted up and set off, in my case without realising I had knocked the focus settings on my camera, so a few out of focus shots today!

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

We crossed the road to climb Hasty Bank, but instead of following the Cleveland Way to the top, we branched left just after the fence, on a small track that winds its way upwards to reach the Old Quarry, shown on the map above.  It's a couple of years since we visited the Lady of Bilsdale who resides in the Old Quarry and which Tom Scott Burns describes as 'the enigmatic face of a lady carved on a rock wall who gazes eternally down into Bilsdale'.

A vigorous start to the walk

But leave the Cleveland Way just past the fence

... and follow the small path uphill

Misty Bilsdale

The Old Quarry

The Lady of Bilsdale

The track led us gradually up and around Hasty Bank and we came to the quarry on our right before walking over to admire the Lady and share her view of Bilsdale. This ancient stone face was carved into the side of the Old Quarry perhaps by one of the workers. 

The Lady looks down on Bilsdale.. and Clive

Leaving the Lady we followed the edge of the moor to reach The Wainstones, where we picked our way carefully through the rocks before descending into Garfitts Gap and climbing onto Cold Moor.   TSB says 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'. 

Following the moor's edge

.. to reach the top of the Wainstones

View down to Great Broughton from The Wainstones

The route through the Wainstones now has Cleveland Way acorns to guide us

After the Wainstones we crossed Garfitts Gap and climbed to reach the ridge of  Cold Moor. (1318')

Leave the Cleveland Way at the post to climb Cold Moor

Follow the path

.. to reach the ridge

The mist closed in on Cold Moor and where we should have had fine views to the Pennines in the West and Easby Moor to the East, we had none.  As we crossed the bleak moor we met the only other walker we saw today and stopped to chat.  He was from Seaham and it was his first time on these hills.  He was doing the same walk but had chosen to walk it clockwise from Chop Gate.  We would bump into him again on Carr Ridge.  

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 our path became 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.

Bilsdale reappears as we descend

Seave Green below

We keep to the right of the plantation

Through the gate into...

..muddy Cold Moor Lane

Ancient Hollow Lane

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.

Thomas Leckenby on Urra Moor, from 'Round and About the North Yorkshire Moors' by Tom Scott Burns

We soon reached Chop Gate to emerge at the old Wesleyan Chapel which is almost hidden between houses. 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.

Wesleyan Chapel at Chop Gate

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. The studio's name became the subject of one of his songs, Chisel Hill, which some people mistakenly think refers to Roseberry Topping.   

On the B1257, Seave Green to the right

Chisel Hill Mill

Bilsdale Hall

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. 

The old vicarage from St Hilda's Lane

St Hilda's

Model hawk to stop swallows nesting

It doesn't have to be fun to be fun!

After finishing our coffee we explored the graveyard where there are some ancient stones, many with interesting though maudlin verses. 

"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"

"Sleep on blest creature in thy urn, Our sobs and tears cannot awake thee, Weel (sic) stay until it be our turn"

Our coffee break over we returned to Baysdale Hall where we re-joined TSB's route and began the steep climb to follow the alternative dotted path on the map above, going steeply uphill to reach Urra Moor at Medd Crag.

Derelict now but we remember this was occupied a few years ago

Climbing to Urra Moor

Looking back to Bilsdale Hall from the climb

The moor gate

On the ridge at last

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. 

It's a muddy walk today

Hasty Bank and The Lady of Bilsdale opposite

A two mile ridge walk

Maiden Spring

The earthworks known as Cromwell's Lines is clearly visible here

We followed the earthworks and eventually came to a little valley where we crossed a stream known as Maiden Spring, at 1300'.  

Leaving the beck we continued to follow the earthworks until rejoining the Cleveland Way track on Carr Ridge where we re-met our other hiker.  He would be finishing the walk in the dark but was using a GPS app which beeped if he strayed from the path.

Starting the descent from Carr Ridge 

The long descent to Haggs Gate

We turned left and walked steeply downhill to Haggs Gate and the end of the walk and on to our debrief at a nearby pub.  This is a fairly straightforward circular walk with a couple of good climbs and descents to test the limbs.

To the Lady of Bilsdale