Saturday 12th August 2000
( weather: fine & warm )
Today's Walk: Hasty Bank - Cold Moor - Seave Green - Urra
( 6 miles )
Today's walk starts from Clay Bank car park on the Stokesley to Helmsley road ( Grid Ref: 572 035 )
About 150 yards
south of the car park the Cleveland Way trail crosses the main
road
- at this point cross over and go up the steep stone-stepped path
at the edge of the forest and then left over the stile
and follow the track as it climbs steeply up the eastern flank of
Hasty Bank
In the photo above
we're about half-way up looking east across to Carr Ridge where
the Cleveland Way continues
on its way towards Bloworth Crossing and Farndale Moor
The reward at the
top of the tough climb is this magnificent view north across the
Cleveland Plain
with Roseberry Topping and Easby Moor prominent in the centre
about 5 miles distant
Continue walking
west along the flat top of Hasty Bank on the popular Cleveland
Way path
which is 'paved' with natural stone slabs at this stage to
prevent any further erosion
Here we see some of
the crags and fallen boulders on the northern slopes
- on a less hazy day the Pennines can be clearly seen on the
distant horizon
From the path there are lovely views in all directions
Here we look south along the picturesque valley of Bilsdale
On the western
slopes of Hasty Bank we reach the popular rock-climbing outcrop
of the Wainstones
a mass of jumbled columns of Middle Jurassic sandstone
On the left hand photo we again look south to Bilsdale and on the right, west towards our next objective - Cold Moor
From Wainstones we get a good view north across the Cleveland Plain - the village of Great Broughton is centre right
Here we look back to the Wainstones . . .
. . . and a few hundred yards further on take another look back
It's near this
point ( Grid Ref: 554 034 ) that we leave the Cleveland Way path
and follow a
bridleway diagonally left across and upwards on the eastern
slopes of Cold Moor
Halfway up the
slope we pause for a breather and turn to enjoy this spectacular
view north-east
with again Roseberry Topping prominent in the top centre of the
photograph
By taking that particular route we reach the crest of Cold Moor at a slightly lower elevation than the 1318ft summit
Like Hasty Bank before, Cold Moor affords lovely views in all directions
Here we look east across Bilsdale to the farming hamlet of Urra and beyond, the mass of Urra Moor
After following the track south for about a mile we begin to descend towards the bottom of the Bilsdale valley
Here our path enters Cold Moor Lane
Today, the lane was
very wet and boggy, even after the recent spell of fine, dry
weather,
due to the presence of a drainage ditch running down the sides
To avoid the worst,
my advice is to take the first footpath on the left soon after
entering the lane and after crossing a field
enter another leafy lane which emerges opposite the road junction
to Seave Green at Grid Ref: 562 003
Cross the road and just over the little beck you'll see this magnificent house and garden
( It inspired me to buy an extra lottery ticket that night! )
Follow the quiet, narrow road north passing Bilsdale Hall and the church . . .
. . . enjoying the views north towards Hasty Bank
After about another ¾ a mile you'll reach Urra Farm
Just after the
sharp left hand bend in the road, look for the yellow arrow
marker on your right
and follow the path across a couple of fields . . .
. . . then cross a
stile and follow the path down the grassy slopes of a little wood
- cross the beck over a wooden footbridge
and after climbing up the other side along the edge a plantation,
cross another stile, go downhill along the path then through a
gate and turn right and follow the track back up to the main road
where a short walk will take you back to Clay Bank car park
........
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