Boltby to Gormire Lake and Whitestone Cliff

7 miles                  Fine and very hot

With the temperature predicted to reach 28 degrees by lunchtime we reached Boltby via the A19 Knayton turn off and drove through the village and up a steep hill to the small designated car park at the side of the road.

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

Cottage in Boltby

Years ago we used to see the two dogs depicted on the weather vane barking at the gate

 

We walked back into the village from the car park and turned left into a lane.  

Tom Scott Burns explains that Boltby is of great antiquity and is mentioned in the Domesday Book as the property of Hugh, son of Baldric.

We walked up the lane past the last of the houses and crossed Boltby Beck at a bridge. We then went through a gate to follow first a faint track and then a cart track over the shoulder of Little Moor to drop down to Greendale Farm.

 

The lane changes to a track

... and drops down to a stream

... then begins a climb to the woods opposite

Entering Cow Pasture Wood

Through the woods and we look down from Little Moor to Greendale Farm

Our path skirts Greendale Farm and its dead Ash tree

We walked down to Greendale Farm but bypassed it to the right, joining the farm track which led us quickly to Tang Hall Farm.  At Tang Hall we turned left before reaching the buildings and entered fields.

 

Whistle nonchalantly and keep walking 

Turn left just before the buildings of Tang Hall

Tang Hall looking a bit overgrown and neglected

More cattle fields after Tang Hall

 

After crossing a large field we joined a stony bridleway, once an old coach road, which crosses Huggon Howl to Southwoods Hall.  This bridleway was fenced several years ago and planted with hedges that in a few years will hide the hall completely.

 

It seems no time since Clive and I were chatting to the groundsman planting these hedges

Zoom image of Southwoods Hall

Once we reach the hedge in the centre of the photo the hall disappears from view

Small lake opposite Southwoods Hall

 

Southwoods Hall is a very grand place which was once the home of Seigfried Farnon (whose real name was Donald Sinclair), made famous by the James Herriot books.  Sinclair married into money, his wife Audrey Adamson came from a wealthy shipbuilding family and it was her money that bought their home.  Strangely TSB doesn't mention James Herriot in any of his guides.

 

Clive looking ahead for deer. We have seen them here on previous walks

Gated entrance to Southwoods Hall

The new fencing stretches past the hall to reach the trees at Midge Hole Gate and the gated south entrance to the hall.  We now turned into South Woods on a forest path which we followed to reach Southwoods Lodge.

 

 

In South Woods

Southwoods Lodge

Eggs at Southwoods Lodge. I bought 6 large, very nice too.

Next to Southwoods Lodge is the entrance to the privately owned  Garbutt Wood and we followed the track to Gormire Lake, where we found a comfortable spot for our coffee break.

 

 

Blissfully peaceful

There are two terraces around Gormire and TSB explains that these were once shorelines when the lake was much deeper.  It is often described as bottomless but is actually about 27 feet deep in the centre and covers about twenty six acres.  Tradition has it that a town stood here which was destroyed in an earthquake, but the lake is actually the result of a glacial overflow channel being blocked by a landslip, hence its position up a hillside.  No streams flow from it and its waters are mainly supplied by rain and diminish with evaporation.  A major landslip happened here on the 25th March 1755 which was described by Rev John Wesley as 'like many cannons or rolling thunder'.

 

The lake and surrounding woods were sold a few years ago for £500,000 and the current owner has chosen to remain private, a problem for anyone wishing to obtain fishing rights. It is known however that the current owners are very protective of the lake.

  

It was blissfully peaceful to sit by the lake in the sun but finally it was time to go, and leaving the lake we climbed straight up through Garbutt Wood to reach Sutton Brow.  This is a steep half mile diagonally up the side of the bank with views to the south across Happy Valley to Hood Hill Plantation.  

 

Clive starts the climb

We spot Hood Hill through a gap in the trees

The view from the top

 

Reaching the top there is a fine view down to Gormire Lake and over towards Roulston Scar.  After catching our breath we set off past Whitestone Cliff, still enjoying James Herriot's "best view in England" from various vantage points.

 

We look down on Gormire through a heat haze

Mad dogs and Englishmen.  Clive goes "Full Lawrence of Arabia"

The best view in England, according to James Herriot

Looking east from the same spot

We now had a three mile walk along the ridge, passing the remains of several tumuli to our right with fine views at all times to the left,  over Thirlby and then Boltby.

 

Walking along the Cleveland Way

Passing by some dead ash trees

We don't know whether these white flowers were a crop or wild flowers

Raventhorpe Manor through a zoom lens

Boltby below, Ravensthorpe Manor top left

The old barn comes into sight

 

Eventually we passed by the remains of an old hill fort and quarry and reached the derelict High Barn where we left the ridge at a sign, turning left to descend towards Boltby.

Aproaching High Barn

Turn left at this sign

... and descend

Remains of an old quarry and fort

A steep downhill took us past Hesketh Grange Farm, over a couple of bridges and then steeply back uphill, towards Boltby and the car park.

 

The sheep are too hot to move

My faithful old Tuareg guide respectfully holds the gate open 

Crossing Lunshaw Beck

The last climb of the day

Looking back, High Barn is among the trees on the skyline

This is a very straightforward walk to navigate with fine views and ideal for a summer's day.  There is no pub in Boltby so a short drive was necessary before our debrief.

 

"To Summer Walks!"