Caydale and Noddle End from Murton

7.5 miles                           warm and sunny

Tom Scott Burns tells us that a 'grange' was a farmhouse attached to a religious order and Murton Grange belonged to the monks of nearby Byland Abbey.  We drove to Murton Grange from the Laskill turn-off from the B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley road and parked on the verge near to the white buildings of the grange.

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

Murton Grange

We did this walk last year in thick mist but today we have sun, warmth and clear views.  Our path led us along the tarmac road past the Grange and as we walked we noticed a very strong and pleasant smell of aniseed. We came to a gate off the road, arriving at the same time as a farmer in his 4x4 who stopped to pass the time of day.  Clive asked him about the aniseed smell and he explained it was from the plants that grew at the roadside.  He said that if he drove over them the smell became intense.  (On looking these plants up at home I see that they are Sweet Cicely although now passed flowering)

We leave the tarmac at this gate

The farmer identified the source of the aniseed smell

Tom Scott Burns mentions that the last wild cat in Yorkshire was shot at this point in 1840 by a certain Charles Harrison.  We now walked down from the road into the very pretty and peaceful valley of Caysdale, crossing the stream at the base of the valley by a wooden bridge.

Looking back at Murton Grange from our path

Walking down into Caysdale Valley

The stream at Caysdale

As we climbed the other side we passed by a very old and unusable bench which is shown on the map as Captain's Seat. We wondered who the Captain was and what brought him to this lonely spot to sit.  A little further on our path turned right onto the tarmac of Wethercote Lane, which we walked for the next mile.  On the left we passed Wethercote Farm and were amused at the Cat and Mouse weather vane.

Clive eats blackberries as we climb out of Caysdale

A rest half way up

Weather vane at Wethercote Farm

We crossed the drovers road and the path followed field boundaries to the cliffs of Boltby Scar, where we saw a field of sunflowers, most unexpected on the moor top.  We reached the moor gate and turned right, walking for a short while along the cliffs we last walked from Boltby two weeks ago .  This time we went straight ahead at the Old Barn instead of turning down towards Boltby, and in a short time found a spot in the sun where we sat and enjoyed our coffee and scones.

Across Hambleton Mosses to Boltby Scar

Sunflowers on the moors

Moor Gate

Boltby lies below

Approaching High Barn

Sitting in the sun we watched a large flock of lapwings circling higher and higher on thermals until they eventually disappeared into the clouds. 

Lapwings (and dust spots on the lens!)

Much refreshed we walked on down to cross Sneck Yate Bank to follow a woodland track to High Paradise Farm.  The last time we visited High Paradise Farm there were fancy hens and piglets but now a new notice advertised a tea room and we saw tables and chairs in a neat garden.  It was too soon after our stop to be tempted, so we pressed on past the farm, soon reaching the Hambleton Drove Road.

New sign and tea room notice at High Paradise

Entering High Paradise Farm

Hambleton Drove Road

When we reached the Drove Road we immediately went through a gate on the opposite side of the byway and followed a track next to a dry stone wall which led us to Dale Town Common.  Leaving the common we gradually lost height on Gowerdale Bank and then reached a ramshackle barn at Noddle End, where we had a magnificent view into Dale Town down below.

Heather on Dale Town Common

Gowerdale Bank

Old barn at Noddle End

Our path led steeply downhill to a single deserted farmstead, Gowerdale House.  This area was the site of what was once a medieval village, long abandoned.  TSB speculates whether the Black Death visited this secluded valley. 

Walking down from Noddle End

Gowerdale House

We walked in front of the house which had the bleak message, "Look around and get out!" painted on the front door, and followed a rising path through the yard of Dale Town Farm.  We admired an old Range Rover with huge wheels which would be handy for driving in this steep valley, then climbed straight uphill from the farm, right and then left along Peak Scar Top, soon reaching Murton Bank Road and our car.

Chopped Range Rover

Dale Town Farm

Looking back at Dale Town Farm from Peak Top Scar

Boltby to Gormire Lake and Whitestone Cliff

 

7 miles                                    Cool and dry

With my heel apparently making a steady improvement we decided to try a longer walk from Tom Scott Burns' The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills, and one which we hadn't tackled before.  We drove to Boltby after leaving the A19 at the Knayton turn-off and parked at the designated parking place shown on the map.

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

We walked back into the village and turned sharply left into a lane signed Town Pasture Farm.  The lane was actually the farm track for Greendale Farm which we eventually reached and skirted around.  The track now became a green lane and led us to a farm called Tang Hall where we turned left across fields to walk across the nicely named Huggon Howl. 

Lane past Town Pasture Farm, Boltby

The lane turns into a farm track

The lane becomes an old coach road

 

Rounding a conical hill we dropped down to Tang Hall and continued to follow the old coach road towards Southwoods Hall, which we could see set among trees to our left.

Between Greendale Fram and Tang Hall

Tang Hall

Our path alongside Tang Hall

Southwoods Hall in the distance

We passed the gates of Southwoods Hall and walked along a nice path that led into trees and after a steady uphill climb, to the shore of Gormire Lake.  We were ready for a coffee by this point but saw that the next section of our walk led uphill from the lake-side to the top of Whitestone Cliff.  This climb was very steep, long and perhaps not best attempted after coffee and scones, so we decided to postpone our stop and go straight into the climb.  Our long ascent took us through a nature reserve, Garbutt Wood, and eventually we arrived at the top at Sutton Brow, where we came upon a perfectly situated bench.

The gates of Southwoods Hall

Path to Gormire Lake

Gormire Lake

The lake from our coffee stop

Two horses stood behind us throughout our break making hungry noises and before we left Clive fed them the remains of our fruit and shortcake biscuits.  As we left we thought we heard one of them mutter "cough sweet!" It certainly sounded like it - perhaps the word is getting around.  Our path now led along the top of the escarpment following the Cleveland Way with fabulous views in all directions.  Below us was the high lake of Gormire, which TSB tells us was once a glacial overflow that became blocked by a landslide. To the left was Whitestone Cliff and to the right Boltby Scar.  Our climb had been well worth it and our walk for the next couple of miles was both exhilarating and easy, on a flat good path.

Clive shares the fruit and shortcake biscuits

View towards the Gliding Station

Whitestone Cliff

Looking back towards Gormire from our path

As we followed the escarpment we saw Boltby down to our left but as we approached the ruins of an old barn the village disappeared behind trees for the rest of the walk.  On reaching the abandoned building we turned left and started our descent looking left at the bare cliff face of Boltby Scar.   We crossed the fields following  way signs in a zig-zag descent until we reached a gated bridge.  Crossing it we climbed steeply up another field, the track arriving conveniently at the road next to our car.  

The cliff path

We see Boltby below us

The remains of an ancient hill fort and the old barn where we leave the Cleveland Way

Looking back towards Boltby Scar as we descend

We decided this was an excellent walk that we would consider in all weathers as so much of it is on established paths.

Our path down, the trees in the middle of the photo hide my car

Uphill to the car

Limekiln House and the Drove Road from Kepwick

5.5 miles                               Fair and calm

Tom Scott Burns suggests that Kepwick is derived from the Scandinavian Kaeppi and Vik, so Kaeppivik which means a nook in the hills.  In Victorian times it was noted for its lime and sandstone quarries and a railway ran from Kepwick to kilns on the Yarm to Thirsk turnpike road.  We intended to park in the car park at the front of the Church Hall but we found it to be full, (more hikers?) so we parked at the roadside a little further into the village.

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

We walked through Kepwick coming immediately to the gates of Kepwick Hall where we turned left, following the tarmac road across the remains of the old railway line and then climbing slowly past French Hill Wood to isolated Nab Farm.

Gates to Kepwick Hall

French Hill Wood on right and The Nab ahead on left

Hmm, looks like another of those walks...

Cattle restraint pen at Nab Farm

Leaving Nab Farm we left tarmac behind and could see our footpath crossing through a large field of cattle before heading up towards Kepwick Moor.  Despite the threatening signs we had passed the cattle were totally indifferent to us and we crossed a beck and came quickly to the ruins of an old limekiln.

Our path crosses the field and through the gap in the wall

Our passing is noted

Approaching old limekiln

Old limekiln chimney

We now followed a green path alongside a drystone wall with fine views all round.  We could see the old workings of Kepwick Quarry across to our right.  As we climbed we came upon a group of about 20 ramblers walking down towards us, no doubt the owners of the cars seen at Kepwick Church Hall.  A steady climb  brought us to the moor gate and the ruins of an old drovers' inn, Limekiln House, where we decided to enjoy our coffee and scones in the sun.  In The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills is a photograph of Limekiln House showing ruined walls, but these have now disappeared.

Heather was at its best today

Green path on Kepwick Moor

Old workings of Kepwick Quarry

"Has it taken?" " Give it another few seconds..."

We were now on the old Hambleton Drove Road which TSB tells us was referred to as the 'regalis via' or King's Way' in a medieval document at Rievaulx, and which has probably been in use since prehistoric times.  We walked south along the Drove Road across Little Moor, steadily climbing to a height of 1200 feet. 

Hambleton Drove Road

Man or dog?  Memorial near Limekiln House

Looking back along the Drove Road

Eventually we reached the conifer plantation at Steeple Cross where we were going to turn right, leaving the Drove Road and heading onto a forestry path.  TSB tells us that Steeple Cross was referred to as Stepingecross in documents dated 1290 and was probably derived from the old English 'steapinga' - 'dweller on the slope', hence 'crossroads of the hill-dwellers'.  All round this area are Bronze Age earthworks.

Camouflage

Approaching Steeple Cross

Our path skirted a forestry plantation alongside Black Hill and then came to a fence which we had to cross to continue.  The last time we walked this route the fence had been made difficult to pass with barbed wire but we were pleased to see that the wire had been cut back to allow an easy passage.  Someone else must have been annoyed at this attempt to block a right of way!

Forestry path

Beautiful display of heather seen from forestry path

Wire cut back from our fence crossing

Our path became a sunken hollow as it crossed the flat plain of Pen Hill, then as we started to descend Atlay Bank rhododendrons grew thickly on either side for several hundreds of yards until the track levelled into a field where a gate took us onto Kepwick Village road.  We stopped to look at the church which was closely fenced all round and locked.  No room for a graveyard, we wondered if it was still used for services.  We passed the Church Hall with its now empty car park and arrived back at our car. A nice walk made even better by the scent and sight of masses of purple heather.

Looking down on Kepwick Hall

Sunken path

Rhododendrons on Atlay Bank

Kepwick Church