Walking in North Yorkshire

Limekiln House and the Drove Road from Kepwick

5.5 miles Fine but cold

We approached Kepwick from the A19 via Leake Lane and parked in a small free car park next door to the old school, now converted to a house.

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

The Old Schoolhouse

Tom Scott Burns suggests that Kepwick is derived from the Scandinavian Kaeppi and Vik, producing Kaeppivik which means 'a nook in the hills'. It's mentioned in the Domesday Book as Capuic.

In Victorian times it was noted for its lime and sandstone quarries and a railway ran from Kepwick to kilns on the Yarm to Thirsk turnpike road until 1893.

We turned left out of the car park and walked east through the village, admiring some of the pretty cottages scattered along the main street, before coming to the main gates of Kepwick Hall.

Houses in Kepwick

The Old Joiner's Shop

Nether Silton from Kepwick

Miners' cottages

Kepwick Hall, glimpsed through the trees

Kepwick Hall gatehouse

Leaving the village we came to a tragic scene. A lady had stopped her car and was moving the body of a black cat to the side of the road. It must have been knocked down hours earlier as it was stiff with cold. The lady was ringing her friend, "Is Black Arthur there? He is, thank goodness!" The dead cat's identity was a mystery but at least we know that it wasn't Black Arthur. We said cheerio to the lady and walked up to the gatehouse of Kepwick Hall to see what we could of the hall and then returned to the Kepwick to Silton road and followed it to its junction with Bridge Beck Lane.

Two bulls soak up the sunshine

The old mineral rail track

Crossing Bridge Beck

Bridge Beck

The Nab to the left and French Hill Wood to the right

Here we turned right into a footpath and farm track to Nab Farm, walking past a little hill called The Nab, with French Hill wood on our right. Passing The Nab we approached isolated Nab Farm. The path runs alongside the farm buildings and we saw that we would have to walk through the overwintering cattle, who had access to our footpath. They showed no interest in us however.

Approaching Nab Farm

Looks like the cows are out!

We bravely walk past very disinterested cattle

Leaving Nab Farm behind, we paused to look across the valley, over Bridge Beck towards Whitestone Scar and Kepwick Moor on the horizon. We could see our path leading all the way to the high moor.

Whitestone Scar ahead

White Gill

After the beck we came to the ruins of an old lime kiln and our path climbed quickly away from it, following a nice green path alongside a dry stone wall. We followed this green path all the way up to Kepwick Moor where it joins the old drovers' road.

Passing the moor gate

Lime Kiln

Very cold out of the sun

A nice green path to climb

Looking back to Nab Farm in the distance

The Drovers' Road is on the other side of the gate

Reaching the top we came to the remains of Limekiln House but today all that can be seen of the building are a few stony outcrops and a marker stone. Nearby is a small cross dedicated to Bert 2005 RIP. We haven't been able to find out who Bert was, man or dog?

Marker stone for Limekiln House

Bert RIP

Clive examines the marker stone

The Drovers' Road

We walked along the old Drovers' road for nearly two miles, stopping just before we reached the remains of Steeple Cross to shelter against the wall for our coffee and scones.

Mine workings above Kepwick

Another memorial

The Hambleton Drove Road

Refreshed, we set off again and soon reached the remains of Steeple Cross. TSB tells us that Steeple Cross was referred to as Stepingecross in documents dated 1290 and was probably derived from the old English 'steapinga' - 'dweller on the slope', so making 'crossroads of the hill-dwellers'. All round this area are Bronze Age earthworks.

Approaching Steeple Cross

Steeple Cross, not much left of it

Turn right just past the cross

We turned right through a forestry gate at Steeple Cross and followed the track right where it splits in two, towards Gallow Hill. Almost immediately we emerged onto a large area of devastation caused by forestry working. On our last visit the forestry clearance began near the ancient Friars Cross but now the whole area has been cleared and we could see machines busy in the distance.

The woods soon give way ...

.. to a scene of devastation

A bit like the Battle of the Somme

Friars Cross

We were following an ancient track and Friars Cross is believed to mark an old road leading from the escarpment towards Rievaulx and Helsmley.

We reached and descended Atlay Bank which was once thick with rhododendrons but a couple of years ago they were cut back very hard and have not recovered.

Following an ancient track

Take the gate to the left

.. and start the descent

The rhododendrons have been cut back hard

Atlay Bank

How it was a few years ago. Clive walks through the rhododendron tunnel

After Atlay Bank we entered fields to descend to the road at Kepwick. In one of the fields we saw an old stone shed with water pipes inside it. TSB explains that in 1873 the Warner family erected Kepwick Hall and made extensive improvements to the estate including the construction of two reservoirs on the moors above, one to supply the house with water and the other for the gardens and terraces. This building is obviously from that period.

Kepwick from Atlay Bank

Stone shed

Something to do with Kepwick reservoir?

We joined the road at a gate and walked back to the car park, past the small privately owned chapel which unfortunately is locked to the public but as I mentioned in last week's walk, it has a very interesting history.

Originally it was a mission room but it was rebuilt as a chapel by the Warner family whose only son was shot down during WWI, whilst serving with the RFC against Baron Richthofen's flying circus. His late sister was the model for one of James Herriot's characters, Mrs Pumphrey, who owned the spoilt pekingese dog Tricki Woo. James Herriot lived in nearby Thirlby and no doubt attended Kepwick Hall to treat their animals.