Wass to Cockerdale and Byland Abbey
7 miles Warm and Dry
We approached Wass from the A19 Thirsk turn off, via Coxwold, and parked our cars at the village hall where there is parking with an honesty box.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills |
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| Clive examines the honesty box |
Walking downhill towards the village crossroads we passed the tiny Church of St Thomas, which we found to be open. Tom Scott Burns doesn't mention the building but it once served as the village school and appears to have been built using stone from nearby Byland Abbey.
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| The tiny church of St Thomas |
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| Very well kept interior |
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| Organ and Confessional |
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| The Kilburn mouse appears on some furniture |
TSB does tell us, however, that Wass comes from the Middle English wathes, meaning fords, the village having two such crossings.
We walked back down to the crossroads and turned right at the Stapylton Arms, until a couple of years ago known as the Wombwell Arms.
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| The Stapylton Arms |
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| Attractive box hedge in village |
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| A Wass resident warns us against following the yellow brick road |
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| Walking out of Wass |
We walked away from the pub along a road that soon loses its tarmac and becomes little more than a track.
We passed a sign to Cam Farm and Observatory, the only sign that mentions the Observatory that we have noticed, then passed through woods with Blind Side Gill to the right and Abbey Bank Noddle to the left. This is a steady climb that suddenly becomes steeper as one follows the path off the track to the ridge of Snever Scar.
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| Entering Abbey Bank Noddle |
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| This is usually a tricky bit but dry weather makes it easy |
TSB praises the surprise view of the Vale of York from Snever Scar but that has long since been spoiled by quick growing saplings. Indeed it has become much more obstructed in the few years that we have walked here. The path leads along the ridge and then descends until it reaches a track that makes its way left uphill, just before reaching a gate and open fields.
Take the track to the left before the gate in order to see the Observatory. The woods are little walked and the paths are a mass of briars but we like to visit the Observatory, hoping that one day we will find it unlocked for our inspection and that someone has felled the saplings that obstruct the view. We find neither has happened today but the barbarians have been at the gate of the Observatory, causing damage in an unsuccessful attempt at entry.
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| Climbing Snever Scar |
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| A nice ridge walk but without views |
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| Turn left uphill just before the open fields... |
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| .... and climb once more to reach.. |
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| .. the folly known as The Mount Snever Observatory |
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John Wormald in the first year of the reign of Queen Victoria caused this observatory to be erected
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"Here hills and waving groves a scene display, And part admit and part exclude the day, See rich industry smiling on the plains, And peace and plenty yell VICTORIA reigns!, Happy the MAN who to these shades retires, Whom nature charms and whom the muse inspires, Who wandering thoughtful in this silent wood, Attends the duties of the wise and good, To observe a mean, be to himself a friend, To follow NATURE and regard his end"
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After a mooch around the Observatory we retraced our steps through the wood, back to the gate where we turned left into fields.
According to TSB these fields were the scene of the Battle of Bylands in 1322, when King Edward II was defeated by Sir Robert de Brus of Scotland. The King only escaped by 'the very pity of Christ' leaving behind in his flight the royal treasure and the crown jewels.
We walked alongside the site of the battle and then crossed fields to Cam House Farm.
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| Hard to imagine this was once a scene of battle |
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| Approaching Cam Farm |
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| ... and adjacent Cam House |
Leaving Cam House we continued through fields to reach Cockerdale wood where we descended through the trees, eventually emerging on a field before Cockerdale Farm.
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| Looking across the valley we see the chapel at Scotch Corner |
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| Descending through trees |
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| Emerging from the trees above Cockerdale House |
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| Cockerdale Farm House |
Passing by Cockerdale House we climbed up a hill where we paused to look back towards Byland Moor. It was sheltered from the breeze and made a good spot to stop and enjoy our coffee and scones.
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| After passing this wet bit we sit in the field and enjoy our coffee break |
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| The view back to Cockerdale |
After a pleasant break we set off and soon reached a track at Mode Hill where we turned right to climb sharply uphill. After a tough quarter of a mile we reached the little chapel at Scotch Corner. TSB tells how this was built by the sculptor John Bunting,with stone from an old farmhouse and that it is dedicated to three pupils who had been killed in WWII.
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| Not sure how this works, we don't think the chickens press the buttons |
We now crossed a series of linking field tracks to reach the ruins of Byland Abbey. It is still apparent what an imposing building this must have been in its day.
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| We catch a glimpse of the White Horse over to our left |
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| Walking through pleasant meadows until.. |
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| .. we see the ruins of Bylands Abbey ahead of us |
TSB tells us that the church, in itself 330 feet long, was fringed by chapels and columns, only traces of which remain. When the Abbey was dismantled in 1540 after the suppression of the monasteries by Henry VIII it housed 25 monks as well as the Abbot. An interesting webpage about the monastery, showing a reconstruction of how it looked in its heyday, is here!
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| Byland Abbey |
There are a couple of nice weather vanes in Byland Abbey, a favourite of mine is the spitfire at Mowbray House, and as we left the village we saw a duck and ducklings weather vane at Abbey House.
We left the road to join a field path at Abbey House which we followed back to our starting point in Wass.
A short drive took us to the Fauconberg Arms Hotel in Coxwold where we discussed the walk over a pint. This is one of TSB's most southerly walks and not very long but it is pretty and the Observatory, chapel and abbey give the hiker plenty to see.
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| "To TSB" |
