Exploring Scugdale from Carlton Bank

7 miles           Fine with strong wind

My first TSB walk for ages as I have been laid low, firstly following an operation and then for three weeks with the terrible cold and cough that have been doing the rounds.  Spending last week lounging in Tenerife's sun seems to have done the trick and the cough is gone at last.

We drove up the steep hill on Alum House Lane, the Carlton to Chop Gate road, and parked at Lord Stones Cafe where parking is permitted during cafe hours.

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

Leaving the car park we walked back along the Carlton road for a few yards until we reached a Cleveland Way sign. Here we turned left off the road and almost immediately turned right off the Cleveland Way to follow the wide access road for the old Gliding Club (now demolished) steadily uphill.

Turn left at the wooden signpost

.. and follow the Cleveland Way uphill

We see a large group ahead

Raisdale over to our left as we climb

Looking back we can see Roseberry in the distance

We followed a large walking group up the access track but on reaching the moor top we left them behind by turning left where a footpath sign indicates the track across the heather.  The first feature one comes to on this path is the rocky outcrop of Stone Ruck.  Tom Scott Burns explains that Ruck is derived from the Old Norse bruga meaning 'to pile or heap up', as in a cairn. 

Turn left off the access track at the sign

.. and follow a narrow path across the moor

Stone Ruck

We followed the path for a mile or so across the moor into a strong headwind until we came to Brian's Pond and once again pondered on its unusual name. Did Brian drown there or did he once own it?  The name's origin seems to be lost in time and my previous efforts with books and Google have come to nought.

On Bilsdale West Moor

Brian's Pond

A strong wind ripples across the pond

A red grouse watches us pass by

Leaving Brian's Pond we climbed steadily over Clough Gill Top, where a signpost indicates a choice of routes. We took the right fork that ascends steadily to the moor rim where we suddenly came upon the valley of Scugdale.   To one's right are the rocks of Barker's Crags and below are the buildings of Scugdale Hall.  This spot gives one of my favourite views in North Yorkshire.

Scugdale

Scugdale Hall below us

We keep to the valley top for a while

Looking over Scugdale at remains of jet mining workings

Through the gate to descend into the dale

TSB refers to Scugdale as 'the sheltered dale' from the Danish skygger - to overshadow.  

We went through a new metal gate and descended across a couple of fields to reach the dale road where we turned left to walk towards the top of the valley and High House.  Cattle have been turned out to graze freely in the north of the dale and the dales road has suffered consequently, as have all parts of the valley down to Scugdale Beck which forms a barrier to them.

The first of several dead sheep we saw today

Clive walks down into Scugdale

Barker's Crags

Linthorpe Brickworks

Evidence of Jet Mining

Head House

As we walked towards High House we looked at the hillside to our right and saw the spoil remains of jet mining.  After jet jewellery became fashionable in Victorian times Bilsdale, Raisdale and Scugdale were mined heavily.  Mining was a simple affair, the miners tunnelled into the hillside and the shale was brought out and examined for jet.  The spoil was then tipped down the hillside leaving the long piles of rubble seen above.  An interesting article here provides more information about mining in the area.

Over the years the dales road has been strengthened with stones, tarmac,  pottery and bricks and we found several old bricks brearing the name Old Linthorpe embedded in the track.  A google search shows that these bricks were manufactured in Victorian times by a George Grubb Dalton, Brick Manufaturer, Builder and Contractor, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough. 

We followed the dales road south to reach High House. TSB records that in this old farmhouse lived Harry Cooper who was reputed to be the tallest man in the world, standing at 8'6".  He left Scugdale to join Barnum's Circus in America and died in 1898 at the age of 41.

The house is currently unoccupied and its outbuildings are falling into ruin. 

Head House

The stile needs attention

Descending to the valley bottom

Just beyond the house we turned right off the lane into fields at a dilapidated stile.  This part of the walk appears untrodden but there are guiding way-marks at field boundaries and we descended to reach and cross Scugdale Beck where we found (as on our previous visit) the old bridge that continues to serve no useful purpose, having been displaced by winter storms some years ago. 

No path but head down towards Scugdale Beck

We come across occasional way-marks

We spot the stile which leads..

.. to Scugdale Beck 

and its displaced bridge

We crossed the beck and climbed up to join a faint path that took us down the valley, walking under the old jet and alum workings. When we reached some grassy banks just before Holiday House we stopped and enjoyed our coffee and scones out of the wind and in the sun, looking across at Scugdale Hall.

We wondered if the recent cold weather was responsible for the fallen sheep

Following a faint path

We cross two bridges before Holiday House

Looking at Scugdale Hall from our coffee stop

Rock climbers on Barker's Crags behind Scugdale Hall

Coffee break.  "Has it took yet..?"

After our break we walked past the strangely named Holiday House which was shown on 1940's maps as such. It seems an unusual name for the region and we would like to know why it is so called.

Approaching Holiday House

Holiday House

Leaving Holiday House we followed its long access track to the dale road, where we turned left and walked to reach the farm buildings of Fog Close. There is a shortage of way-marks here so we must follow the map. We turned right into the farm's track and then turned right again before reaching the farm buildings, before turning left and walking up the side of the farm towards Live Moor.  Here there is a waymark on the gate.

Fog Close Farm

Hardy cattle at Fog Close Farm

We spot a way-mark at last

Reaching Live Moor we followed the path along the ridge while looking down into the charmingly named and little known valley of Snotterdale, to which there is no road or path access. 

Opposite a conifer plantation our path turned left across Carlton Moor where we were soon walking on the old gliding station runway before crossing to join the Coast to Coast walk, which follows the ridge with spectacular views all the way to a trig point at 1338 feet.  

A last look back to Scugdale

Our path above Snotterdale

Snotterdale Plantation

Clive crosses the stile to Live Moor

The disused glider runway

Whorl Hill from the Cleveland Way

Following the Cleveland Way

Trig Point at 1338'

The  steep descent down to the Lord Stones Cafe

Carlton and the Blackwell Ox pub are just down the road and we were soon discussing this interesting walk that takes in one of our favourite dales over a well-earned pint.

"To Scugdale!"