A Bilsdale Circular from Clay Bank

Approx. 6 miles               Grey, cool and still

We decided on a shorter walk today as I am recovering from two weeks with 'flu.  We drove along the B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley road and parked at Clay Bank car park, once the site of eight Bronze Age burial mounds which were excavated when the car park was built in 1969.

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

Walking from Clay Bank towards Spring House

We were surprised at how much snow still lay on the eastern side of the hills.  We set off walking back down the B1257 for about a hundred yards before crossing the road to enter the forestry plantation.  Our path through the trees ran steadily downhill until we came to a right fork which we followed.  This minor path led straight down hill through the trees, parallel with the road, to meet the B1257 again, near to the entrance to Spring House.  

Take the right fork

Paths appear to have been little walked since the snow arrived three weeks ago

We drop below the snow line

Spring House entrance

We turned sharply left at this junction and followed a vehicle track towards Spring House, whose residents must have been pestered by trespassers in the past as there are numerous signs warning of loose dogs and also CCTV.  Checking our route was correct on the GPS we walked confidently across the front of Spring House where an ancient tractor was blocking our path.  Squeezing past we entered a field where yellow way-marks now indicated our direction.

Welcome sign at Spring House

Yellow way-marks keep us right

Spring House

Immediately past Spring House our path runs into fields

At first there was no sign of a path and we followed the GPS across a couple of fields but soon we joined a pleasant path which took us below the Cleveland escarpment and was in total contrast to the rough terrain above.  We passed an attractive building called Broughton House and then reached the untidy buildings of Huntons Folly and a little further along the road, a farm called Solomon's Porch. 

 

Horses have made the track messy

Looking north towards Middlesbrough

Turn left here

Our track becomes a road

Broughton House

We'd like to know why the latter two farms are so named but haven't yet been able to find any information and unusually, TSB is silent on this matter.   The track continued past Solomon's Porch to a couple of buildings whose unusual signs we admired. 

The old buildings of Huntons Folly

Solomon's Porch

Intricate sign of tractor and hedge cutter

We didn't reach these cottages, instead turning sharp left to enter fields at a way-mark and begin a long, steep ascent to the top of the Cleveland escarpment.  Eventually we left the trees behind and had a clear view across Cold Moor and we rewarded ourselves with coffee and scones, sitting behind a stone wall to duck out of the chilly breeze. 

We start the long climb to the top of Cleveland escarpment

Entering the forestry tracks

Up and up

An old Romany sign meaning 'coffee and scones here'

Much refreshed we started the climb to the top of Cold Moor, surprised by a female fell runner who overtook us near the top.  She was the only person we saw on the hills today.  A cautious descent from Cold Moor on icy stones brought us to another climb, this time towards the Wainstones.

Ram and ladies on Cold Moor

Looking back from start of climb to Cold Moor

"We'll let you past...!"

From top of Cold Moor

We walk under the Wainstones

Our path veered off here to the right through an open gate and we walked towards Garfitt Gap and a farmhouse called Garfitts.  Tom Scott Burns says that the original name of Garfitts was Garthwat (in 1335) meaning 'a clearing with an enclosure on it'.   All along this path were pheasant feeders and birds complaining noisily about our presence.    Garfitts was a very pretty house despite its remote situation and we passed it by and followed the road gradually down into the valley of Bilsdale.

Garfitts Gap

Approaching Garfitts

Garfitts

Tom Scott Burns tells the story that William the Conqueror brought his army through Bilsdale on route to York, after harrying the North Riding in the winter of 1069/1070.  To William's fury the army became bogged down in deep snowdrifts and the pace was very slow through Bilsdale valley.  This story is said to have given rise to the local phrase "swearing like Billy Norman" and Billy's Dale, later Bilsdale.

Reaching the B1257 we turned left and followed the road for a couple of hundred yards before crossing to enter the gates of Holme Farm.  In The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills TSB has a photograph of Holme Farm dating from1896 which I've copied below.  You'll see that the farm hasn't changed much in 120 years!

Holme Farm in 1896

Holme Farm today

The path turns left in front of the farm and joins the old Bilsdale Road, which climbed steadily back to Clay Bank and our car.  

The old road