Rosedale Railway and Botton Head from Ingleby Greenhow

 8.5 miles                                Fine but breezy

We parked in Ingleby Greenhow in the overflow car park for the Dudley Arms and walked back to the main road and followed it in the direction of Kildale.  The route parts from the road alongside a modern house where a signpost directs one into a narrow path between houses onto meadows.  This path has almost disappeared between vegetation and close fences. 

 

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

 

 

Ingleby Greenhow

Beautiful garden at the Old Vicarage

Turn right at the signpost

There's a hundred yards of this narrow passage

 

Tom Scott Burns notes in his Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills that the name Ingleby has been written in various ways over the years, including Angleby, Engelbi, Yngleby and Yngylby.

We emerged from the narrow path to fields and over to the right we could see Ingleby Manor which dates from 1540 and is now holiday accommodation.

 

Ingleby Manor

Turn left opposite the Manor and follow the faint field path

 

We crossed several sheep fields to reach Bank Foot Farm, situated under Turkey Nab.   At the farm we turned right to follow the old railway track.  Here, if one turns off the track soon after Bank Foot to head uphill through the plantation, you can find Lady Mary Ross's Seat, described by TSB as being at grid reference 594055.

 

Approaching Bank Foot Farm

The Grim Sheeper has returned

Bank Foot Farm

 

Lady Mary Ross' seat

Lady Mary Ross  1837

TSB explains that Lady Mary Ross was the eldest daughter of the Earl of Kildare and her daughter was married to Sir William Foulis of Ingleby Manor.  The seat might have been constructed on the path of one of Lady Mary's favourite walks, taken when visiting her daughter and son-in-law, in the days before the hillside was covered in conifers.

The seat is situated on the forest track running about 100 metres behind and parallel with our route and after seeing it one can cut back through the trees to rejoin the 'official' path.

Returning to the old railway bed we followed it for a couple of miles.  As we walked a car driving towards us stopped and the driver asked if we did the TSB Blog.  He recognised us from the photos.  If you're that driver and reading this, then 'well met'!  After chatting for a few minutes we resumed our walk passing a row of railway cottages and eventually reaching the start of the incline railway bed.

 

Two miles of level walking before the Incline

We saw a few of these Northern Marsh Orchids along the path

 

Reaching the bottom of the Incline we paused to read an Information Board about the old railway.

 

Metal representation of the old railway line

The Incline Railway in 1900

We begin the ascent!

Tom Scott Burns tells us that the old railway was completed in 1861 leading to the foot of the incline bank where the trains were loaded with ironstone.  The incline reaches a maximum gradient of 1 in 5 and a brake drum house was situated at the top.  Three empty wagons were hauled up by steel ropes as three loaded wagons descended, an operation which took 3 minutes at a speed of 20mph, regulated by the drum house.    

Leaving the information sign we started our long climb up the old incline railway.

 

Looking towards Hasty Bank from the Incline

The climb is a little over a mile

Water has badly rutted the track in places

Watching us pass by

Nearing the top and the distant sea comes into view

Old graffitti

 

We climbed steadily and passed by some old graffiti of a man wearing a stovepipe hat with a bird in front of his face.  TSB suggests that this is a satirical caricature carved by a railway navvy in a moment of inactivity.  

 

Nearing the top we sat in a sheltered spot to enjoy our coffee and scones, watching a couple of curlews who we suspect were trying to distract us from their brood.

 

Curlews

Curlew on the ground

.... and in the air

After coffee a short stroll took us to another information board at the site of the old drum house, which was dismantled in 1941. Here there is a cast iron model showing the old workings at the Incline top.

 

 

The curlews definitely want us gone!

But first we examine the cast iron model

... showing how the old railway looked

We set off once again to follow the railway bed; the railway officially closed on 13th June 1929 and now makes a nice 11 mile path to Farndale, Westerdale and Rosedale.   After several hundred yards we turned off the railway at a broad track and joined a trail leading to Cockayne Head and Botton Head. We were now walking along the Cleveland Way. 

 

11 mile path across the moor

Sadly we presume this was vandalism as the seat was securely anchored

Leave the old railway track at this right turn

.. to join the Cleveland Way

As we walked this trail, which also serves the Coast to Coast walk, we came to two old boundary posts.  The first, known as The Face Stone, is mentioned in a 1642 document for the Helmsley Estate and the second, showing a carved hand, near to Round Hill, dates from 1711.  Near the Hand Stone is the trig point at Botton Head which is located on a Bronze Age burial mound at 1490 feet, the highest point on the North York Moors.  We walked over to examine it but the view from here is not very good, even if it is the highest spot.

 

Now following the Cleveland Way

Unusual to see a mallard duck on the moors

The Face Stone

The Hand Stone, almost indecipherable because of lichen

 

Trig Point

We walked back to the wide path to continue walking across Urra Moor, which according to TSB derives from the Old English 'horh' meaning 'filth'.   Eventually we came to a new signpost where we left the Cleveland Way to bear right on an indistinct path which drops off the moor down Jackson's Bank and into Greenhow Plantation.

New sign

Ahead is Hasty Bank and the Wainstones

We pass several more standing stones, possibly old boundary stones

Eventually leave the Cleveland Way at this sign

Looking across we can see the Incline Railway and our outward track

Old mine workings

"I can see your house from here"

Clive takes a call on Jackson's Bank

After a steep descent through trees we reached the bottom of Jackson's Bank, curiously marked Clogger's Hall on the OS map, but nothing is to be seen, and then crossed Greenhow Botton to walk towards New Sheepfold Farm.  We passed several signs showing that New Sheepfold Farm have diversified into selling their produce.

Jackson's Bank bottom

Shepherd's Close Farm

Shorn sheep at New Sheepfold Farm

Soay Sheep

Lamb creche at New Sheepfold Farm

Holiday homes at New Sheepfold Farm

Tired ram

Looking back at our outward climb

 

Over to the right we could see the incline railway while ahead of us Roseberry Topping appeared in the distance.  A mile or so on and several farms further, the tarmac lane took us to Low Farm.

Just before the farm buildings of Low Farm we turned into fields that we crossed one after another, at first following a newly fenced path, but later by aiming for the yellow right of way signs on each field boundary.  

Walking through fields

... past sheep

... and horses

Eventually we reached the bridge over Ingleby Beck and we crossed into the churchyard of St Andrew's beyond it.  The church was unlocked and we went in for a look around.

 

Leave the field paths

.. and descend to 

.. Ingleby Beck

St Andrew's Church

Old carvings on the pillars

A dragon or serpent

A pig

Looking back from the altar

 

The altar window

This is an effigy of a priest (Willimus Wrelton, incumbent c.1300)

 

Leaving the church we found The Dudley Arms at Ingleby Greenhow had closed for the afternoon but a short drive took us to the fleshpots of Great Ayton, where we discussed today's walk.  We agreed it was one of TSB's best with lots to see and varied walking on hills, moors, woods and meadows.

 

"To the Ingleby Incline and all who climb it!"