Hawnby Hill and Hazel Head from Hawnby

 

7 miles                    Showers

This walk combines the best of moorland, woods, pasture and villages.  It's not too difficult but as there are a couple of good climbs it isn't too easy either. It's also quite good underfoot even after rain.

We arrived at Hawnby from the B1257 Stokesley to Helmsley road via the Laskill turn off and parked at the roadside shown by the P in the map below, just up the road from the Owl at Hawnby.

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

The Owl at Hawnby

Our path lies to the right of these cottages

The village of Hawnby sits right under Hawnby Hill (298m) whose twin, Easterside Hill, can be seen over towards the B1257.   These two hills, known as Corallian Outliers, once formed part of the Tabular Hills and have a very distinctive shape.

We turned off the road into a lane opposite the pub and began our steep climb to the top of Hawnby Hill.  From here there is a good view in all directions; to the left down to Arden Hall and to the right, Easterside Hill. 

The bracken is not yet tall enough to be a nuisance

Nearly there

Looking back we can see the rooftops of Lower Hawnby

Easterside Hill to the right

Over to the left is Arden Hall

There is now a fine ridge walk along the top of Hawnby Hill and we soon reached the highest point, a cairn at 978 feet.  We paused to look in all directions, Daletown over to our left and Easterside Hill to our right.

The neatest cairn in Yorkshire

Ridge walk along Hawnby Hill

We walked along the ridge to the end of Hawnby Hill enjoying picking out familiar sights and walks that we could see from this vantage point, and then, as the rain started to fall we descended steeply to Hawnby Moor and the moor gate at Sunley Slack.

Hawnby Moor below

Looking back at Hawnby Hill

Down came the rain.. our sandy track lies ahead

Walking along Sunley Slack

We walked along the sandy path of Sunley Slack coming to a fork in the road after about a mile.  We took the left fork and followed the path, seemingly walking straight towards the three temporary  replacements for Bilsdale Mast.  To our right was Round Hill, which is simply a collection of rocks and a bump in the heather. 

Two of the temporary masts at Bilsdale

Bear right just after this sign

About 20 feet past a wooden sign post we turned sharply left on a small track to cross the moor.

There is very little sign of the path indicated by Tom Scott Burns on the map above, and we made our way initially by following a series of shooting butts and the rough access track that has been laid for them. After the butts we followed sheep tracks, all the time heading left towards the trees of Hazel Head Wood. As we walked we came across two families of grouse.

Following narrow tracks across the moor

Shooting butts

Excellent camo.

There were several chicks hiding nearby

The trees of Hazel Head Wood appear

Following Hazel Head Wood

Having reached Hazel Head Wood we walked parallel to it until we saw the disused Wesleyan chapel ahead of us.  Here we settled down with a fine view over towards Bow Gill and the Osmotherley road.  As we sat quietly enjoying our scones a deer, obviously unaware of us, approached and passed behind the chapel, then jumped over the fence into Hazel Head Wood.  This made our break even more enjoyable.

Approaching the old chapel

A good place to stop for coffee

Passing unaware ..

...it trots towards the wood

A clean jump, the fence is no barrier 

The stones were our seats, the wood and slate made good tables

Eventually we lumbered to our feet and resumed the walk.

We retraced our steps for about 100 yards to a gate and entered Hazel Head Woods.  A straight green path soon brought us to some ruined buildings.  TSB says these once belonged to High Hazel Head Farm which was last inhabited in 1946, surprisingly recent considering the state of the ruins.

Entering Hazel Head Wood

The ruins of High Hazel Head Farm

We followed a grassy track through the dark wood until, bearing right, we exited the wood above Hazel Head Car Park and the Osmotherley to Hawnby road.

From the car park we followed the road left for a short time before turning into Ellers Wood at a footpath sign. 

Entering Ellers Wood

Ellers Wood has been felled in recent years and now mainly consists of saplings.  A path has been maintained through the close growing saplings and we followed it downhill to reach a bridge over the River Rye.

Crossing the River Rye

Crossing the river we joined a lane and passed through a gate into a sheep field.  We followed a beck through a couple of fields, ignoring a broad path to the left, to reach a row of telegraph poles.

Here we turned left to follow the poles uphill where we crossed a stile and followed the path into conifers.

Bear right at the pole

Upwards following the telegraph poles

These conifers are the trees of Blueberry Wood and we walked through them for about half a mile, before coming to a surprise view of Hawnby Hill to our left.  

Hawnby Hill and Easterside Hill beyond

Blueberry Wood

Passing above St Agnes House Farm we crossed a stile and dropped down to a ford where we crossed a footbridge into Low Wood.  Soon we came to the attractive arched bridge over the Rye, not mentioned by TSB as it post dates his book, being built to replace a bridge washed away by flooding in 2005. 

The arched bridge over the River Rye

 

From the bridge we had a short scramble up to a track leading right, coming out of the woods at the lonely Carr House.  From here we followed way marks (but no path) through several fields of sheep before eventually reaching the road just outside Hawnby.

Plenty of climbs on this walk!

The last mile is along unmarked fields

Hill End House

Hawnby

Victorian letter box and phone kiosk freshly painted

There was now little left to do but visit the Owl at Hawnby where, the weather having faired up, we sat in the garden and enjoyed a pint while reflecting on today's walk.

Guess who's turn it was to buy the beer!

Our view from The Owl