Nether and Over Silton, Big Wood and Oakdale Reservoir

7.8 miles Fine and sunny

We parked at Square Corner, the moors car park which is two miles from Osmotherley on the Hawnby road.

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

Leaving the car we walked southwards along the forest path up the shoulder of Black Hambleton. Just before reaching a gate we saw the standing stone on the left which bears the inscription 'Cray Hall Stone'. The origin of this stone is shrouded in mystery (see this Megalithic Portal page) as there is no Cray Hall hereabouts. I think the most likely explanation for it is to be found here. The Ordnance Survey team mapping the area simply misunderstood the local dialect for the area, 'Crayaldstane', which is first encountered in 1150. That explains the name... but who had the stone made and erected?

Looking down to Osmotherley from Square Corner

Cray Hall Stone

Black Hambleton ahead - turn right before the gate

Turn right before the second gate dropping down to the remains of the conifer plantation, where the path, known as Moor Lane, takes one steadily downhill for about 2.5 miles. This is a pleasant and easy start to the walk. The ditches alongside Moor Lane were full of frogspawn and we paused to watch a newt feasting on it.

Loads of frogspawn

Someone's having a feast

The Common Newt

"and away..."

Clive carefully lifted the newt out for inspection then released it back to continue its dinner. We continued down Moor Lane then arrived at Rose Cottage where, just opposite and almost hidden in undergrowth, there is an ancient drinking trough.

2.5 miles along Moor Lane

Moor House

Southdown 'teddy bear' sheep near Moor House

Ancient drinking trough

The forest path becomes a tarmac lane that eventually leads to Kirk Ings Lane, where we turned left, then right, to enter the lovely village of Nether Silton.

Entering Nether Silton

Horseshoe sculpture with a real fallow deer skull

Opposite the church is a white gate next to the old post office, leaving Nether Silton through this gate, which takes one alongside a garden to reach meadows, we followed the faint path to reach the ancient and isolated church of St Mary's at Over Silton.

Leave the High Street at this gate

... and cross the stile into sheep fields

St Mary's appears in the distance

St Mary's at Over Silton

St Mary's has a wonderful display of daffodils at this time of year and an equally good display of bluebells if you visit in May. The daffodils are small and sturdy, possibly an old variety as they have been there for many years.

No road or track leads to the isolated church and it is a very peaceful place to stop for coffee and scones.

Mole trap next to our bench

An early Peacock butterfly

"Just in the darling of my youth, then death for me was sent, And you that have a longer stay, be careful to repent"

Towards the altar

Altar window

Towards the rear

No electricity in this church

The sun had woken this butterfly, we managed to release it

After looking round the church we enjoyed our coffee before reading at some of the interesting Victorian epitaphs.

In infant years obdurate death, did snatch away their vital breath, and left their parents to complain, 'till with joy they meet in Heaven again

Mary, wife of Charles who died April 16th 1788 aged 44. 'Sweet children and husband dear, live still by faith and nothing fear, But sin which is the root of strife, The seed of death the bane of life, What am I now, dust and shade, Yourselves the same, your life doth fade, This I suggest from silent urn, that whilst I speak your heart may burn, and be in flame with heavenly love, Aspiring still to things above,'

'Can love you hate, can life you kill, Can evil spring from God's good will. This is his will that widowers chaste, Should trust in God and not make haste, Accept those words. Not else I crave. Do not despise a spouses grave. And let me whisper one thing more, you and the children have in store, Treasure of sighs, tears, groans and prayers, Of which you are the rightful heirs. She that in silent dust doth sleep For you to God did often weep. Struggling with God that he might give, you grace in Christ to make you live. Hoping for this she did expire, God will you save, you shall Admire, Our pledges to thy care are given, the choicest gift of kindest heaven, Their father, mother both in thee, United now they nearly see, The soul that hindering wishes to be free, Would yet a train of thoughts impart to thee, But strives in vain the chilling hand of death.'

One gravestone dated 1788 is covered in text and is still clearly legible. The epitaphs on these old graves usually seem to leave a cautionary message for the passer-by but this long message seems to be to the husband and children of the deceased lady.

St Mary's from the rear

Owl box in the corner of the churchyard

We spent nearly an hour at St Mary's, enjoying the peace and sunshine, before setting off once more, leaving the isolated church to cross the field to Over Silton to pass the old manor house.

Through a horse field to Over Silton

The old Manor House

Wombwell coat of arms

TSB tells us that this was once owned by the gallant gentleman Sir George Orby Wombwell, baronet, who served with the 17th Lancers and took part in the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava on 25th October 1854. His horse was shot from under him and he was taken prisoner but escaped on a Russian horse to rejoin his brigade and charge again, without sword or pistol! He managed to continue to cheat death until 1913 when he died aged 81.

We passed the Manor House and walked beyond the houses to a signpost where the path leaves the road and climbs steeply into Crabtree Bank Plantation.

The next 2.5 miles were to be through conifers, sometimes on wide forestry tracks and sometimes on narrow footpaths. There are many muddy spots and care is needed.

The old school

Cottages in Over Silton

Turn left and climb steeply

... to reach Crabtree Plantation

A long woodland walk follows

Sometimes it is very muddy

... and steep!

We came to a fork in the path where we turned right through a very muddy entrance and headed immediately upwards. A steep climb took us through the Thimbleby Bank Plantation to emerge at a conifer wood below Thimbleby Moor.

Pine needles cover the path

Some parts have been recently felled

... and dense new growth makes the going tricky

We followed a distinct path into the dense trees of Big Wood and crossed a clearing where felling had taken place, to re-enter dense conifers and follow a way-marked path until we came to a slippery descent into Oak Dale.

A large felled area gives us a view of Osmotherley

Osmotherley from Big Wood

We start the descent

... sometimes tricky underfoot

... to reach a bridge over Jenny Brewster's Gill

Reaching the bottom we exited the trees and crossed a bridge over Jenny Brewster's Gill and emerged from the wood.

Tom Scott Burns explains that Jenny Brewster's Gill was named after a famous witch and was once the haunt of smugglers who peddled liquor to the surrounding villages. Several secret stills were dotted around the moors, one being at Solomon's Temple, another Wildgoose Nest, near what is now Cod Beck Reservoir and another at Swainsty Crag on Nether Silton Moor.

We now walked alongside Oakdale Reservoir which was built in the 19th century to provide water to the local area but which has now been decommissioned. The reservoir has been downgraded to a small lake that it is hoped will attract wildfowl. Nothing to be seen today however!