Hasty Bank, Cold Moor and Upper Bilsdale

8 miles                     Wet at first, then cool and dry

We parked at Clay Bank Car Park and walked straight to the top of Hasty Bank via the Cleveland Way footpath.  

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

Setting off up Hasty Bank

Tom Scott Burns suggests making a slight detour once the summit of Hasty Bank is reached, in order to find the enigmatic face of a lady carved on a rock wall who gazes eternally down into Bilsdale.   We took his suggestion as the last time we walked here my camera was on the wrong setting and my photos were spoiled.

Looking back down Hasty Bank

The lady and I gaze enigmatically down into Bilsdale

The Lady's view into Bilsdale

Leaving the Lady to her view we walked across the moor top to the Wainstones where we picked our way carefully through the slippery rocks before descending into Garfitts Gap and then climbing onto Cold Moor.   TSB says that the name Wainstones is believed to derive from the Saxon 'wanian' - to howl, and that the naming of the stones means 'stones of lamentation'. 

Approaching the Wainstones

On Cold Moor

On reaching the top of Cold Moor we turned left off the Cleveland Way and followed the track across the moor top for 2 miles, passing by a large cairn which marks the site of five burial mounds.    Further along our track we noticed a couple of wire traps set on pieces of wood.   One of them was on top of a stone wall and on examining the trap we saw it had been sprung and contained the remains of an unfortunate creature, probably a stoat, which had obviously been there for some time.  We hoped it met its end quickly and painlessly.

Trap

... and victim

We followed the track down from the moor until it became a hollow lane.  Unfortunately these hollow lanes are bridle-paths and so horses and bikes have right of access, and this one had been turned into a quagmire.  Stepping carefully through the mud we dropped down to reach the village of Chop Gate, our path joining the road near to an old Wesleyan chapel, almost hidden from the road.  The strange location is because the landowner, Lord Feversham, was C of E and totally against a non-conformist church being established in the dale.  However a local shop keeper sold the Methodists this plot of land and the chapel was built in 1858.  Apparently it contains an interesting harmonium (pump organ) but its doors were firmly locked today.

Entering the hollow lane

Hollow Lane to Chop Gate

Methodist Chapel

Wesleyan Chapel, Chop Gate

We turned left and followed the road through Chop Gate until we reached Seave Green, whose name is thought to derive from its owner in 1301, Nicholas del Seves.  We crossed the road and followed the tarmac track to Bilsdale Hall, admiring huge numbers of snowdrops along the verge as we walked.  On the left we passed Chisel Hill Mill which ceased operation in 1930 but became a recording studio that was used by Chris Rea in the 1980s, and is the subject of one of his songs, Chisel Hill.   Just past the Hall we found a sheltered spot that looked down into Stonehouse Cote and enjoyed our coffee and scones while watching a trio of sparrow hawks quartering the land below us. They were oblivious to us and making a terrific mewing noise, perhaps pairing up for the nesting season.

Seave Green

Chisel Hill Mill

Bilsdale Hall

View from our coffee stop

We then had a steep climb to the top of Urra Moor where we made a sharp left and followed the ridge, with sweeping views of Bilsdale below us.  As well as being the ridge of the moor we also noticed we were walking alongside the remains of an earthworks.  This earthworks stretches for 2.5 miles and its origin is forgotten, possibly defensive or it may have been an animal enclosure.  The ground became increasingly wet as we approached and crossed a beck below Maiden Spring.  

Looking back down to Seave Green

An old store house just under the moor top

Moor gate

Walking along Urra Moor towards Clay Bank

Crossing Maiden Spring

Looking down into Bilsdale from Urra Moor

Spring plumage!

Leaving Urra Moor, Roseberry in the distance

Leaving the beck we continued to follow the earthworks until we rejoined the Cleveland Way track on Carr Ridge.  We turned left and walked steeply down to Haggs Gate where we rejoined the main road for a few yards taking us back to Clay Bank Car Park and our car.

Dropping down to Clay Bank Car Park

More spring plumage!

Along the Old Drover's Road from Osmotherley

6 miles                               Mostly rain

Today's weather was much worse than forecast and we decided to postpone the 9 mile walk we were planning until next week (or until the weather is better) and do a shorter walk from Osmotherley.  We parked outside Thomson's old shop, still awaiting renovation, and famous in the area for being a general dealer's shop for 200 years.  Steady rain meant waterproofs from the start and we walked through the village, past the pinfold in Quarry Lane, now displaying a new information sign, and turned left into Rueberry Lane. 

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

Thomson's, a general dealers for 200 years

Quarry Lane in the rain

Village pinfold, where stray beasts were kept until fines were paid

Steady Climb up Rueberry Lane

A month ago I wrote here how Tom Scott Burns explained that according to tradition Osmotherley got its name following the drowning of Prince Oswy on Roseberry Topping, but TSB also notes that in the Domesday Book the village was called Asmundrelac. meaning Asmund's Clearing.  The village was ravaged by William the Conqueror in 1069 and was still described as waste land when entered in the Domesday Book in 1085.

Looking back to Osmotherley from Rueberry Lane

Lady Chapel

Leaving Lady Chapel to drop down to the Cleveland Way

Rueberry Lane led us to Lady Chapel which was founded by Catherine of Aragon in 1515.  After the chapel we dropped down to join the Cleveland Way and Coast to Coast track, climbing alongside South Wood to reach the transmitter masts of Beacon Hill.  As we walked through the silver birch trees we were surprised to see the carcass of a hare draped over the branches of a tree.

Climbing through South Wood

Dead hare in unlikely spot

Beacon Hill

Shortly after Beacon Hill we passed through the moor gate, signed Scarth Wood and followed the distinct moor track towards Scarth Nick, with the distinct shape of Whorl Hill ahead of us.  When we reached Scarth Nick we turned left into the tarmac road and walked along to the beck at Sheepwash. This is where we had planned to have coffee but the rain was heavier than ever so we turned right and walked along to the trees surrounding Cod Beck Reservoir.  We found a fallen tree sheltered from the rain and giving a good view down onto the reservoir to enjoy our coffee and scones.

Through the moor gate

Whorl Hill in the distance

We reach Scarth Nick

Looking down on the road through Scarth Nick

The view from our coffee stop

After our break we decided to vary our route slightly and instead of walking back to Sheepwash we walked alongside the reservoir before taking a left turn and walking up through the woods to High Lane and Pamperdale Moor.   High Lane is the old drover's road across the moor and we turned right and followed it to Chequers Farm.  This interesting building was an old inn and held a licence for 300 years until 1945. When it was a hostelry it was famous for keeping an old peat fire alight for 150 years!  The sign of the Inn was a chequers board signifying that it would change money for the drovers and on the sign was the cryptic message  "Be not in haste, Step in and taste, Ale tomorrow for nothing.'   As we all know, tomorrow never comes!  The old sign has been mounted behind glass on the farm wall.

Walking by Cod Beck Reservoir

We reach High Lane, the Drover's Road

Old sign at Chequers

Chequers Farm

TSB informs us that drovers used to bring vast herds of cattle from the Highlands of Scotland across the Hambleton Hills on the way to the markets of East Anglia, the Midlands and London.  Their average pace was just 2 miles per hour.  
Just beyond Chequers Farm our path turned sharp right leaving the drove road and heading gently downhill to the two small reservoirs at Oakdale where we crossed the beck by an old packhorse bridge.  On this track we were surprised to see a little 'shrine' next to the dry stone wall, dedicated from a husband to his wife.  We wondered what relevance this remote spot had for the couple.

Turn right off the Drover's Road

We pass a little shrine

Down to Oakdale Reservoir

Our second reservoir today

We walked downhill, past White House Farm, where we were amused to see a black domestic rabbit running happily with wild rabbits.

Domestic rabbit gone wild

White House Farm

Crossing Cod Beck

We crossed Cod Beck by the footbridge and climbed steeply back to the top of the bank where a walk across a couple of fields returned us to Osmotherley.  Quickly shedding wet weather gear we adjourned to the Queen Catherine Hotel to discuss the finer points of the walk over a pint of Thwaites Wainwright ale.

Osmotherley appears in the distance

Entering the village

We emerge onto the High Street