7.5 miles Fine and cool
We approached Hawnby from the B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley Road and drove to the lower houses of Hawnby Bridge where we parked behind the village hall on the newly re-surfaced car park where parking is freely available for about a dozen cars.
Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Cleveand Hills
Walking out of Lower Hawnby
Tom Scott Burns explains that the village of Hawnby is divided into an upper and lower part because in the 1750s a zealous landlord turned out all the Methodists from their houses. They had lived in what we now think of as the top village. They moved a short distance away where they built some small houses and a Wesleyan Chapel, completed in 1770, now the lower village hall.
Turning right out of the car park we walked past the few houses to a gate in the field opposite. We went through the gate into a sheep field with a faint path to follow across this and the next meadow to cross Ladhill Beck at a bridge.
Out of the village and into the fields
A fine day but the grass was very wet underfoot
Our untrodden path takes us between the 'avenue' of trees
We walked alongside Ellers Wood and reached the Hawnby road next to Easterside Farm, where we turned left on to the tarmac.
Ellers Wood
We reach the Hawnby road
... and walk along it for a while
At a sign we turned right off the road and followed the trail under the shadow of Easterside Hill until dropping down to follow the farm track for High Banniscue Farm.
Lots of pheasants still to be seen
There were pheasants in every field today and most of our walk was accompanied by the constant sound of guns coming from the direction of Arden Great Moor.
Tree felling in Banniscue Wood
Hawnby Hill to our left
... with its distictive 'nick'
High Banniscue Farm
Resident at High Banniscue Farm
When we reached the farm we turned left to walk downhill along a faint track to reach an old ruined building shown as Crows Nest on the OS map. We turned right at these ruins to pass through the moor gate and followed a path through heather to skirt Pepper Hill and Easterside Hill.
Sportsman's Hall on the other side of the valley
Sportsman's Hall in the distance
Crows Nest Farm ruins
Moor gate at Crows Nest Farm
Smaller Pepper Hill sticks out from Easterside Hill and in the last war a German Dornier crashed here on 17th December 1942, killing all the crew. There is a memorial window in Hawnby Church.
Passing Pepper Hill we walked through heather along the east side of Easterside Hill looking down at the valley of Bilsdale to our left before dropping down to join the Hawnby road.
Passing Pepper Hill we walked through heather along the east side of Easterside Hill looking down at the valley of Bilsdale to our left before dropping down to join the Hawnby road.
Bilsdale to our left
Over the stile and soon...
... drop down steep steps to the Hawnby road
After a hundred yards or so on tarmac we turned right off the Hawnby road at a new gate and old footpath sign and once again entered sheep fields.
We descended across these meadows and eventually arrived at the ruins of Grimes Holme, where we sat under an old elm tree to enjoy our coffee and scones.
New gate, old sign
Cross sheep fields using way marks on margins
Grimes Holme
Disused Grimes Holme
From Grimes Holme follow a muddy path downhill to outbuildings
A good spot for lunch with a view across to Rievaulx Moor
Refreshed, we left the old farmstead and walked down to cross a wooden gated bridge over the River Seph at a point which TSB says is often frequented by herons. Not today, unfortunately, and we crossed more fields to join a farm track that leads past Fair Hill Farm and to recently renovated Broadway Foot farm.
Crossing the River Seph
No herons today..
Looking back at Easterside Hill
Fair Hill Farm
We join the farm track at Fair Hill Farm
Bull and dog weather vane at Broadway Foot Farm
Recently renovated Broadway Foot Farm
We continued down the farm track to reach the road and Shaken Bridge. TSB tells us that its name derives from the Old English 'sceacre' or robber. ie Robber's Bridge. The River Seph and The River Rye combine a few hundred yards upstream from the bridge and become the River Rye.
The River Seph is formed when Raisdale Beck and Bilsdale Beck join just to the south of Chop Gate and then runs for 13 miles down Bilsdale to the Rye. The name is Old Swedish for 'calm'.
Shaken Bridge
The view downstream. The River Rye from Shaken Bridge
We crossed the bridge and after walking on the road for a hundred yards we turned sharp left followed a farm road uphill until we came to East Ley Wood. Bearing right up the track an old barn comes into view, a building we recognised as one we have approached from other directions on various walks.
Looking back at Broadway Foot Farm
Looking across Ryedale
Looking back the way we came, Easterside Hill in the distance
East Ley Wood
We were pleased to see these old leather signs are still intact and in-situ
The old Barn
At the Old Barn
The path meanders along the side of the wood for 1.5 miles, eventually emerging at Murton Bank top. This path used to be difficult to walk having been used by horses, however there was no sign of horse use and the path is returning to a pleasant green lane.
At Murton Bank Top we turned right onto the road and walked downhill coming to a 'surprise view' at Peak Scar Top, a short distance down the road.
Walking alongside East Ley Wood
Did these leather signs signify a walking route? We would love to know their history
A nice green track through the woods
Just past this ruined wall we join Murton Bank
Gowerdale from Murton Bank
A surprise view of lower and upper Hawnby
Now on tarmac for the remainder of the walk, we descended steep Murton Bank to cross Hawnby Bridge to return to the village hall and our cars.
Enormous 'fruit' on Monkey Puzzle tree near Hawnby Bridge
Hawnby Bridge
Tea room opposite the village hall
Sadly the newly restored Inn at Hawnby, now known as The Owl at Hawnby, is not quite ready to open so we drove on to The Buck at Chop Gate to enjoy a pint and discuss today's walk.
Cheers!
