Walking in North Yorkshire: "Oakdale Reservoir"

Nether and Over Silton, Big Wood and Oakdale Reservoir

7.8 miles Fine and dry

This is one of my favourite Tom Scott Burns walks that has a bit of everything, moors, villages, woods and even an old reservoir. We usually walk it in Spring so we thought it would be interesting to see how it looks at this time of year.

We parked at Square Corner, the moors car park which is two miles from Osmotherley on the Hawnby road.

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

Clive looks towards Black Hambleton

Leaving the car we walked southwards along the forest path up the shoulder of Black Hambleton. Just before reaching a gate we saw the standing stone on the left which bears the inscription 'Cray Hall Stone'. Tom Scott Burns says that he has been unable to find any further information about this old boundary stone or the hall it refers to, and the best information we have found is at the Megalithic Portal where there is an interesting page discussing it. As you will see mystery still surrounds it. Another, I think, far more likely and interesting explanation for the name and origin of the stone is to be found here. Ordnance Survey misunderstood local dialect pronunciation of the name 'Crayaldstane' which is first encountered in 1150.

Cray Hall Stone

Cray Hall Stone is just before you reach this gate

Passing through a gate we continued uphill to the next gate where we turned right off the main track dropping down to the remains of the conifer plantation, where the path, known as Moor Lane, takes one steadily downhill for about 2.5 miles. This is a pleasant start to the walk.

Looking down at Osmotherley as we climb Black Hambleton

We walked through through conifers, passing the ruins of a lime kiln and then stood for a while watching farmers setting up a mobile sheep dip.

Lime kiln in Moor Lane

Waiting their turn

We passed imposing Moor House then arrived at Rose Cottage where, just opposite and almost hidden in undergrowth, there is an ancient drinking trough.

Moor House

Ancient drinking trough

Rose Cottage

The forest path becomes a tarmac lane that eventually leads to Kirk Ings Lane, where we turned left, then right, to enter the lovely village of Nether Silton. We followed the lane to reach All Saints Church which is open to the public.

North Farm, Nether Silton

Horseshoe stag at North Farm

Silton Hall

All Saints, Nether Silton

All Saints is a chapel of ease that was rebuilt in 1812. Such a chapel is built for the convenience of parishioners who would find it difficult to access the main church, in this case isolated St Mary's which we would pass by shortly.

Tom Scott Burns explains that wood used in the altar rails and other refurbishments was presented by a R M Jaques, and were from HMS Dreadnought of Lord Nelson's day.

Looking towards the altar

The rear of the church and its unusual balcony

Attractive modern window featuring snipes and curlews

We left the church and immediately turned off the road at a white gate opposite, just near to the post box. We followed a narrow track behind houses to reach open fields.

Through the white gate...

... and follow the path between the houses

... to a faint path through fields

After crossing several sheep fields we came to the ancient and isolated church of St Mary, Over Silton, standing alone in the middle of fields without any path leading to it. In Spring the churchyard has a fine display of daffodils, followed by bluebells in May, but today's colour was provided by a large stand of Rosebay Willowherb.

Over Silton comes into view

Crossing the Hawnby road, St Mary's in the distance

St Mary's Church, Over Silton

This is a peaceful place and we sat on the Jubilee Bench to enjoy our coffee in the sun.

Coffee at St Mary's

Refreshed, we entered the church for a look around. No electricity here and candelabra, probably made by the local blacksmith, hang from ancient timber beams.

Looking towards the altar

Altar window

The Cross Keys were used to symbolise St Peter

The zig-zags are of Norman design

Leaving the church we walked round the graveyard where there are numerous interesting epitaphs. Here are just a couple..

In infant years obdurate death, did snatch away their vital breath, and left their parents to complain, 'till with joy they meet in Heaven again

Mary, wife of Charles who died April 16th 1788 aged 44. 'Sweet children and husband dear, live still by faith and nothing fear, But sin which is the root of strife, The seed of death the bane of life, What am I now, dust and shade, Yourselves the same, your life doth fade, This I suggest from silent urn, that whilst I speak your heart may burn, and be in flame with heavenly love, Aspiring still to things above'

We walked across the fields away from the isolated church and towards the village of Over Silton where we passed by the old manor house. TSB tells us that this was once owned by the gallant gentleman Sir George Orby Wombwell, baronet, who served with the 17th Lancers and took part in the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava on 25th October 1854. His horse was shot from under him and he was taken prisoner but escaped on a Russian horse to rejoin his brigade and charge again, without sword or pistol! He managed to continue to cheat death until 1913 when he died aged 81.

The Old Manor House

Entering the village

The old schoolhouse, built by Sir George Wombwell

House in Silton

We walked out of the village to Crabtree Plantation where a signpost indicated our path to the left, steeply uphill.

Entering Crabtree Plantation

.... and climbing steeply

The next 2.5 miles were to be through conifers, sometimes on wide forestry tracks and sometimes on narrow footpaths. The first mile or so was a steady climb and as we neared Thimbleby Shooting Ground, a clay pigeon gun school, we walked to the sound of many guns echoing up Thimbleby Bank.

Thimbleby Plantation

The first signs of forestry work

Osmotherley in the distance

We followed a distinct path into the dense trees of Big Wood and crossed a clearing where felling had taken place, to re-enter dense conifers and follow a way-marked path. At one point a large dragonfly buzzed around us, too quick for my camera to catch, but then obligingly landed on a nearby pine tree. A Google search on the image would suggest it was an emperor dragonfly.

"Wozzat?"

Emperor posing. About three inches long

We reached another cleared area of forest and then struggled along a narrow path through new growth to a further clearing. Big Wood will be a misnomer if they keep this up.

Big Wood

Cleared area

Struggling through new growth

More clearing

Osmotherley below

Eventually we came to the end of the felling, just as we turned right in Big Wood above Oakdale Lower Reservoir and we exited the trees to make the steep descent to the bridge over Jenny Brewster's Gill.

Clearance work behind us

The tricky descent to the bridge

.. over Jenny Brewster's Gill

Tom Scott Burns explains that Jenny Brewster's Gill was named after a famous witch and was once the haunt of smugglers who peddled liquor to the surrounding villages. Several secret stills were dotted around the moors, one being at Solomon's Temple, another Wildgoose Nest, near what is now Cod Beck Reservoir and another at Swainsty Crag on Nether Silton Moor.

We crossed the bridge and left the wood to climb to the reservoir service track, which we joined to follow towards what used to be the upper reservoir. Oakdale Reservoirs were built in the 19th century to provide water to the local area but have been decommissioned. The upper reservoir has been downgraded to a small lake that it is hoped will attract wildfowl, but no wildlife was to be seen today.

Following the reservoir service track

Big Wood to our right

Oakdale Reservoir, now a lake

After passing the upper reservoir we descended to cross Jenny Brewster's Gill once more before leaving Oak Dale and climbing steeply back to Square Corner and the car.