Hawnby Hill and Hazel Head from Hawnby
7 miles Wet underfoot and cold
Following yesterday's Storm Chandra we wanted a walk that would be fairly firm underfoot and this walk should fit the bill. One of my favourite walks, it combines the best of moorland, woods, pasture and villages. It's mostly good underfoot and not too difficult, but as there are a couple of good climbs nor is it too easy.
We left Middlesbrough in sunshine but as we drove along the B1257 towards Hawnby we entered fairly dense mist. We parked at the roadside shown by the P at the bottom of the map below, just up the road from the Owl Inn at Hawnby.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Cleveand Hills |
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| The Owl in the mist |
We were starting our walk in the upper village which sits right under Hawnby Hill (298m) whose twin, Easterside Hill, can be seen over towards the B1257. These two hills, known as Corallian Outliers, once formed part of the Tabular Hills and have a very distinctive shape.
Just before we reached the Owl we turned off the road into a lane opposite the pub and immediately began the steep climb to the top of Hawnby Hill.
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| The mist thins as we climb |
Reaching the top of Hawnby Hill we left the mist behind and emerged into sunshine. Looking back nothing could be seen of Hawnby which was hidden deep in the mist.
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| Looking back Hawnby has vanished into mist |
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| To our right is Easterside Hill, Pepper Hill at its front |
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| To our left Arden Hall is also hidden in mist |
There is now a fine ridge walk along the top of Hawnby Hill and we soon reached the highest point, a cairn at 978 feet.
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| The cairn is so regular that we suspect it to be the work of one man |
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| Memorial seat near the cairn |
We walked along the ridge fascinated by the inversion effect of the mist but unable to see our usual landmarks below.
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| A couple of hikers walk towards us |
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| Arden Hall is down there... somewhere |
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| The mist provides a strange effect |
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| We begin the descent from Hawnby Hill |
The ground was very slippery and muddy and we descended Hawnby Hill carefully and walked towards the moor gate at Sunley Slack.
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| Descending |
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| Approaching the moor gate |
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| We take the track ahead onto Sunley Slack |
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| Shooting points seem to have been named |
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| Looking back towards Hawnby Hill |
We walked along the sandy path of Sunley Slack and came to a fork in the road after about a mile. We took the left fork and followed the path for another three quarters of a mile, seemingly walking straight towards the new Bilsdale Mast. To our right was Round Hill, which is of no great interest, merely a collection of rocks and a bump in the heather.
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| The new mast at Bilsdale |
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| When we reach the fork we take the left track |
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| We turn left 20 yards past the wooden sign |
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| ... into the track serving 'Prize' |
About 20 feet past a wooden signpost we turned sharply left on a small track to cross the moor. This shooter's track has a stone sign with the name Prize inscribed. We followed it and as we passed the last shooting butt the track ended and we headed left on sheep tracks through the heather, towards the trees of Hazel Head Wood. We reached the trees and turned right walking parallel with the wood until we came to the ruin of an old Wesleyan chapel. This is where we intended to stop for coffee but the ground was too wet. Instead we turned back uphill and found a grassy patch with a couple of well placed stones, just before the gate into Hazel Head Wood, where we settled down to our scones.
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| Fallen trees have to be negotiated |
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| Remains of old ruined buildings |
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| New direction posts |
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| Ruins of High Hazel Head Farm |
We followed a grassy track through the dark wood until, bearing right, we exited the wood above Hazel Head Car Park on the Osmotherley to Hawnby road.
From here we followed the road left for a short time before turning into Ellers Wood at a footpath sign and a new gate.
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| We reach the Osmotherley to Hawnby road |
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| Leave the road at the sign and new gate |
Ellers Wood and its neighbour Anya's Wood have mainly been felled in recent years and now consist of saplings. A good path has been maintained through the close growing saplings and we followed it downhill to reach a bridge over the River Rye.
Crossing the river we joined a lane and passed through a gate into a sheep field. We followed a beck through a couple of fields, ignoring a broad path to the left, to reach a row of telegraph poles.
Here we turned left to follow the poles uphill where we crossed a stile and followed the path into conifers.
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| Several pointless information signs have been installed |
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| Aim for the bridge |
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| The river is in spate |
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| Follow the green track alongside the beck |
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| When you reach the telegraph poles follow them steeply uphill |
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| Looking back Mount Pleasant farm is on the opposite hill |
These conifers are the trees of Blueberry Wood and we walked through them for about half a mile, before coming to a surprise view of Hawnby Hill to our left.
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| Surprise view of Hawnby Hill |
Passing above St Agnes House Farm we crossed a stile and dropped down to a ford where we crossed a footbridge into Low Wood. Soon we came to the attractive arched bridge over the Rye, not mentioned by TSB as it post dates his book, being built to replace a bridge washed away by flooding in 2005. See here
From the bridge we had a short scramble up to a track leading right, coming out of the woods at the lonely Carr House. From here we followed way marks (but no path) through several sheep fields before eventually reaching the road just outside Hawnby.
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| Through the gate and across the fields |
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| Join the road at Manor Farm |
Joining the road opposite Manor Farm we turned left and followed it a short distance to Hawnby.
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| We reach Hawnby and The Owl |
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| We pop into The Owl for a fine end to the walk |
This is a good walk at any time of the year and much recommended.
