Hidden Scugdale

10 miles Mostly fine

I have recently been given an interesting book called "North Yorkshire Coast and Moors, The Classic Walks" by Harry Whitehouse. (Thanks again Steve!)

Today's walk is 'Hidden Scugdale' from the book; a walk which Harry freely admits was inspired by and developed from one of Tom Scott Burns' walks in The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills.

Today's walk from The Classic Walks by Harry Whitehouse

We parked in Swainby on the road near to The Blacksmith's Arms and walked straight up Swainby High Street until the road splits into Coalmire Road to the right and the dead end Scugdale Road to the left.

We turned left into Scugdale Road and just past the access to Mill Farm we crossed a stile to the right.

Swainby

Stile at Mill Farm

We crossed the field to another stile and passed the farm, then another stile and field led to the corner of Millfield House. Here we turned sharp right and walked on to reach another stile in a fence which we crossed before descending some steps to cross the beck by a bridge. Continuing on brought us to the trackbed of the former mineral railway. This is situated in Clain Wood and we were amazed at the display of bluebells, one of the largest and finest I have seen.

Stepping into Clain Wood

... and its bluebells

Here, if I had been paying proper attention to Harry Whitehouse's book, we would have turned left up the dismantled railway track to find a derelict building that once served the 19th century ironstone industry. Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention and this building must wait for my next visit and so we carried on through the wood to emerge next to a house, where we turned left to join the Cleveland Way. We followed the Cleveland Way until it veers left towards Huthwaite Green, but we continued straight on, following field waymarks until we reached Harfa Bank Farm.

Turning left off Coalmire Lane

On the Cleveland Way

Highland Cattle at Huthwaite Green

Following field waymarks to ...

....Harfa Bank Farm

At Harfa Bank Farm we turned left and continued through fields to eventually turn right onto Scugdale Road, leaving it after a few hundred yards to enter the farm track for Holiday House.

Just after Holiday House we descended to Scugdale beck which we crossed without the aid of the bridge, still high and dry after being washed away some years ago.

Harfa House

Back on Scugdale Road for a while..

.. before entering the farm track for Holiday House

Scugdale Hall from Holiday House

Just as we leave Holiday House we see....

... a deer running alongside us!

More field waymarks take us down to....

... Scugdale Beck and its misplaced bridge

Carole decides to cross it anyway!

We climbed up from the beck to reach High House and were surprised to see a car at the usually abandoned premises. As we reached the building a lady came out and passed the time of day.

She told us that she was just doing a bit of patching up. The problem was that the house, she said, had no electricity and planning regulations made it very difficult to restore the building. She explained that even such things as a generator for power were subject to strict regulation if you wished to let the premises. We sympathised with her for the enormous task she faces.

High House

There's sombody in!

Scugdale from High House

We then followed the broad track from High House to reach the end of Scugdale Road, which we then followed to pass Scugdale Hall.

Barker's Ridge

Rejoining Scugdale Road

Old mining spoil heaps

Scugdale Hall

Holiday House from Scugdale Hall

Carole gets a stone in her boot

We followed the lane down passing Sparrow Hall and Sunny Side House, to reach the Cleveland Way once more. Eventually the Cleveland Way enters woods through a gate to the right but here we leave it by a gate to the left.

Deshabille in Scugdale

Crossing Snotterdale

Pinch stile in Snotterdale

Sparrow Hall

Hardy hill cattle near Sunny Side

Scugdale Road

Bluebells everywhere today

On Scugdale Road

We rejoin the Cleveland Way

We followed a fence then reached a very muddy entrance to Faceby Plantation. The mud here was deeper than our boots and took a bit of negotiating using branches to cross and eventually by climbing the fence next to the gate.

Turn left through the gate, away from the Cleveland Way

Come on, slowcoach

I strike a heroic posture in front of our next objective, Whorl Hill

But first we have to enter Faceby Plantation!

We kept to the left path in Faceby Plantation, eventually leaving through a gate and crossing a field to Bank Lane, where we turned left to walk down to a stile next to a building on the left.

Here we crossed into Whorl Hill and once again were astonished at the fine display of bluebells.

Dead in Faceby Plantation. No sign of injury on this poor finch

Leaving Faceby Plantation to cross the field to Bank Lane

Whorl Hill

Forget-me-nots in Bank Lane

Bank Lane

Leave Bank Lane at the stile

Bluebells on Whorl Hill

At the bottom of Whorl Hill we left by a gate at Whorl Hill Farm and following the signpost to Whorlton, we walked along field boundaries to reach the road.

Just after joining the road we came to the old Church of the Holy Cross which I have yet to find open to visitors. We walked through the graveyard and rejoined the road to Whorlton Castle, also closed to visitors today.