Caydale and Noddle End from Murton

7.5 miles                           Sunny and pleasant

We drove to Murton Grange taking the Laskill turn-off from the B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley road and parked on the roadside verge near to the lane leading to the buildings of the Grange.

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

Hawnby from our parking place

Murton Grange

Tom Scott Burns explains that a 'grange' was a farmhouse attached to a religious order and Murton Grange once belonged to the monks of nearby Byland Abbey. 

We walked past the Grange and continued straight ahead until arriving at a fork, the main lane going on to Caydale Mill but we took the right fork down into the hidden valley of Caydale.  Tom Scott Burns tells us that at this spot the last wild cat in England was shot in 1840, by a Charles Harrison. 

Straight down the lane next to Murton Grange

Bear right at the fork

We reached the bottom of the valley and crossed several streams of crystal clear water, known as 'rills'.  These are shown on the map above as Old Byland's Water Race and Limperdale Gill.  In the 1740s a Joseph Ford of Kirbymoorside perfected a system of tapping into springs and channeling water in open 'rills' some 12 inches wide.  Water was diverted by this method through Caydale from King Spring to the village of Old Byland and the straight rills remain.  

The sheltered valley of Caydale

Descending into Caydale

One of Joseph Ford's 'rills'

We cross several rills on the valley floor

We crossed the valley floor and started up the other side.  Until a couple of years ago this climb was through trees but all vegetation has been removed and the area converted to rough grazing meadow.

A consequence of this clearing has been the removal of the old 'Captain's Seat' which is shown on the map above, and which we used to pass by, although it was in a dilapidated state. We would like to know who the Captain was and why he would sit at such a remote spot.

Leaving the climb and Caydale we crossed several fields to reach the tarmac of High Leir Lane where we turned right and walked through shimmering heat to pass Weathercote Farm with its novel 'cat and rat' weather vane.

St Aelred's Trail runs through Caydale

Moving sheep on High Leir Lane

A couple of peeps on the horn has the sheep moving along nicely

Wethercote Farm

A dove acts as referee on the weather vane

After a mile we reached the junction with Cleveland Road which we crossed to follow field paths again, until reaching the high ridge of Boltby Scar. 

A long walk along High Leir Lane

Clive is overtaken by runners in a 'virtual race'

We reach Boltby Scar

We saw several runners near here and a marshall explained they were taking part in a virtual race.  Apparently this is a custom that started during Covid.  He explained that competitors run the course at their own convenience then submit times to be compared with the other runners.  A certain amount of trust is required!

Reaching the Cleveland Way next to Boltby Scar we turned right and followed the path towards the Old Barn.  We walked straight past it and crossed Sneck Yate Bank Road and continued along a forest path eventually reaching High Paradise Farm, which has a nice cafe, open Thursday to Sunday. 

Boltby down below

Following the ridge

Looking back to the site of the fort and quarry workings

The old barn has lost part of its roof since our last visit

Boltby Forest

Approaching High Paradise Farm

The cafe is open!

Coffee and scones at High Paradise

Sharing scones

After a pleasant break at High Paradise we set off towards Hambleton Drove Road, which we crossed to enter Daletown Common.

Leaving High Paradise

Cross the Hambleton Drove Road

.. into Daletown Common

At Hambleton Road we crossed straight over and walked onto Daletown Common where we continued for about two miles towards the old ruined barn at Noddle End.  

When we reached the barn we paused to enjoy a pleasant view into Gowerdale, before following the path down to reach the ruined farm of Gowerdale House. 

On Daletown Common

The farmer's been tidying up

Noddle End Barn

Looking down into Gowerdale

Easterside Hill opposite

The path now leads steeply downhill to a single deserted farmstead, Gowerdale House. 

In his 'Round and About the North Yorkshire Moors, Vol. 2' Tom Scott Burns tells us that Gowerdale House is all that remains of a medieval village, called Dal in the Domesday Book, and Daile a century later. By 1433 there were 23 tenants recorded as living in Daletown but by 1569 in Humberston's Survey the entry was 'vocatum Dale Town'. Was the village wiped out by the Black Death?

Gowerdale House below

The structure seems to be failing 

An effort has been made to give support

Look Around And Get Out!

We passed the front of the house which has the bleak message, "Look around and get out!" painted on the front door, and then followed a rising path to reach Dale Town Farm.

Dale Town Farm

Dale Town Farm

We turned right into a cow field just after passing the farm buildings and followed the faint path steeply uphill to the top of Peak Scar Top where we turned left to reach Murton Bank Road and the car.

A steep climb to the end of the walk

Looking back to Dale Town Farm, Hawnby Hill and Easterside Hill

Back to the car

Reaching the car we looked down on the village of Hawnby and its pub, The Owl.  We were soon seated in the pub garden enjoying a pint and discussing today's Spring walk.

The Owl at Hawnby

To Spring walks!