Thursday 3rd January 2002
Weather: Freezing Cold
Today's Walk: Pinchinthorpe - Highcliff Nab - Gisborough Moor -
Hanging Stone ( 9 miles )
Today's walk starts at the Visitor's Centre car park at Pinchinthorpe, near Guisborough (Grid Ref. 584 153)
There are many marked walks of varying distance from here, though we were following our own route today
After following the
disused railway track for a mile or so in a south-easterly
direction and through part of the forest,
we continue along a track, crossing a couple of fields with the
heights of Highcliff Nab visible in the far distance
. 
On the way to Hutton Village, we pass the weathered buildings of Home Farm
. 
We continue through Hutton Village and up a steep forest track where we meet these horseriders coming down
This photograph of
Hutton Village was taken around 1900 - the village was built in
the 1850's.
Naturally sheltered by the surrounding forested hills, it was
formerly called Codhill (from the moors above the village)
- most of the dwellings were inhabited by miners and estate
workers.
In 1861 the population was 271, of which 50 were men employed as
miners.
Included in the community was a school and Mission Hall built by
the Pease family, who were lords of the manor.
The house in the
photo above this one is the same one on the extreme right of the
old photograph
and the track across the foreground is the road we followed on
our walk into the forest.
There are many newer and grander houses in the present day
village,
although personally I prefer it as it was in the old days -
almost Alpine-like.
Highcliff Nab (then bare of trees) can just be seen in the top
centre of the above photo
. 
There are several reminders of past industry, such as this man-made cascade and an exposed seam of ironstone
From halfway up, a break in the trees gives us a good view north-west over to Eston Moor...
...before a short, stiff climb takes us up to the Jurassic sandstone nab of Highcliff
( After recent surgery, my legs by now feel like jelly and I'm shattered...! )
Stan, Jim and Luke stand silhouetted on Highcliff Nab...
...looking
north-east out over Guisborough, the 'ancient capital town of Cleveland'
Descending from the Nab, we look south-east over remote Highcliff Farm and beyond to Great Ayton Moor
. 
For a few short yards we join the Cleveland Way, but then head off south towards a prominent cairn on Codhill Heights
On arriving at the cairn ( Grid Ref. 614 127 ), Jim and Stan do some quick repairs...
...and we leave it in excellent condition, here looking north back towards Highcliff Wood
On my last three
visits to this cairn, I have seen a pair of Wheatears flitting among the heather and stones
- unfortunately, today it's too early in the year for these
beautiful summer immigrant birds
From Codhill
Heights we descend to Sleddale Slack (from the old English slaed,
meaning a wide, flat valley)
then follow the farm access track up onto Kildale Moor
Sleddale Farm is one of the remotest on these moors, you can just see it near the centre of the photo
Turning right onto Percy Cross Rigg we soon arrive at a ' fenced-off ' area, with Codhill Heights beyond
Here are the
remains of three remarkable Iron Age hut circles (Grid Ref. 610
116)
- they were excavated by the late Roland Close of Kildale from
1962-68 and were dated at 800 BC to AD 70.
From the remains of pottery, nine stone saddle querns (implements
for crushing grain), and a beehive quern
which were found during the excavation, it is certain that the
inabitants were farmers
who had occupied the site for a long time
Maybe you can just make out the curve of one of the stone bases of the huts on the left of the photograph
Further on along the road we pass the ' stump ' remains of Percy Cross just before reaching a metal gate
Passing through the
gate, we follow a track as it curves left-handed across Great
Ayton Moor
enjoying a fine view south-east across Lonsdale (above) where the
sun almost got out
. 
There's a good view
south-west to Easby Moor with Captain Cook's Monument prominent on the horizon
before we turn sharp right and join the Cleveland Way path
again...
...soon enjoying a lovely view of the eastern slopes of Roseberry Topping, Cleveland's own ' Matterhorn '
A look back south along the Cleveland Way track - Captain Cook's Monument is still visible on the horizon
. 
At Grid Ref. 588
128 we leave the Cleveland Way and head north-east towards
Hanging Stone Wood
walking almost parallel with a drystone wall on our left,
enjoying more views of Roseberry Topping to the west
. 
Leaving the main forestry track at Grid Ref. 591 133, we follow a dark, narrow path through the trees...
...before emerging
with a glorious surprise view across to Guisborough and, on a
clearer day, the distant North Sea
- here, it's time for a well-earned snack and a welcome hot cuppa
The Hanging Stone
is a massive sandstone platform which juts out from the ridge
- it was probably part of some old quarry at one time and not
where people met their end with their neck in a noose!
From Hanging Stone
Wood we descend steeply down to a forestry track which we follow
through
Bousdale Wood and eventually back to our starting point, enjoying
this last look over the fields to Highcliff Nab
( If any photographs fail to download, click the right mouse button on the blank space then choose 'Show Picture' )
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