Whorlton Castle and Church from Swainby

6 miles                           Cool and fine

We parked at the road side in Swainby opposite the Black Horse Pub and crossed the bridge to walk up the High Street.  We turned left into a marked footpath behind houses that soon led to Church Lane, which we followed to Whorlton Castle.

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

Swainby

The castle gatehouse door was standing open and we went through it for a look around.  Tom Scott Burns says that the castle was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Wiruelton and had a chequered history passing from the de Mortain to the de Meynell family. In 1323 Edward II stayed there while hunting deer.   Later, in the Cromwellian period, Royalists held the castle and were bombarded from Whorl Hill by Roundheads. 

 

Whorlton Castle Gatehouse

Rear of Gatehouse - not sure if the red paint is graffiti or official

Our route would shortly be taking us to Whorl Hill but first we stopped off to look around the old Holy Cross Church which was near the castle.  The church is late Norman and partly in ruins but interesting to explore.  TSB writes that it was built on an old Roman site and pottery and other artifacts have been found there.

Holy Cross Church

Sadly we found no artifacts and leaving the church we walked up to the junction with Whorlton Lane before cutting across field tracks to Whorl Hill.  Last night's torrential rain made these tracks heavy going.  Our route turned into woods opposite a farm and we followed the edge of these woods around Whorl hill emerging near a bungalow on Bank Lane.

Approaching Whorl Hill across field tracks

Looking back at Whorlton Castle

Which way? Our path is hidden by fallen beech leaves

Walking through Whorl Hill woods

A steady climb up Bank Lane was followed by a very steep ascent through woods to Live Moor where we joined the Cleveland Way just below Gold Hill.   

Bank Lane

Emerging below Gold Hill after steep climb through woods

We join the Cleveland Way

We turned right and followed the Way to a large cairn which provided a sheltered spot for our coffee and scones and gave a good view into Scugdale to one side and down to Whorl Hill on the other.

Scugdale from our coffee stop

Whorl Hill from our coffee stop

Refreshed and still following the Cleveland Way we descended steeply down to Huthwaite Green, sliding on the muddy path whose stones were made more slippery by a covering of pine needles.  The last time Clive and I walked down this path we saw a large deer in the woods and today we walked quietly hoping to repeat the experience but saw nothing.

Approaching Scugdale on the Cleveland Way

Slippery descent to Huthwaite Green

We crossed the ford below Hollin Hill Farm and then walked over fields to join a forestry track above Scugdale beck.  The track led us to a tarmac road just above the old railway and we were surprised to see an ancient railway goods truck, minus its wheels, at the side of the road.

Old railway truck

Crossing Scugdale Beck at ford

Whorl Hill in the distance from forestry track

Scugdale, Barkers Ridge top right, from forestry track above Scugdale Beck

A pleasant walk along this road brought us back into Swainby and eventually to our car. 

Forestry track above Scugdale Beck

Looking down to Swainby

Whorlton Recreation Rooms, now Swainby Post Office

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