Ladhill Gill and Bumper Castle from Fangdale Beck

7.5 miles                                               Grey, dry and cool

We turned off the B1257 Bilsdale Road and drove past an old green telephone kiosk to the village of Fangdale Beck where we parked at the roadside.

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

Fangdale Beck

Tom Scott Burns tells us that Fangdale comes from the personal Scandinavian name Fangi or Fangulf, giving Fangi's Valley.  It is a very quiet village, the post office next to our car is now a private house as is the old Wesleyan Chapel, which retains its original appearance.  We crossed the bridge next to the old Chapel and followed the tarmac lane around to a farm with a sign above the door inscribed Malkin Bower. (Matilda's or Maude's dwelling)

Old Wesleyan Chapel, now a house

Malkin Bower

Once past the farm the tarmac vanished and our track became a muddy path which we followed along the valley of Bilsdale, parallel to the road below us.  The path dropped down to the River Seph becoming wetter and muddier before climbing gently up to Helm House where we were met with a muddy sea around the farm gates.  We were interested to see a very old tractor and ancient road roller here, gradually surrendering to nature.

Dropping down into Bilsdale

Geese grazing in the field

Climbing up towards Helm House

Clive decides how to negotiate the mud

Helm House

Leaving Helm House our path continued parallel to the River Seph until we reached Benhill Bank where the ground finally became less muddy as we climbed towards a conifer plantation.   At the top of the bank we turned right onto a tarmac road which we left, bearing right, after a couple of hundred yards.  We now walked across fields, our path completely undetectable apart from the occasional yellow waymark. 

A ram and his ladies are indignant at our passing

Benhill Bank

Our path up through the gates

The last gate took us to the moor edge and the path became more distinct, leading from the moor gate.  Looking down to our right we saw the ruins of Bumper Castle behind a grove of trees.  TSB tells us that the castle was once part of the estate of the Duke of Buckingham and also that the monks of Rievaulx once wrought iron on Bumper Moor.  We met another track leading straight down to the valley bottom and Ladhill Gill.  Reaching the stream we sat on some convenient rocks for our usual coffee and scones, sheltered from the breeze.  Inspired by the celebrities at this week's Oscars I took a 'selfie' as I tucked into my scone.

The Moor Gate, Easterside Hill in the distance

The ruins of Bumper Castle

Walking down to Ladhill Gill

'Selfie'

Ladhill Gill

Our path took us over a fairly modern bridge and then straight up the opposite hillside to a farm named Sportsman's Hall.  TSB suspects that the name suggests a link to the sporting activities of Bumper Castle but it now appears to be a working farm, skirted by our path above.  We reached a tarmac road and turned right at the Moor Gate to walk to the information board and car park at Arden Moor.

Crossing Ladhill Gill

Upriver from the bridge

Sportsman's Hall

Hawnby Hill

Information board for Arden Moor

We turned right at the information board and walked along the vehicle track for a mile or so until we took a right fork to walk back down towards Wetherhouse Beck.  Once again we left all signs of a footpath behind and crossed a large boggy area, looking out for the rare yellow waymarks until we crossed the beck and climbed across rough ground. We reached a drystone wall which we followed until we gained the moor top.  

Wetherhouse Moor, Easterside Hill and Hawnby Hill in the distance

Heading towards Wetherhouse Beck

Looking back to the vehicle track we had just left

Rough boggy walking towards the Moor top

From here we looked down into Bilsdale and the village of Fangdale.  Our path passed through a gate and then steeply downhill by some old quarry workings and eventually emerged at Malkin Bower Farm where we turned left to walk back to our start point in Fangdale.

Walking down into Bilsdale

The original hollow lane is now full of vegetation

Quarry workings

Fangdale and the valley of Bilsdale

KILDALE TO BAYSDALE AND ITS LOST ABBEY

9 miles                                              Bright and fine

We parked in the lay-by in Kildale village and walked out of the village along the same road, towards Little Kildale.

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

Tom Scott Burns informs us that Kildale is a village of great antiquity.  There are several 'Kildals' in Norway and the village was probably named by the Vikings.  It was called Childale in the Domesday Book.  Walking through the village we passed a beautiful display of snowdrops at the entrance to Kildale Hall and then turned right to walk up through Little Kildale where we stopped to chat to a couple of Shetland Ponies.  

Snowdrops at Kildale Hall

"Have you got any apples?"

We walked through Little Kildale Wood and came to Warren Farm where we turned right and headed  towards the moor.  We descended for a while, to cross the source of the River Leven and admired a fine brick chimney on our left.  TSB tells us that this is the remains of an ironstone mine that was operational between  1866 and 1874.  We continued past the mine and climbed steadily towards Kildale moor.

Old ironstone mine

Looking back towards Warren Farm and the old mine.

The Moor Gate

On reaching the moor our track continued straight ahead and we negotiated it with some difficulty, the overnight rain having made it more of a stream than a path.  After crossing the top of the moor we descended towards the valley of Baysdale, turning sharp left when we came to the ruins of an old stone barn. 

Descending into Baysdale

Turn left at the disused barn

Our path took us along Baysdale valley, walking parallel with Baysdale Beck for a mile and a half until we reached the road and dropped down to Hob Hole.  The beck was in full spate and we saw a car turn back rather than cross the water-splash where the sign was showing a depth of 1 foot.  We crossed the beck by the bridge and dropped down to sit out of the wind to enjoy our coffee and scones.

Hob Hole

Deep water!

Our view from our coffee stop

Hob Hole was supposed to be the haunt of a mischievous hobgoblin who taunted weary travellers and TSB reports a Canon Atkinson speaking of Padfoot, sometimes visible and sometimes not, padding quietly behind a traveller and then uttering a roar in his ear.  Fortunately our coffee stop was untroubled by Padfoot and feeling refreshed we continued walking uphill on the road from Hob Hole before turning first right into John Breckon Road.  After half a mile our path turned right off the road and returned us back along the opposite side of Baysdale Beck passing a memorial to Alan Clegg 'Who loved these moors'.  We arrived at a small stone footbridge over the beck and were surprised to see a wooden memorial seat.  It looked a little out of place and we wondered at the effort of getting it to this remote location.  The bridge was built in 1938, according to an inscription and was the work of Rowland Close, of nearby Low House.

John Breckon Road

Kildale Moor

Our path leaves John Breckon Road

Wet paths made difficult walking

Funny place for a park bench!

Just past the stone bridge we turned right onto a wide track and our progress speeded up after the difficulties of negotiating wet and muddy paths across the moor.  We walked down hill and passed by the above mentioned farm called Low House and then walked along the valley bottom to Baysdale Abbey.  The original abbey was occupied by 9 or 10 nuns from 1190 to 1539.  We were interested to see a bat box on one of the abbey buildings and then walked away from the buildings across a quaint stone bridge which is apparently the only substantial remnant of the original abbey.

Walking towards Low House Farm

Looking up from Low House farm to the old barn we had passed earlier

Baysdale Beck

Walking towards Baysdale Abbey

Sheep at Baysdale Abbey

Bat box!

Baysdale Abbey

Old bridge to Baysdale Abbey

We walked along the tarmac road from the abbey and then went right on a faint path across fields on a direct route uphill from the road, shown as a dotted line on the above map.  This cut down the road walking but was very steep and we eventually rejoined the road we'd left and continued walking towards Kildale.  After a few minutes walking on this road we saw a stone memorial to the crew of a second world war plane that had crashed on Kildale Moor; sadly the crew died from exposure before they could be rescued.  

Steep 'short cut'

Looking back to Baysdale Abbey

Memorial to WW2 plane crash

The walk along this road takes an hour and we found it quite wearying to walk on tarmac for so long at this stage of the hike.  Eventually Kildale Church came into view and we dropped down to the road and our car.  A very enjoyable walk with fine views.

Captain Cook's Monument and Roseberry Topping from the Kildale Road

A long walk on tarmac

Kildale