Coomb Hill and Dale Town from Hawnby
6 miles Cold wind and dreary weather
Tom Scott Burns suggests parking on the grass verge in front of the church at Hawnby but this is a wet grassy spot with a risk of getting bogged down so we parked at the village hall in the lower village and walked back to the church.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills |
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| Clive digs deep for the honesty box |
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| Lower Hawnby |
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| Head into the wind! |
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| Walking towards Hawnby Church |
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| All Saints, Hawnby |
Opposite the village hall is a farm with green woodwork and as the lady farmer was out and about we chatted to her for a while. Amongst other things she explained that green was the 'estate colour' and all the houses in Hawnby are painted this colour. Her farm just entered the village so she used it too.
We walked along the lane to reach All Saints Church which is practically invisible among trees until you are almost on top of it. TSB explains that the church is basically a Norman structure, rebuilt in the late 14th century and restored in 1876 at a cost of £600, raised by subscription.
The church was unlocked and we popped in for a look around, I was surprised that it is in such good fettle considering its damp and sunless location.
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| A warning from the past for the future |
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| Clean and damp free |
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| We were pleased to find this plaque, see below |
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| Window commemorating WWI |
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| A dreadfully sad record |
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| 'The Fighting Parson' |
We were pleased to find a small brass plaque set into the floor near the back of the church, in memory of William Mansell 38 years, the gamekeeper mentioned in my last blog, as having died while staying at Bumper Castle. It would be interesting to know the circumstances of his death and why the Duke of Rutland would have this plaque made for a lowly servant.
One of the most notable features of the church is a modern window commemorating the dead of WWI. The Revd. William Hughes was parson of Hawnby during the First World War and was known as 'The Fighting Parson' because of his encouragement of the young men of the area to join up. Because of this Hawnby has a larger than usual 'roll of honour' and deaths, including the parson's own three sons. The window commemorates these men.
We left the church and walked down to Church Bridge then immediately after crossing this we turned sharp left, then right at an Inn Way sign and began our climb to Coomb Hill.
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| Church Bridge, Hawnby |
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| Upstream from Church Bridge |
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| The Inn Way passes here |
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| Walking towards Coomb Hill |
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| Through the gate and bear right uphill |
Having gained height we circumnavigated the hill, passing the ruins of two old buildings and eventually dropping down to rejoin the same tarmac road that we had left at Church Bridge.
We walked along the road to reach the gates of Arden Hall and from this point the road begins a steep climb. When we reached the site of an old quarry we found a couple of flat stones and sat to enjoy our coffee.
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| We pass the gates of Arden Hall |
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| Arden Hall |
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| Set below North Moor Wood |
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| The road gets steep from this point |
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| Approaching the old quarry |
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| "This looks sheltered" |
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| Coffee time |
After enjoying our coffee we walked a little further uphill to see a track heading left onto Daletown Common. Having gained height we could look down to our right into Thorodale, catching a glimpse of Thorodale Lake through the saplings.
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| Hawnby Hill and Easterside Hill to the right of the photo |
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| Thorodale Lake behind us |
Crossing the common to pass through a gate we came to a dyke that follows the line of a dry stone wall to the right. Apparently the dyke dates from the late Bronze Age, 900 - 600BC, and it is thought that it and other similar dykes were constructed to define the limits of farming settlements.
Shortly after passing a new plastic water tank we turned through a gate and walked across fields for a mile or so to reach a barn.
We paused at the barn to chat to some calves, who were comfortably over-wintering in it, before going through an area of tumuli, also shown on map. TSB explains that before the moorland was enclosed there was a group of about 20 tumuli here but only 7 or 8 remain. During the 1850s some excavation work was carried out and in one large mound, 40 - 50 feet diameter and 4 feet high, the skeleton of an Anglo Saxon lady of rank was found preserved in the limestone. At her head was a bronze bowl with three handles, round her waist a leather girdle inlaid with garnets and her hair was secured with gold and silver. This would be a good site for detectorists!
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| Calves at High Building |
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| Tumuli |
The route now headed towards the perimeter of North Bank Wood before turning sharp left downhill at a sign just before Sunnybank Farm. A steep and occasionally tricky descent back down to the River Rye followe, this area shown as Toad Hole on the OS map.
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| Hawnby and Easterside Hill in the distance |
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| Turn left off the track before reaching the farm |
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| .. and follow the way-marks down |
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| .. and down to reach the River Rye |
We entered a field with Dalicar Bridge over the river ahead of us and stopped to look at the old tractors and their shed adjacent to the right of way. Then we passed a couple of sheep, their heads discoloured by the salt lick bucket and crossed the bridge to reach the road.
