Kepwick and Cowesby from Over Silton

5.5 miles      hot and sunny

                 

  After 5 months of nursing a sore heel at last I am fit enough to return to walking in the hills.  Nothing too demanding at first, but one of Tom Scott Burns' prettiest walks in the Hambleton Hills.

 

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

We approached Over Silton from the A19 and parked at the road side.  Tom Scott Burns tells us that the name Silton probably derives from Sal (as in Up-sal) which means a Hall or important place, and Ton which is Anglian for a place or town.  We headed east out of Silton and immediately looked for a field track turning right off the road.  We walked across a couple of fields following yellow markers, our track unused and invisible in the long grass, and soon came to the very neat Greystone Farm whose fields are full of Suffolk sheep and horses.  As we passed the farm buildings we saw an open barn full of rosettes and ribbons and stopped to admire them.  "That's just a few of 'em!" said a voice behind us and we turned to see the farmer, standing with a pint pot of tea in his hand.  He told us the prizes were mainly for his 'Suffolks' and represented an 'eck of a lot of work.' 

'Just a few of 'em!'

Suffolk sheep at Greystone Farm

Greystone Farm

Clive treats a horse to a Jakeman's Throat and Chest lozenge

We left the farmer and walked past several fields of Suffolk Sheep stopping to pat a friendly horse that Clive treated to a cough sweet and which it appeared to love.  We emerged from the fields where the road enters Nether Silton and made a left onto the road shortly followed by a right, back into more fields.   Several of the fields in today's walk were full of cattle and here, after reading a warning notice on the gate of a field we had to enter, we kept to the hedge-side while many cows and a large brown bull impassively watched us hurrying by.  We passed Hall Farm and walked through overgrown fields following a path thick with nettles and briers until we came to a footbridge.  The ponds shown above on Tom Scott Burns' map, which he says were man made, are no longer to be seen.

Drat, it's still early August

We walk quickly by....

First bridge of the day

Our overgrown footpath continued to a small stone bridge over what used to be a 3.5 mile narrow gauge railway, built in 1833, that brought limestone mined near Kepwick to kilns near to the Yarm and Thirsk turnpike road.    Another field traversed and we joined Peasland Lane which we followed for a mile into Cowesby.  Cowesby Church looked lovely in the sunshine and we sat on the step to enjoy our coffee and scones.

Overgrown paths of nettles

Cowesby Church hidden behind enormous yews

That step looks ideal for a coffee stop

Walking out of Cowesby

We walked through Cowesby past Home Farm and then followed a path bearing left along the western shoulder of Pen Hill.  This path was extremely overgrown and we had to fight our way through briers until the path suddenly dropped quickly down to the village of Kepwick.  We didn't enter the village, simply crossed the road and entered more fields, the second of which was full of cattle that rushed up to the fence to greet us.  We stood on one side of the stile and the cattle on the other in a Mexican Standoff.  Minutes passed with neither side moving until Clive stepped briskly over the stile waving his arms causing a sudden stampede with the cows 'high tailing' it to the other side of the field.  We walked back across the old railway line and down to a little used footbridge over Sorrow Beck which was covered in branches from adjacent trees. 

Walking up towards Pen Hill

Footpath at side of Pen Hill

Mexican Standoff

"Move 'em on!"

Clive fights his way onto bridge

We clear the bridge of branches

Our path led across more fields and returned us to the village of Nether Silton where we passed the Old Manor House and the large monolith erected long ago by Squire Hicks and on which is carved six rows of capital letters.  Each letter represents a word which spells the following inscription.

Here The Grand Old Manor House Stood

The Black Beams Were Oak, The Great Walls Were Good

The Walls At The East Wing Are Hidden Here

A Thatched Cottage Like A Barn Was Erected 
Year AD 1765

A Wide Porch Spans A Yard And Alcove

Young pheasants near Kepwick

Happy to be hiking again!

Clive admires the monolith at Nether Silton

See text above for translation

The Old Manor House standing behind the stone

We walked past the tidy church at Nether Silton and followed our path back into fields walking parallel to Greystone Farm, crossing Kirk Ings Lane to St Mary's Church, looking abandoned in the middle of a field quite some distance from the village of Over Silton, which it serves.  TSB tells us that the church has a Norman doorway and a 14th Century bellcote and the roof beams are old ship's timbers from the yards at Hartlepool.  Leaving the church we crossed the field to the road leading back into Over Silton and our car.

All Saints at Nether Silton

St Mary's at Over Silton

Leaving St Mary's and walking towards Over Silton

 

 

Temporary Interruption in Service

 

Immediately after the last post in March I suffered a heel injury known as Plantar Fasciitis, an unpleasant and painful tear in the tendon that runs under the foot at the point where it joins the heel.  See below:
Plantar fasciitis

What makes this injury even more infuriating is that it is very slow healing, often taking up to a year.  I'll be back as soon as I am able.

Ladhill Gill and Bumper Castle from Fangdale Beck

7.5 miles                                               Grey, dry and cool

We turned off the B1257 Bilsdale Road and drove past an old green telephone kiosk to the village of Fangdale Beck where we parked at the roadside.

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

Fangdale Beck

Tom Scott Burns tells us that Fangdale comes from the personal Scandinavian name Fangi or Fangulf, giving Fangi's Valley.  It is a very quiet village, the post office next to our car is now a private house as is the old Wesleyan Chapel, which retains its original appearance.  We crossed the bridge next to the old Chapel and followed the tarmac lane around to a farm with a sign above the door inscribed Malkin Bower. (Matilda's or Maude's dwelling)

Old Wesleyan Chapel, now a house

Malkin Bower

Once past the farm the tarmac vanished and our track became a muddy path which we followed along the valley of Bilsdale, parallel to the road below us.  The path dropped down to the River Seph becoming wetter and muddier before climbing gently up to Helm House where we were met with a muddy sea around the farm gates.  We were interested to see a very old tractor and ancient road roller here, gradually surrendering to nature.

Dropping down into Bilsdale

Geese grazing in the field

Climbing up towards Helm House

Clive decides how to negotiate the mud

Helm House

Leaving Helm House our path continued parallel to the River Seph until we reached Benhill Bank where the ground finally became less muddy as we climbed towards a conifer plantation.   At the top of the bank we turned right onto a tarmac road which we left, bearing right, after a couple of hundred yards.  We now walked across fields, our path completely undetectable apart from the occasional yellow waymark. 

A ram and his ladies are indignant at our passing

Benhill Bank

Our path up through the gates

The last gate took us to the moor edge and the path became more distinct, leading from the moor gate.  Looking down to our right we saw the ruins of Bumper Castle behind a grove of trees.  TSB tells us that the castle was once part of the estate of the Duke of Buckingham and also that the monks of Rievaulx once wrought iron on Bumper Moor.  We met another track leading straight down to the valley bottom and Ladhill Gill.  Reaching the stream we sat on some convenient rocks for our usual coffee and scones, sheltered from the breeze.  Inspired by the celebrities at this week's Oscars I took a 'selfie' as I tucked into my scone.

The Moor Gate, Easterside Hill in the distance

The ruins of Bumper Castle

Walking down to Ladhill Gill

'Selfie'

Ladhill Gill

Our path took us over a fairly modern bridge and then straight up the opposite hillside to a farm named Sportsman's Hall.  TSB suspects that the name suggests a link to the sporting activities of Bumper Castle but it now appears to be a working farm, skirted by our path above.  We reached a tarmac road and turned right at the Moor Gate to walk to the information board and car park at Arden Moor.

Crossing Ladhill Gill

Upriver from the bridge

Sportsman's Hall

Hawnby Hill

Information board for Arden Moor

We turned right at the information board and walked along the vehicle track for a mile or so until we took a right fork to walk back down towards Wetherhouse Beck.  Once again we left all signs of a footpath behind and crossed a large boggy area, looking out for the rare yellow waymarks until we crossed the beck and climbed across rough ground. We reached a drystone wall which we followed until we gained the moor top.  

Wetherhouse Moor, Easterside Hill and Hawnby Hill in the distance

Heading towards Wetherhouse Beck

Looking back to the vehicle track we had just left

Rough boggy walking towards the Moor top

From here we looked down into Bilsdale and the village of Fangdale.  Our path passed through a gate and then steeply downhill by some old quarry workings and eventually emerged at Malkin Bower Farm where we turned left to walk back to our start point in Fangdale.

Walking down into Bilsdale

The original hollow lane is now full of vegetation

Quarry workings

Fangdale and the valley of Bilsdale