Hidden Scugdale

10.9 miles Mostly fine

Although this is not a Tom Scott Burns walk its originator, Harry Whitehouse, in his book called "North Yorkshire Coast and Moors, The Classic Walks" freely admits it was inspired by and developed from one of Tom Scott Burns' walks in The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills. The walk provides a thorough circumnavigation of Scugdale.

Today's walk from "North Yorkshire Coast and Moors" by Harry Whitehouse

We parked in Swainby where there is plenty of roadside parking and walked up the High Street until the road splits into Coalmire Road to the right and Scugdale Road to the left.

Novel gate on Swainby High Street featuring assorted traps

Walking along Swainby High Street

At the junction bear left into Scugdale Road

We turned left into Scugdale Road and just past the access to Mill Farm we crossed a stile to the right.

Leave the road at the stile

Clive reads warning "the animals in this field must not come into contact with animals in the next field"

We crossed the field to another stile and passed the farm, pausing to admire their peacocks and guinea fowl. Another stile and field led to the corner of Millfield House. Here we turned sharp right on reaching the buildings and walked across the field to reach another stile in a fence which we crossed before descending some steps to a bridge over Scugdale Beck.

Peacocks at Mill Farm

Cross field to the stile

... and enter Clain Wood

Bluebells in Clain Wood

The bluebells in Clain Wood were spectacular.

Clive pauses to admire the display

Crossing Scugdale Beck

After crossing the beck we climbed up to reach the remains of a dismantled railway. In the mid 19th century a railway served Ailesbury Ironstone Mine in Scugdale which was situated at Huthwaite Green. A tramway carried the ore from Huthwaite Green to large calcining kilns and the remains of these kilns are still to be seen. A few years ago we went along the disused tramway to reach the ruins of the kilns and found them almost hidden in vegetation. It was impossible to get very close to them and for those interested here are the photos from that visit.

I haven't been able to find any information about Louie Swainson

Remains of the old calcining mills which ceased work in 1890

To reach these ruins follow the old railway track for about a mile

This year we decided to stick to Harry Whitehouse's route shown in the map above and after crossing the beck we climbed straight up to reach the Cleveland Way track.

Climbing to reach the Cleveland Way track

Yellow Archangel flowering alongside the bluebells

We followed the Cleveland Way until it veers left towards Huthwaite Green, but we continued straight on, following field waymarks until we reached Harfa Bank Farm.

Follow the Cleveland Way

Nice weather vane

Bear left

At Huthwaite Green keep on across the field

... and ignore the Highland Cattle

Follow waymarks on gates and fence boundaries

Join tarmac for a while

.. climb steadily to Harfa Bank Farm

Cherry Blossom at Harfa Bank Farm

At Harfa Bank Farm we turned left and continued through fields past Harfa House Farm, to eventually turn right onto Scugdale Road, leaving it after a few hundred yards to enter the farm track for Holiday House.

Harfa House Farm

Sadly some tadpoles were stuck in diminishing puddles

Leave Scugdale Road to enter Holiday House Farm

A deer runs off at our approach

Holiday House Farm

Scugdale Hall and Barker's Crag opposite

Just past Holiday House we sat to enjoy our coffee looking across at Scugdale Hall. Refreshed we descended through fields where we were surprised to see ponies running free with no fences to contain them. This explained the horse box trailer we had noticed at Holiday House.

Coffee over, we start to descend

.. and are surprised to see horses running free

The horses showed no interest in us and we continued down to the landlocked bridge where we crossed the beck and began the steep climb to High House on the other side of the dale.

Alongside Scugdale Beck

The bridge has been landlocked for at least 10 years

Climbing to High House

Unoccupied and showing signs of neglect

High House

We then followed the broad track from High House to reach the end of Scugdale Road, which we then followed to pass Scugdale Hall.

Looking down Scugdale from High House

Spoil heaps from jet mining on the opposite side of the dale

Scugdale Hall

Looking across at Holiday House from Scugdale Hall

Passing Scugdale Hall we followed the lane down dale to Raikes Farm. Here we left the lane for a while, cutting across fields before rejoining it and passing Sparrow Hall and Sunnyside House.

We were surprised to see a Swiss Valais Blacknose sheep near Scugdale Hall

Valais Blacknose

Free range turkey and hens near Raikes Farm

Handsome turkey

Raikes Farm

Keep to the left of the fence at Raikes Farm

... and cross sheep fields

A surprise was waiting in the next field

"That's me!" This lonely bull showed no interest....

.. as we hurried through his field and left via the pinch stile

Back in sheep fields

Further along the dale road we reached the Cleveland Way once more. We joined it and where it enters woods through a gate to the right we left it once more, via another gate to the left. Felling was taking place and we watched the machine cut a tree down, strip it of bark and cut it into 12 foot lengths in seconds.

Rejoin the Cleveland Way

A change in the landscape

Our next objective, Whorl Hill

We walked through the remains of the trees of Live Moor Plantation and Faceby Plantation. Eventually our path left the woods through a gate and we crossed a field to Bank Lane, where we turned left to walk down to a stile next to a house on the left.

We crossed the stile and climbed into Whorl Hill and we were once again surprised to see another fine display of bluebells.

Bank Lane

Jacket off for the climb

Bluebells at Whorl Hill

After circumnavigating Whorl Hill we dropped down to Whorl Hill Farm and following the signposts to Whorlton, we walked along field boundaries to reach the road.

We passed the old Church of the Holy Cross and Whorlton Castle both of which we have visited and looked round quite recently, and followed the road back to Swainby and the end of the walk.