Rosedale Railway and Botton Head from Ingleby Greenhow

 8.5 miles                                Fine but cold 

We parked in Ingleby Greenhow in the overflow car park for the Dudley Arms and walked back to the main road and followed it in the direction of Kildale. 

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

Tom Scott Burns notes in his Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills that the name Ingleby has been written in various ways over the years, including Angleby, Engelbi, Yngleby and Yngylby.

The route parts from the road alongside a newly built house where we followed a narrow path between houses onto meadows.  Over to the right we could see Ingleby Manor which dates from 1540 and is now holiday accommodation.

The Old Vicarage in Ingleby Greenhow

Leave the road at the footpath sign..

.. and follow a narrow path between fences

.. which brings you into open fields

Ingleby Manor

We crossed several sheep fields to reach Bank Foot Farm, situated under Turkey Nab. After admiring the Grim Sheeper statue, which has survived the recent storms intact, we set off to follow the old railway track.  If one turns off the track just past Bank Foot and heads uphill through the plantation you find Lady Mary Ross's Seat, described by TSB as being at grid reference 594055.

Bank Foot Farm

The Grim Sheeper at Bank Foot Farm

Weather Vane at Bank Foot 

TSB explains that Lady Mary Ross was the eldest daughter of the Earl of Kildare and her daughter had married Sir William Foulis of Ingleby Manor.  The seat might have been constructed on one of Lady Mary's favourite walks taken when visiting her daughter and son-in-law.

Lady Mary Ross's Seat

  

The seat is situated on the forest track running about 100 metres behind and parallel with our route and after seeing it one can cut back through the trees to rejoin the 'official' path.

We returned to the old railway bed which we followed past a row of railway cottages to reach the incline bottom, where we paused to read a new information board.

Old railway cottages

Weather vane at railway cottages

We reach the start of the Incline railway path

Notice Board

Tom Scott Burns tells us that the old railway was completed in 1861 and leads to the foot of the incline bank where the trains were loaded with ironstone.  The incline reaches a maximum gradient of 1 in 5 and a brake drum house was situated at the top.  Three empty wagons were hauled up by steel ropes as three loaded wagons descended, an operation which took 3 minutes at a speed of 20mph, regulated by the drum house.    

Leaving the new sign we started our long climb up the old incline railway.  We climbed steadily and passed by some old graffiti of a man wearing a stovepipe hat with a bird in front of his face.  TSB suggests that this is a satirical caricature carved by a railway navvy in a moment of inactivity.  

A long slog uphill

Old mine workings to our right

Stovepipe hat and bird graffitti

Now where did I put that scone...

Reaching the top we found a sheltered spot to enjoy our coffee and scones out of the biting wind.

Setting off once more a short stroll took us to another information board at the site of the old drum house, which was dismantled in 1941. Here there is a cast iron model showing the old workings at the Incline top.

View from our coffee stop

Remains of the Drum House

Information Board and model

We followed the railway bed which officially closed on 13th June 1929 and now makes a nice 11 mile path to Farndale, Westerdale and Rosedale.   Work was being carried out on the moor and it appeared that heather was being bailed leaving large bare areas.  We wondered if this was an alternative to burning although there was some burning actually going on further across the moor.

We would love to make use of this memorial bench but it always seems to be facing into the gale

Heather baling

We speculate as to its purpose..

Turning off the railway at a broad track we joined a trail to Cockayne Head and Botton Head, which is also part of the Cleveland Way.  

We join the Cleveland Way

.. and walk towards Botton Head

As we walked this trail we came to two old boundary posts, the first known as The Face Stone is mentioned in a 1642 document for the Helmsley Estate, and the second showing a carved hand near to Round Hill dates from 1711.  Near the Hand Stone is the trig point at Botton Head which is located on a Bronze Age burial mound at 1490 feet, the highest point on the North York Moors.  We walked over to examine it and found there is not a very good view from here, even if it is the highest spot.

The Face Stone

Back of Face Stone, we can make out 'CHJ 1892'

The Hand Stone at Round Hill, looking a bit indistinct

Trig Point at Round Hill, near Botton Head

Not much of a view

We walked back to the wide path and continued walking across Urra Moor, which according to TSB derives from the Old English 'horh' meaning 'filth'!   Eventually we came to a new signpost where we left the Cleveland Way to bear right on an indistinct path which drops off the moor down Jackson's Bank and into Greenhow Plantation.

On Urrah Moor

The sun lights up Hasty Bank

Turn right at the sign

The Incline and our outward path comes into view opposite

Descending Jackson's Bank

We reached the bottom of Jackson's Bank at the curiously named Clogger's Hall, on the OS map - nothing to be seen, and crossed Greenhow Botton to walk towards New Sheepfold Farm.

Over to the right we could see the incline railway while ahead of us Roseberry Topping appeared in the distance.  A mile or so on and several farms further, the tarmac lane took us to Low Farm.

Higher up the valley is Old Sheepfold Farm

We walk down towards New Sheepfold Farm

Shepherds' huts holiday accommodation

The path then turns left just before the farm buildings of Low Farm, into fields that we crossed one after another, at first following a newly fenced path, but later the indistinguishable rights of way by aiming for the yellow right of way signs on each field boundary.  

Weather vane at Low Farm

Eventually we reached the bridge over Ingleby Beck and we crossed into the churchyard of St Andrew's beyond it.  The church was locked today but we enjoyed a browse outside the ancient building. TSB says that the original church was granted to the abbots of Whitby in 1143 by Adam de Ingelby and still retains traces of Norman work.

Why do these quangos feel it necessary to deface the countryside with asinine 'advice'

Turn right to Low Farm

Faux stone circle at Low Farm

Across fields following waymarks

.. to reach Ingleby Plantation

Careful descent to..

St Andrew's Ingleby Greenhow

St Andrew's Church

We both agree that this walk of TSB's is very enjoyable, with a bit of everything; hills, moors, farms and woods, and we were soon discussing its finer points over a well earned pint.

The Hiker's Reward