The Lords Stones to Cringle Moor and Clough

6 miles         Cold and bright

We parked at the newly refurbished Lords Stones Cafe.  The name Lords Stones is taken from the ancient tumulus situated behind the cafe, close to the road.  Tom Scott Burns tells us that the modern name is derived from the three estate boundaries, Helmsley, Busby and Whorlton, which all meet at that tumulus.

Tom Scott Burns' map of today's walk

The new Lords Stones Cafe

 Looking back towards Lords Stones from Cringle Moor

Falconer's Seat

We walked through the cafe grounds and then turned right to climb up to the summit of Cringle Moor, often called Falconer's Seat and named after Alec Falconer, who I can remember writing the 'Wayfarer' column in the Saturday Evening Gazette in the 1950s.  We paused to admire the view then walked on and after about 100 yards looked down onto a rockface where someone had carved 'Tempus exploro omnis negotium', which roughly translates as "I'll try anything once and everything in time."

Cringle Moor

View towards Roseberry Topping from Cringle Moor

 'Tempus exploro omnis negotium'

We followed the National Parks stone path down to the col between Cringle and Cold Moors and walked past the stone plinth which is all that remains of Donnas Cross which TSB says is mentioned in the 1642 records of the Helmsley Estate.  

Descending from Cringle Moor

Crow trap near larches on Cringle Moor. Curious birds enter for bait and cannot get out

Looking over at Cold Moor

Remains of Donnas Cross

Just past the cross we turned right into an old pannierman's trod which we followed for a couple of miles until we reached a yellow waymark and turned off just before Stone Intake Farm.  

Cattle grazing between Cringle and Cold Moor

We walk boldly through but is that a......!

The Pannierman's Trod

From Pannierman's Road to Raisdale

We are told off as we pass Cold Moor Cote Farm

Leaving the road near to Stone Intake Farm

Our path across meadows has been little walked

We walked steeply downhill across a couple of fields to Raisdale Beck, and rejoined the road before quickly turning into Raisdale Mill where we saw a convenient seat for our coffee and scones.  Facing us was a sign tempting us to enter an enchanted swamp!

"Not today, thank you"

Raisdale Mill

Alongside Raisdale Beck

We walked away from the mill along fields next to Raisdale Beck, which we then followed through a stretch of forest and more fields until we turned uphill to reach the ruined sheep farm at Clough.

We inspect the ruins of Clough

Path through a wet meadow

From Clough we walked across more meadows including one of soft rushes that was very wet underfoot. These meadows are full of sheep and we remembered the last time we walked through them in Spring when we saw a sheep that had no ears!   Shortly afterwards we met the farmer's wife at Staindale Farm and told her about the sheep.  "That's Lugless." she said.  She told us that Lugless was a pet and was very lucky as, having no ears, he couldn't be tagged to send for market.  "He'll never end up in the freezer!", she said.  

"Lugless"

 

Show us your ears!

Walking through Staindale Farm last Spring

We walked through field after field of sheep but there was no sign of Lugless although he could have been hiding in the crowd. 

The track soon led us to Thwaites House and then back to Lords Stones where we had a look at the new cafe and shop.  It is now a very smart establishment and we felt more comfortable sitting outside in our dirty walking gear whilst enjoying a coffee and reflecting on our walk.  

Thwaites House

Looking towards Falconer's Seat from Thwaites House

No muddy boots please!

Inside the new Cafe and shop at Lords Stone

One of the camping pods at Lords Stone Cafe

The Drove Road and Windygill Ridge from Boltby

 7 miles        Cool and fair with good visibilty

We parked in Boltby for today's walk, approaching the village from the A19 and the Knayton turn-off and parking 200 yards east of the village where there is a hard standing. We continued walking east along the road until we reached the lane to Lunshaw House Farm.  We turned into that lane and left it immediately to cross sloping fields to woodland which leads to a stone crossing of Lunshaw Beck.

 Today's walk from A Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills by Tom Scott Burns 

 Leaving the lane to Lunshaw House Farm

 Across meadows to woodland

Above Lunshaw Beck

Crossing Lunshaw Beck

After the beck there was a steep winding path that led us to Low Paradise Farm where we chatted to the farmer's wife about the weather.  As we walked away she shouted, "Watch out for the hounds, my husband's exercising them."    I told Clive that she was obviously uncertain about us and saying this was a way of letting us know her husband was about.

Little and Large, horses at Low Paradise Farm

The Vale of Mowbray

 Low Paradise Farm

We continued to climb, admiring the views of the Vale of Mowbray when we heard a man shouting "Come back!"  and looking into a field saw three large hounds running towards us.  The farmer's wife had been telling the truth.   They cleared the gate in a bound and ran straight to us, jumping up as we tried to fend them off.  The man continued his distant shouting to no avail but fortunately the dogs were not vicious, just very dirty!  Eventually we broke free and the dogs ran back to their owner and we continued our climb to High Paradise Farm, which we had walked through a few weeks ago.  The piglets that we had admired and photographed then were now growing fat and sleek and had been separated from the old sow, who was observing proceedings from the other side of a fence.  We watched them happily rooting through the leaves before walking on to join the old Drove Road.

"Down Boy!"

 Dogs run free

High Paradise Farm

 Truffle piglets

As we walked towards the Drove Road we came upon two calves wandering freely on the path, whether by design or accident we didn't know, but they seemed happy enough.   We passed them and walked along the old Hambleton Drove Road to Steeple Cross where we sat down under the Cleveland Way sign to enjoy our coffee and scones, looking out over the bleak and empty moorland.    Although is was definitely bleak it was not completely empty, however.  There was the wooden Cleveland Way sign under which I was sitting and which, as I jumped to my feet, knocked me brainlessly back into my sitting position again.  When Clive had finished laughing we set off, turning immediately left into a forestry track that runs alongside a conifer plantation.

Calves on the track

Hambleton Drove Road

Steeple Cross was mentioned in 1246

We emerged from the forestry plantation at Gallow Hill where one can stand on an ancient tumulus and look down onto Cowesby.  We turned left here into Windygill Ridge and walked with trees on one side and a good view of the Vale of Mowbray on the other.  

A casualty of last week's 'Great Storm'? 

 Looking across towards Silton

Immediately below is hidden Kepwick and to the left, Cowesby

As our trail passed Seta Pike, a small hummock, it started to descend through the trees.  We crossed wide forestry trails as we took a direct route downwards towards Boltby, and at the side of the track we saw a dead mole, still fresh, and wondered what had happened to it.  There was no sign of injury, had it felt unwell and emerged from its tunnels to die?  

 Descending from Windygill Ridge

 Faint track through Boltby Forest

What happened to the mole?

We emerged from the trees and crossed meadow after meadow, until we saw the pantile roofs of Boltby below.  We emerged into the village at the west end and walked along the main street admiring the old cottages before climbing steeply back up the hill to our car.   As usual a fine walk.  Tom Scott Burns never lets us down!

Walking down into Boltby 

Boltby Village

Old pack horse bridge in Boltby