Ladhill Gill and Bumper Castle from 

Fangdale Beck 

 

 7.5 miles             Fine and sunny

We turned off the B1257 Bilsdale road and drove past the old green telephone box to the village of Fangdale Beck where we parked at the road side.

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

Walking through Fangdale Beck

Old Wesleyan Chapel, now a house

Tom Scott Burns tells us that Fangdale comes from the personal Scandinavian name Fangi or Fangulf, meaning 'Fangi's Valley'.

Leaving the car we crossed the beck by the little bridge and walked past the old Wesleyan Chapel, now converted into a private house.

A walk along a farm track brought us to a farm called Malkin Bower, which apparently means Matilda's or Maud's Dwelling.   We continued straight past the farm with the tarmac changing to a muddy grassy track.

Looking back to Fangdale Beck

Resident at Malkin Bower

Weather vane at Malkin Bower

Walking along the Bilsdale Valley

We followed the path along the valley of Bilsdale, parallel to the road below us.  The track dropped down to the River Seph before gently climbing up to Helm House where mechanical repairs are carried out to farm vehicles, as well as it being a working farm.  A couple of old tractors were out on display.

Approaching Helm House

Helm House Farm

His and her's!  Tractors at Helm House Farm

Stand-off!  A pheasant and a Blue Leicester sheep stare each other out at Helm Farm

Leaving Helm House we continued on a very muddy path across sheep fields before arriving at Benhill Bank Plantation where our track climbed steadily up to reach the moor gate.

A Texel ram between two Blue Leicesters

The cattle are in for the winter at Helm House Farm

Climbing through Benhill Bank Plantation

A short spell on tarmac brings us to the moor gate

We crossed the moor to look down on the remains of Bumper Castle.  Tom Scott Burns reports that the monks of Rievaulx wrought iron on Bumper Moor and there are old spoil heaps still to be seen dotted about on the moor.   

More Blue Leiecester Sheep near the moor gate

Hawnby Hill appears in the distance

Our path appears little walked

Looking across to Sportsman's Hall

... and among the trees is the ruin of Bumper Castle

We decided that today we would visit the ruins and made a bee-line through the dying bracken to reach the old building, which has all the appearance of a derelict farmhouse.  

No path to Bumper Castle

We approach the ruin

Bumper Castle

There appeared to be fire damage and the building is in an unsafe condition.  We looked around and headed back to our track.  I was interested to find out more about the ruin's original purpose and later made an internet search, which gave this:   

For a farm house Bumper Castle was well built with a slate roof which would have to have been imported into the dale. There's a date on the gable of 1722. It is said that in the 18c the 3rd Duke of Rutland and the Marquis of Granby stayed here for the shooting. So the house may have been built as a shooting lodge. 
From the Hawnby parish register in 1794 William Douglas, Bumper Castle, batchelor, 74, was buried "when there was the greatest depth of snow ever known in memory". In 1801 Samuel Tiplady was christened, son of Samuel (gamekeeper) and Dillery Tiplady, Bumper Castle. In 1811 William Mansell, gamekeeper to the Duke of Rutland, died at Bumper Castle aged 38.

From the mid 19c it seems to have been used as a farm. According to the 1851 census Richard Hilbert was farming 127 acres here. In 1881 and 91 Thomas Wrathall was resident. In 1920 Mrs. Clark, widow of Noah Clark was paying £25 rent.

TSB reports in The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills that Bumper Castle was owned by George Villiers, the notorious second Duke of Buckingham, who, when he died in 1687, had squandered £50,000 a year and had become an outcast from society.  There is no record of him actually visiting the building however.

Satisfied that we had seen all there was to see at Bumper Castle we set off along a muddy track to eventually rejoin our original path, which we followed down to Ladhill Gill Beck.  Just before the bridge over the beck we saw a large flat stone in the sun and out of the wind, and sat to enjoy our coffee and scones.

Walking to rejoin our path...

... we come to obvious workings.  Did the monks of Reivaulx dig here?

The bridge over Ladhill Beck

Clive discovers a nice, flat 'table'.

Ladhill Gill

We crossed the bridge and climbed steeply up the opposite side of the valley, turning left to join a track that led us above Sportsmans Hall.  TSB suggests that this name probably has something to do with Bumper Castle and the Duke's sporting pastimes.

We walked towards the Hawnby road and turned right along a vehicle access track at the moor gate.   The track divides twice and on each occasion we took the right fork, heading towards Bilsdale mast.

Sportsmans Hall

Looking back at Easterside Hill and Hawnby Hill

Keep right!

Eventually the path struck off faintly across the moor.  We lost sight of the track occasionally but it didn't matter, we knew we had to head east to cross the upper reaches of Ladhill Gill, where it joins with Wetherhouse Beck.  Here the route is indicated by a row of wooden stakes showing the location of some shooting butts. 

In one of the shooting butts we saw the remains of a hedgehog. This new style of shooting butt where the shooter steps down into a wood paneled 'box' seems deadly to small wildlife, which fall in and can't get out.  Time and again we have seen dead rabbits, toads, mice etc, surely some sort of escape ramp could be built in?

Trapped!

Upper reaches of Ladhill Gill

Passing through the moor gate

This part of the walk is a bit hit and miss, the moor track being either non-existent or overgrown, but eventually we reached the shooting butts and we turned left to follow their line down towards the moor gate.

We went through the moor gate and by some old quarries and then descended via the usual hollow way to emerge at Malkin Bower where we turned left to return to Fangdale and our car.

Passing an old quarry

Hollow way to Fangdale

Malkin Bower ahead

On the B1257 just opposite the Fangdale turn-off is the Church of St John which must have been built to serve the upper Bilsdale valley, including Fangdale.  We decided it was time we paid it a visit and were delighted to find it unlocked.  

We liked the ploughman motif 

The Church of St John, Bilsdale

Clive examines the WW1 War Memorial

Looking towards the altar, we admired the barreled roof

The altar window

Looking towards the rear of the church

Why, we wondered?

The church was built by Temple Moor between 1896-98 and so there are few gravestones of interest.  There is a fine war memorial dedicated to the men of Bilsdale who died in WW1.

There is an excellent internet page on the church here.

We left the church and retired to the Bay Horse in Great Broughton to discuss an interesting and enjoyable walk.

Slingsby Castle and Fryton from Hovingham

10.5 miles                   Grey, cool and still

Tom Scott Burns says in The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills that this route of woodland paths, open lanes, and the villages of Hovingham and Slingsby, with its ruined castle, will calm the most distraught mind.  We would agree except for a confusing forestry trail in the last couple of miles.

This is the second time we've walked today's route.  The first time was in the heat of summer but we thought it would be worth re-visiting as there should be a fine display of autumn colours.  

We drove to Hovingham via Helmsley along the B1257 and pulled in to the village hall to be met with a sign warning against parking there today as the market would be setting up after 12 noon.  We backed out and left the car at the roadside, where there is unrestricted parking.

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

We parked next to Hovingham Hall which TSB says was given to Roger de Mowbray by William the Conqueror and came to the Worsley family in 1563, with the present Hall dating from 1745.  

Hovingham Hall

Next to the hall is the Church of All Saints and we decided to look inside before starting our walk.  The church has retained its Anglo Saxon tower and a Saxon doorway. The stained glass windows show scenes from Revelations.  It was unlocked and we looked around but didn't take as long as usual as we had a long walk ahead of us.

The Church of All Saints

Looking towards the altar

A piece of a Saxon cross suspended before the altar

Serpent detail on Saxon cross

Norman feature

Modern window

We walked past the large stone gateway to the Hall upon which is the inscription, "virtus in actione consistit" (virtue consists in action) and then swung right just beyond the Worsley Arms Hotel and followed the road for a short distance before entering fields and then following a small stream parallel with the road.

We could now see the rear of the Hall and passed an attractive bridge and waterfall feature which must have been built to be viewed from the Hall.

Rear view of Hovingham Hall

Following a faint path across fields...

... brings us to an ornate bridge

We continued past the bridge and our field path became increasingly boggy, made worse by cattle hooves.  Passing by the skittish beasts we rejoined the road for a short time and turned left into Mill Wood, our path now following the course of a stream before rejoining the road near to Hovingham Lodge.

Autumn finery

Turning off the road into Mill Wood

Thwaites Cottage

The track took us passed Thwaites Cottage and then Hovingham Lodge before joining field paths towards Airyholme Farm, whose sign proudly proclaimed it to be the Home of the Flitwick Flock.

As we approached the farm we saw some pet sheep in a field who, on seeing us, charged across to meet us at the fence, obviously expecting tidbits.

We are spotted...

... and the rush begins

Hopeful and hungry

Just after the farm we passed by a large fish pond and decided a fallen gatepost would made a good seat where we could enjoy our coffee and scones.   

Refreshed we continued our path, now alongside Fryton Moor plantations.

We are diverted around the farm buildings

Turn right onto the Centenary Way

Looking back through poppies to Airyholme Farm

A nice spot to enjoy our coffee and scones

Ho, ho!

Walking towards Fryton Moor Plantations

Eventually we reached Bank Lane and a long gentle descent to Slingsby.   We walked through the pretty village to the Methodist church and a brightly coloured Maypole, where TSB reports Plough Monday sword dancers cavorted and the Slingsby Temperance Society held a great demonstration in 1851.

Across fields to Slingsby

Weather vane in Slingsby

Slingsby Methodist Church

Maypole in front of the village school

We continued through the village to reach the ruins of Slingsby Castle, which is only visible from the neighbouring road.  It was built by Sir Ralph Hastings in 1343 and enlarged by his grandson Lord William Hastings, who was beheaded for treason in 1483. 

View from the road of Slingsby Castle

We walked away from the castle to turn left into field paths at Castle Farm, and walked to the hamlet of Fryton.  There is little to see in Fryton and we turned left into Fryton Lane for a long and slow climb up to the woodlands of Fryton Moor.

Fryton

There was something of interest in Fryton, a HGV weather vane!

Walking up to Fryton Moor

Millennium bench and plaque

The plaque celebrates the finding of a 4000 year old skeleton in a nearby burial henge

On reaching the trees we turned right and our path led us through trees for a mile and a half.  Towards the end of this stretch the path is easily missed because of recent forestry work and concentration is needed.  We lost a bit of time back-tracking before turning north to join the straight path that took us back to Hovingham.

Turn right to follow the Centenary Way to Hovingham

Forestry work makes the going tough

Care needed here to keep to the right path

Back on tarmac and Hovingham in sight

Quite a long walk today and we were glad that The Worsley Arms Hotel welcomes hikers, however grubby.  We sat in front of the fire in the Cricketers Bar with a couple of pints of Black Sheep and discussed today's walk.

The Worsley Arms

We veer into the Cricketers Bar

The hiker's reward