The lost village of Pinchinthorpe from Newton

7 miles                        Grey and drizzle

As the weather is so cold and miserable and the hills are covered with low cloud and drizzle, we decided on this walk which we haven't done since 2013.

We parked in the layby at Newton under Roseberry and walked through the village past the Kings Head pub to the pay and display car park at the other end of the village.  Our track leaves the main road here and goes directly towards Roseberry Topping which dominates the skyline.

 

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

The old village hall at Newton

Turning towards Roseberry Topping

This track was very muddy and we were pleased when we reached the gate into the woods under Roseberry where we turned left.   Our track now follows a hedge up to Roseberry Common towards Bousdale Hill, where we kept left and walked towards a conifer wood in the distance.  This is Hanging Stone Wood and we turned left into a field just as we reached it.

Walking towards Hanging Stone Wood

Bright display of bluebells

Looking back at Newton under Roseberry

Newton under Roseberry below us

The east side of Roseberry behind us

Bousdale Hill ahead

We left the path at a field gate and walked alongside a rape seed crop before turning right at the bottom of the field where our path led us to Bousdale Farm.  The buildings appear unoccupied while renovations are being carried out.  Tom Scott Burns explains that Bousdale Farm was built to house Sir Joseph Pease's thoroughbred hunters. There was no water supply so Pease introduced a syphon system using a huge boiler which had done service in the first steamship that berthed in the Tees.

The old stables are an interesting design and it looks as if there are plans to adapt them for holiday homes.

Hanging Stone Wood ahead, we turn left through the gate

Follow the field paths

The unmistakable profile of Roseberry Topping in the mist

Bousdale Farm

The old stables

The unusually shaped building

After the farm our path crossed a field before following the field edge until a forestry track was reached.  This gently descended to meet the old disused railway track to Pinchinthorpe station.

Following field paths

Descending the forestry path

Newt sculpture near the station

Pinchinthorpe is an old village. TSB relates that the Domesday Book says Ulchil possessed a manor of 3 carucates, which is the amount of land that could be ploughed in a year using one team, between 60 and 180 acres depending on soil quality, at Torpe. The village's present name comes from the Norman family name of Pinciun who held the land in the 12th century.

We stopped at the cafe here and enjoyed coffee and scones.

 

Approaching the cafe on our right

The old station, now houses

Showing how the station looked in 1964

After leaving the cafe we walked along the old railway track that used to run from Middlesbrough to Guisborough, past the old station, all the time with a fine view to Roseberry Topping on our left.

The old railway track

Pinchinthorpe Hall and Roseberry to our left

We leave the railway track by the side of this small pond

We left the old railway track and passing a small pond on our right, we looked across to our right at the strangely named Spite Hall.  TSB says that it was well named because it was built by a younger son to obstruct the view of his elder brother who had inherited Pinchinthorpe Hall, across the fields.

We crossed a couple of fields towards the Middlesbrough to Whitby line, which is still operational and as we reached it followed the line, staying to the left hand side of the track.

The Middlesbrough to Whitby railway line

We followed the railway for a couple of fields and then climbed a stile to cross diagonally towards Nunthorpe Stell.  This meant walking through a field of very frisky bullocks who galloped off as we walked towards them.

We admired the stell from the bridge before entering another field of cattle, this time young heifers.  To our surprise the cattle did not run away but stood challenging us.  We waved our arms and they backed away but as we started to cross the field one heifer charged at us.  Clive waved his arms and I waved my walking pole and shouted and it veered away, but came back again and again as we crossed the field.  None of the other cattle bothered but this particular beast was determined to see us off.  We were glad to get out of the field.

Nunthorpe Stell

I politely let Clive go first

Come on girls, we want to be through there

The rogue heifer stalks us across the field

Shoo cow!

We walked across a field towards Snow Hall Farm. TSB wonders at the origin of this name and guesses that it derives from Ann Snowdon who lived there in the 1890s.

Pond at Snow Hall Farm

Suffolk lambs at Snow Hall

Ram alone in adjacent field

The lane quickly led from Snow Hall Farm to Newton and the ancient St Oswald's Church.  We had a look around the walls of this interesting old building and admired the Anglo-Saxon carved stone set in the tower of the church showing a dragon and some sort of quadruped.  Tom Scott Burns says that this stone was actually described in an eleventh century book called 'Bestiaries'.

TSB notes that until the dissolution of the monasteries this church was run by the monks at Whitby but was made a parish in 1539.

There were some ancient gravestones, some too old to read but we were disappointed to find the church locked.

St Oswald's Church

The old hall, Newton

Stone coffin

Anglo-Saxon stone carving

Even the lych-gate is a listed building!

Clive admires the lych-gate

Across the green from the church stands The King's Head and we wandered over and were made welcome despite our boots and wet leggings.  We sat with a pint of Black Sheep Holy Grail and discussed the day's walk.

 

 

New Blog!

I've made a photo blog of our recent walk, The Inn Way to the North York Moors, the 89 mile circular walk devised by Mark Reid.

If you're interested it's here!

The Inn Way to the North York Moors

Hasty Bank, Cold Moor and Upper Bilsdale

 8 miles                         Fine and still

We parked at the top of Clay Bank and crossed the road to climb Hasty Bank, but instead of following the Cleveland Way to the top, we branched left on a small track that wound its way upwards to reach the Old Quarry, shown on the map below.

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

The reason for this diversion was that we wanted to pay our respects to 'The Lady of Bilsdale', described by Tom Scott Burns  as 'the enigmatic face of a lady carved on a rock wall who gazes eternally down into Bilsdale'. This ancient stone face was carved into the side of the Old Quarry, perhaps by one of the workers.  The track led us around Hasty Bank and we came to the quarry on our right and walked over to admire the Lady and share her view of Bilsdale.

Looking back to Clay Bank as we climb Hasty Bank

We take a small track climbing to the left...

... which leads us to Old Quarry

... and The Lady of Bilsdale

The Lady's view of Bilsdale and Clive

Old Quarry

Leaving the Lady we walked across the moor top to reach The Wainstones, where we picked our way carefully through the rocks before descending into Garfitts Gap and 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'.  Fortunately there was no wind to howl through them in today's still weather

Swathes of bluebells in the fields below

We follow the track through bilberry bushes...

... to reach The Wainstones

The Wainstones

TSB mentions his favourite graffitti found on The Wainstones is 'RO WOOING TD 1712' but we have yet to come across it.

The Wainstones from Garfitts Gap

Lambs on Cold Moor

We walked along the summit of Cold Moor (1318') for 2.5 miles with a fine view as far as the Pennines over to the west and Roseberry Topping and Easby Moor to the east.  Eventually we took a clear fork to the left, taking us gently down to the village of Chop Gate.  This track is known as Cold Moor Lane and we passed through a gate where our path became a hollow lane.  TSB says that it is possible that this passageway was established by prehistoric man and has continued in use throughout history to the present day.

Approaching the summit of Cold Moor

Looking down at Seave Green, the red pan tile roof of Bilsdale Hall at 9 o'clock

Leaving Cold Moor

Cold Moor Lane

The ancient hollow lane to Chop Gate

The usually muddy path was quite passable after the recent dry spell and we were delighted to find it full of wild flowers.  We soon reached Chop Gate where we emerged at the old Wesleyan Chapel which is almost hidden between houses. The reason for the strange location of the chapel is that 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.  TSB reports that it contains an interesting harmonium (pump organ) but its doors were firmly locked today and a 'For Sale' notice indicates that sadly there is going to be a change of use for the building.

Weather vane at Chop Gate

The rear of the chapel

The front of the chapel

War memorial at Chop Gate

TSB says that the name Chop Gate is thought to be derived from the old Scandinavian term kaup meaning pedlar and with a number of pannier tracks converging on the village it must have been like a market place in times gone by.

We turned left into the B1257 and walked along to Seave Green whose name is thought to derive from its owner in 1301, Nicholas del Seves.  Here we crossed the road to the tarmac track to Bilsdale Hall.   On the left we passed Chisel Hill Mill which ceased operation in 1930 and later became a recording studio that was used by Chris Rea in the 1980s. The studio's name became the subject of one of his songs, Chisel Hill, which some people mistakenly think refers to Roseberry Topping.   

Continuing along the lane we came to Bilsdale Hall where a moss covered wall opposite the hall provided a soft seat for our coffee stop.  As we broke open the scones an alsatian dog made its way towards us from the hall, getting ever nearer until it finally stopped and stared.  We promised it that its good behaviour would be rewarded with a biscuit when we left.

Chisel Hill

A pas de loup

We went through a gate next to the hall at a footpath sign and followed the alternative dotted path on the map above, steeply uphill, to reach Urra Moor. After pausing to admire the view and regain our breath we turned left and followed the ridge, with a succession of sweeping views of Bilsdale below us.  As well as being on 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, perhaps defensive, or it may have been an animal enclosure. It was known as Cliff Dyke and a couple of centuries ago as Cromwell's Lines.

Walking towards Urra Moor

Fine displays of bluebells

Climbing to Urra Moor

Looking back to Bilsdale Hall and Seave Green

The moor gate and the earthworks beyond

An old stone storage shed

Looking down from the earthworks

TSB mentions two witches who inhabited Bilsdale's moors, Peg Humphreys and her companion Alice Wood, who was said to take the form of a cat or hare. 

We followed the earthworks and eventually came to a little valley where we crossed a stream known as Maiden Spring, at 1300'.

Hasty Bank from the earthworks

Maiden Spring

Descending to cross Maiden Spring

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.

Jackdaw Crags to the right and the crags of Hasty Bank opposite

A beady eye watches us pass

About to descend to Haggs Gate

A very short drive took us to The Buck at Chop Gate where we enjoyed a pint in the beer garden and discussed the day's walk.