Walking in North Yorkshire: Cringle Moor

The Lord Stones to Cringle Moor and Clough

6 miles Windy and dry

The public may park at Lord Stones car park during the hours of daylight. We booted up and joined the Cleveland Way to climb Cringle Moor after first visiting the faux Lord Stones which are placed so they give a fine view over Carlton and Great Busby.

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

The Lord Stones Cafe

Faux Lord Stones

Memorial seat and view from Lord Stones

On the Cleveland Way and climbing Cringle Moor

Looking back to Carlton Moor

In his walkers' guide Tom Scott Burns explains that the Lord Stones Cafe takes its name from the Three Lords' Stones tumulus which is situated immediately behind the cafe. This modern name for the tumulus derives from the three estate boundaries held by the local land owning lords: Helmsley, Busby and Whorlton, which meet here. The present owners have placed a few 'faux Lord stones' on the green ridge north of the cafe.

On reaching the summit of Cringle Moor we paused to admire a memorial seat placed in honour of Alec Falconer, who as 'Rambler' wrote a walking column in the Evening Gazette in the 1950s and 60s.

Falconer's Seat

'Friend when you stray or sit and take your ease, on moor or fell or under spreading trees, pray leave no traces of your wayside meal, no paper bag ort scattered orange peel, nor daily journal litered on the grass, others may view with distaste and pass, let no-one say, and say it to your shame, that all was beauty here until you came'

View over to the Pennines from the memorial

View east towards Roseberry

As well as writing a walking column Alec Falconer was a founding member of Middlesbrough Rambling Club in 1912 and was a campaigner for walkers' rights. He was much involved in the planning of the Cleveland Way which passes this spot, but sadly died a year before it was opened.

Leaving the memorial we walked on and after about 100 yards looked down onto a rock face where long ago, in more literate times, someone carved 'Tempus exploro omnis negotium'. TSB says this roughly translates as "I'll try anything once and everything in time." but Google translates it as "Time solves all problems", which sounds more likely, though not as much fun.

Walking east from the memorial seat

We spot graffitti

'Tempus exploro omnis negotium'

After following the ridge path we negotiated the steep descent from Cringle Moor (from 'Cranimoor' - circular moor) with care on the damp stones. Passing by the old stone remains of Donna Cross we came to a wooden signpost pointing towards Beak Hills and this is where we turned right, leaving the Cleveland Way.

Looks like samples are being taken, gadgets seen in the heather

Google says TFA Dostmann are weather station experts

Clive admires the view while I examine TFA Dostmann!

Remains of Donna Cross

We reach the Beak Hills sign and leave the Cleveland Way

Donna Cross is an ancient wayside cross and is believed to mark the descent from the moor to Kirby. The letter E is engraved on the north face of the stone and F on the south, representing the landowners Emmerson and Feversham, indicating that it was also used as a boundary stone.

Turning right at the Beak Hills signpost there is initially no path but having crossed a field and passed through a gate we joined a farm track that changes from grass to grit to stone as it progresses and eventually becomes tarmac.

TSB says this was an ancient pannier-man's trod along which lime, fish, salt, jet and alum were once transported. It now connects the farms of Beak Hills, Cold Moor Cote and Stone Intake to the Chop Gate to Carlton road. We follow it for a couple of miles.

Opposite the Beak Hills signpost go through a metal gate

Cringle Moor to the right

Beak Hills Farm

The prevailing wind has defeated the union flag

Lots of pheasants here

Cold Moor Cote Farm

Hall Garth Farm

Belted Galloways

We follow Cold Moor Lane for about 2 miles

Passing Cold Moor Cote Farm we paused to admire their hardy Galloway cattle before reaching Stone Intake Farm where we turned right into a field at a stile just before the farm buildings, and descended via several fields as we dropped down to Raisdale Beck and Raisdale Road which runs between Carlton and Chop Gate.

We followed this tarmac lane for a couple of hundred yards before turning left into a drive leading to Raisdale Mill.

Cross stile before Stone Intake Farm ...

... and descend through fields

Stone Intake Farm with its large privet archway

Turn right onto Raisdale Road

Crime Scene?! at Raisdale Beck

Turn left to walk down to Raisdale Mill

Reaching the mill buildings we made use of a picnic table to enjoy our coffee and scones.

Approaching Raisdale Mill buildings

We notice this date above the door

We walk between these two buildings...

.. and we'll go through that gate..

but first - coffee and scones!

Someone covets our scones

Refreshed we set off from the mill, across the fields alongside Raisdale Beck. We soon reached a conifer plantation and forestry path which made much easier walking.

We followed the forestry track until it crosses Raisdale Beck and swings sharply left. At this point we turned right, following a yellow waymark sign into fields and towards the remains of the hamlet of Clough.

The word Clough comes from the Anglo-Saxon for a valley with steep sides and this Clough is a rather sad spot with fairly extensive ruins showing that it was once a thriving community.

Leaving Raisdale Mill

We join a forestry path

Autumn colours in Raisdale Mill Plantation

We leave the forestry track

... to enter fields and reach

The ruined hamlet of Clough

Beyond Clough the path crosses several boggy, reedy fields. Actually there is no path as such but yellow waymarks indicate the way at every field boundary. We continued straight ahead until we reached Staindale Farm where we were greeted by noisy dogs in a cage.

Yellow waymarks on field boundaries

Mine workings clearly visible on Wath Hill opposite

Staindale Farm comes into view

We walk through the farmyard

.. and chat to the residents

Sheep weather vane at Staindale Farm

In 2013 Clive and I walked past Staindale Farm and saw a sheep which had no ears. We told the farmer's wife about it and she said, "that's Lugless". She told us that Lugless was a pet and was very lucky as, having no ears, she couldn't be tagged to send for market. "She'll never end up in the freezer!", she said.

Lugless

After Staindale Farm we continued following yellow way marks through fields, soon reaching Thwaites House and shortly after, the tarmac road almost adjacent to the Lord Stones Cafe.