7.5 miles Fine and breezy
Tom Scott Burns explains that a 'grange' is a farmhouse attached to a religious order and Murton Grange once belonged to the monks of nearby Byland Abbey. Murton Grange is reached by taking the Laskill turn-off from the B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley road and parking on the grass verge at the top of Murton Bank.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills |
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| Looking down to Hawnby village from Murton Bank |
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| Murton Grange |
We walked past the Grange and continued straight ahead until arriving at a fork, the main lane going on to Caydale Mill but we took the right fork down into the hidden valley of Caydale. Tom Scott Burns tells us that at this spot the last wild cat in England was shot in 1840, by a Charles Harrison.
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| Walking towards Caydale |
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| The valley of Caydale |
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| Dropping down to the valley floor |
We reached Caydale, taking the second footpath sign to drop down to the valley bottom. Here there are several crystal clear waterways, shown on the map above as Old Byland's Water Race and Limperdale Gill. In the 1740s a Joseph Ford of Kirbymoorside perfected a system of tapping into springs and channeling water in open 'rills' some 12 inches wide. Water was diverted by this method through Caydale from King Spring to the village of Old Byland and the straight rills remain.
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| Crossing the rills in Cydale |
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| Crystal clear water |
We crossed the valley floor and started up the other side. Until a couple of years ago this climb was through trees but all vegetation has been removed and the area converted to rough grazing meadow.
A consequence of this clearing has been the removal of the old 'Captain's Seat' which is shown on the map above, and which we used to pass by, although in a dilapidated state. Today we did find the remains of it lying near the path. Who the Captain was and why he was seated there is lost in time.
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| Climbing out of Caydale |
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| Remains of the Captain's Seat |
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| Looking back across Caydale to Murton Grange |
Leaving the climb and Caydale we crossed several sheep fields. A mass of crows took to the air as we approached and we saw that they had been about to dine on a dead sheep.
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| A sad sight |
We soon reached the tarmac of High Leir Lane where we turned right and followed the lane to pass Weathercote Farm with its novel 'cat and rat' weather vane.
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| Approaching Weathercote Farm |
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| Cat and rat |
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| A mile or two on tarmac |
Eventually we reached the junction with Cleveland Road which we crossed to follow field paths for another half mile until reaching the high ridge of Boltby Scar and turning right onto the Cleveland Way.
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| Approaching Boltby Scar |
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| Turn right towards Sneck Yate |
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| Straight ahead lies the village of Boltby |
The path now follows the Cleveland Way along Boltby Scar, passing the old quarry workings and the ruins of High Barn before briefly crossing the tarmac of Sneck Yate Bank. Here we entered Boltby plantation and we walked along forest paths to pass Low Paradise Farm and then climbed to reach High Paradise Farm.
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| Looking past the old workings towards the old barn |
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| Passing the ruins of the old barn |
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| Low Paradise Farm below and High Paradise above |
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| Into the woods... |
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| Pleasant walk through the trees |
The dreaded virus has closed the tea room for now but the enterprising owners have provided a 'chuck wagon' where hot and cold snacks can be purchased. There was quite a throng here as walkers and mountain bikers had converged at the farm. Standing by the chuck wagon the owner told us of her plans to open a marquee with a flame pit in the next three weeks. After much consideration Clive had pizza and I succumbed to home made chocolate cake and we took our purchases to sit at picnic tables outside the old cafe.
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| Looking back from Low Paradise |
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| High Paradise Farm |
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| Residents at High Paradise |
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| Chuck wagon at High Paradise |
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| Pizza! |
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| The Nail Game |
Refreshed, we rejoined the track to walk past the farm to reach Sneck Gate and the old Drovers' Road, which we crossed into Daletown Common. This area has been given over to pheasant rearing and hundreds of the young birds have recently been released to toughen up for the shooting season, which for pheasants begins on 1st October. As we followed the two mile walk towards the barn at Noddle End pheasants ran ahead of us or took to the air as we passed their cover.
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| Daletown Common |
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| Plenty of flowering heather |
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| Young pheasants |
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| We are surprised as noisy birds take to the air when we pass by |
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| Squawk! |
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| The birds trot ahead of us across towards Noddle End |
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| The old barn at Noddle End |
When we reached the barn we paused to enjoy a pleasant view into Gowerdale, before following the path down to reach the ruined farm of Gowerdale House.
In his 'Round and About the North Yorkshire Moors, Vol. 2' Tom Scott Burns tells us that Gowerdale House is all that remains of a medieval village, called Dal in the Domesday Book, and Daile a century later. By 1433 there were 23 tenants recorded as living in Daletown but by 1569 in Humberston's Survey the entry was 'vocatum Dale Town'. Was the village wiped out by the Black Death?
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| Passing Noddle End |
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| Looking down into Gowerdale |
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| Gowerdale House |
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| We need to cross the stream to pass Gowerdale House |
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| "Look around and Get Out" |
A short drive took us to Chop Gate where we sat outside the Buck with a pint and discussed today's excellent walk.
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Debrief!
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