Walking in North Yorkshire: Raisdale

The Lord Stones to Cringle Moor and Clough

6 miles Dull and drear

There is public parking at Lord Stones during the hours of daylight. We booted up and walking past the cafe we went over to look at the faux Lord Stones which are placed to give a fine view over Carlton and Great Busby.

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

Lord Stone Cafe

Lord Stones

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.

The cafe is a Hobbit-like building built into the side of the hill and near to it is a dedication to Alec Falconer, who as 'Rambler' wrote a walking column in the Evening Gazette in the 1950s and 60s.

We set off to climb Cringle Moor, walking on the Cleveland Way, and on reaching its summit admired another tribute to Alec Falconer, this time a memorial seat and viewpoint overlooking the Tees Valley.

Fake Lords Stones

Leaving the cafe

.. and starting the climb to Cringle Moor

Pausing for breath at Falconer's Seat

The amazing view from 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 or scattered orange peel, nor daily journal littered 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 Great Broughton to Roseberry Topping from Cringle Moor

As well as writing a walking column Alec Falconer was a founding member of Middlesbrough Rambling Club in 1912 and also 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.

Tempus exploro omnis negotium - Highbrow graffiti

The path from Falconer's Seat across Cringle Moor is also part of the Cleveland Way and the Coast to Coast Walk, and has lovely views down into Cleveland. Over to the right is the tumulus of Drake Howe at 1427', which according to tradition is said to hide a gold chest. TSB explains that in order to obtain the treasure not a word has to be spoken during the excavating operation and a story is told that two men digging for the gold observed the tradition until the chest was being lifted from its grave and one of them said, "Wa hev it noo!" The chest immediately sank out of sight into the depths.

On Cringle Moor

Pausing to admire the view

Drake Howe - 1427'

After following the ridge path we negotiated the steep descent from Cringle Moor (from 'Cranimoor' - circular moor) taking 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.

Donna Cross

Turn right towards Beak Hills

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 writes that 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.

Through the gate

The track becomes a lane

Larches in their autumn colours

Larson trap at Beak Hills

Beak Hills Farm

The path makes pleasant walking, with Cold Moor to the left and a pretty patchwork of fields to the right. We walked along passing Beak Hills Farm, Cold Moor Cote Farm and eventually reached Stone Intake Farm, where we turned right off the path just before the farm buildings.

After Beak Hills the lane becomes tarmac

Scottish Blackface Ram and ewes at Beak Hills

A couple of years ago we talked to the lady farmer at Beak Hills and asked if her sheep were Swaledales. She told us that they were Scottish Blackface sheep, bigger and better for the market than Swaledales.

"I'm bigger and better!"

Cringle Moor from Pannierman's Lane

Hall Garth Farm

Hardy Belted Galloways

Pannierman's Lane towards Raisdale

Just before Stone Intake Farm cross into fields at the stile

At Stone Intake Farm 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.

Looking down to Raisdale Beck from Stone Intake Farm

Stone Intake Farm

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

Turn left for Raisdale Mill

Old Mill buildings

"Wiliam Garbutt 1819"

Useful table

We are watched as we dine

Coffee and scones

We set off from the mill, across the fields alongside Raisdale Beck. The grass was extremely wet and we splodged along until we 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 the remains of the hamlet of Clough.

Setting off from Raisdale Mill

Walking alongside Raisdale Beck

Entering sheep fields

Scottish Blackface sheep

Clough ruins

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.

After Clough the path crosses several boggy, reedy fields. 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.

Clough

Across several boggy fields

Mine workings clearly visible on Wath Hill opposite

We are led into Staindale Farm

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.