A Tour of Raisdale from Chop Gate
7 miles Fine but cool
We parked at Chop Gate Community Centre on the B1257 where there is space for many cars.
After booting up we climbed over a stile at the rear of the car park and followed a faint trail next to Raisdale Beck, across meadows towards Cock Flat Farm.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills |
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| Chop Gate Community Centre car park |
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| Stile at back of car park |
The path stays well below Cock Flat Farm, which Tom Scott Burns says comes from Kyrkflat, denoting Church field. Cock Flat Farm is a sheep farm and there were herds of sheep and a few rams in the fields nearby.
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| Reluctant to move |
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| Many sheep at Cock Flat Farm |
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| Cock Flat Farm |
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| Into the bracken, mind your feet! |
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| A bit of a climb |
Our route then wandered through several fields climbing above Raisdale (Reith's Valley, an old Norse personal name) and into tall bracken where we almost lost sight of our track.
When not distracted by the bracken we had fine views across the valley towards Raisdale Mill and above it, Barker's Ridge.
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| Low West Cote Farm |
After passing above West Cote Farm and the buildings of High West Cote Farm the track drops down to reach a tarmac lane, just before the well ordered Stone Intake Farm. Immediately after passing its buildings we climbed a stile through a hedge on our left, and descended across a field to Raisdale Road.
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| Pheasant at High West Cote Farm |
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| This pheasant was so tame we wondered if it was fed kitchen scraps |
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| Our route to come, Barker's Ridge in the distance |
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| Pheasants lead us towards... |
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| ... Stone Intake Farm and cottages |
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| We liked the Land Rover planter |
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| Stone Intake Farm |
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| Weather vane at Stone Intake Farm |
We turned right into Raisdale Road to follow the old lane across a bridge. In fact this lane is so old that TSB notes that it is referred to in the 1160 Rievaulx Charters as the 'Red Road', perhaps derived from the red shale in this area.
After a couple of hundred yards we turned left off the road at a sign for Raisdale Mill, originally built by John Garbutt in 1849, which ceased operating in the 1920s.
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| Leaving the lane next to Stone Intake Farm |
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| Raisdale Mill buildings |
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| At Raisdale Mill |
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| Raisdale Mill |
We walked past the restored buildings, now attractive homes, before turning sharp right into what Tom Scott Burns describes as 'a most beautiful green lane.' Sadly it is a green lane no more, however motor vehicles are now banned and so in a few years it might be restored to its former glory.
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| 'Green Lane' next to Raisdale Mill |
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| Following the old lane up towards the moor |
We reached the top and Barker's Ridge, with the rocky outcrop of Barker's Crag to our right. We followed the ridge to pass by High House and continued climbing until we came to a gate on our left. Here we went through the gate and settled down behind a stone wall to enjoy our coffee and scones in the lea of the wall, with a fine view back ov our walk so far.
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| High House Farm |
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| Slow steady climb to the moor.... |
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| .... and coffee and scones! |
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| Our coffee-break view back into Raisdale and beyond |
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| Stone Intake Farm below |
After coffee we resumed the walk along Barker's Ridge towards the head of Scugdale. After half a mile or so we came to a surprise view of Scugdale and paused to pick out Holiday House and Scugdale Hall before resuming our march across the moor.
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| Grouse watches us pass by |
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| Still climbing as we cross Scugdale Head |
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| Looking for new shoots in the burnt heather |
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| A surprise view into Scugdale |
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| Old mine workings at Scugdale |
This is a 2.5 mile march across the moor which we thought a trudge 18 months ago when we last came this way. This time our walk was made interesting when we saw what appeared to be the remains of an old building, about 50 yards from our path. A Google search on these remains found the following:
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| Roseberry briefly appears in the distance |
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| Take the right fork |
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| Concrete foundations |
This states that the purpose of the foundations is unknown but believed to be military, possibly a decoy station from WW2.
Our path eventually led us to Head House which we have seen change over the years, from a ruin, to a store where game bird feed and equipment is kept. The building is never locked so is a useful shelter in rainy weather. Today we passed by without stopping.
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Bilsdale Mast in the distance
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| Head House |
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Path above Head House
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In TSB's map (above) he shows three stone walled fields adjacent to Head House and in the last corner of the third field we saw the solar powered screen of the earthquake detector we first spotted in early 2017 when we walked here. On that occasion, after describing it in this blog I was sent a link to the actual detector records (thanks Paul!) and we were able to see when we had passed it on the graph. This time I jumped up and down a couple of times and made a note of the time, 1.04pm!
To see the graph, first click on 'Real-time Data' in the left column, then in the 'pull down list' on the left choose AT10 Snilesworth, then on the right 'pull down list' for dates, choose 03/10/19 and then click the View button. There you see my jumping up and down shown clearly on the black line although alongside 12.04pm as the detector is set to GMT and not GMT+1.
After this interesting diversion we resumed our tramp across the moors, dropping down to Arns Gill where we crossed the stream with a jump. The path took us by an ancient rowan tree, fallen but still alive and described in the '80s as 'weathered' by TSB.
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| Crossing Arns Gill |
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| Weathered Rowan |
A long climb up Trennet Bank ended at a memorial stone and a fine view down to Chop Gate. A number of hollow-ways descend Trennet Bank to Chop Gate, which TSB says were worn over many centuries by sledging turf from the moor tops for fuel.
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| Approaching Trennet Bank |
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| Trennet Bank memorial stone |
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| Trennet Bank panorama of Bilsdale |
These turf tracks led us directly to the car park below.
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| Looking down into Bilsdsale, Chop Gate below |
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| Long descent through hollow-ways |
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| Post walk de-brief at Lords Stone |
