Thursday 15th November 2001
Weather: A beautiful November day
Today's Walk: Bank Foot Farm - Baysdale - Hob Hole - Hograh Moor
( 14 miles )
Part 2: Hob Hole - Little Hograh Moor - Great Hograh Moor ( 7 miles )
. 
At Hob Hole, we
cross the wooden footbridge over the ford and head up steeply and
diagonally to the right
along a narrow path through a few trees and heather until
emerging onto open moorland
From here we walked through knee-deep heather before arriving at this 1942 bomb crater (Grid Ref: 652 073)...
...over the past 60
or so years it has developed into a beautiful pond - for once,
thank you Mr Hitler
- wherever you were aiming, you missed by miles and created a
future haven for British wildlife
About a hundred
yards further up the hill we arrive at the ruins of an old thatch
farmstead called 'Jane Frank Garth'
- it became known locally as 'Gin Garth' through its involvement
with brewing and storing illicit, contraband liquor,
which was transported in stone bottles across various routes on
the North York Moors
. 
Two old gateposts
(see Part 1 of the walk), located a few hundred yards upstream
from Hob Hole, indicate one route taken
by panniermen, drovers and smugglers journeying from 'Gin Garth'
over a packhorse bridge leading towards the coast
Tom and Jim enjoy the wonderful views across Little Hograh Moor over to Westerdale...
...and north-east towards Commondale
. 
On many parts of the North York Moors you'll come across touching memorials
ALAN CLEGG
1936 - 1981
"Who loved these moors"
With views like
this from Great Hograh Moor, over Baysdale and Kildale Moor, who
could blame him...?
Roseberry Topping can just be seen in the far distance
. 
A little further on
and we come across another tiny memorial near a small stone
bridge spanning Great Hograh Beck
- the bridge was built in 1938 by one of Tom's 'heroes', Roland
Close, who had lived at nearby Low House
- Roland was responsible for much excavation work on the North
York Moors
Another lovely view
north-west from Great Hograh Moor
- this time, Captain Cook's Memorial on distant Easby Moor can
just be seen (centre left)
. 
The track descends from Great Hograh Moor, and then through a plantation...
. 
...before emerging at the farm buildings of Thorntree House, basking in the late afternoon sunshine
. 
Following the farm track down, we enjoy our final glimpses of Baysdale valley before the steep climb up the other side...
...where Jim waits patiently for me with his dog, Luke, at his feet
On re-joining the
Cleveland Way track at the top we're just in time to see the sun
setting
behind the distant Cleveland Hills...
...a couple of minutes later it's almost gone
. 
... and by the time
we reach the cairn at Grid Ref 608 068 it has gone down
Tom stands proudly beside the cairn he built himself where we
leave the Cleveland Way...
...and it's getting
fairly dark as we descend the track back down from Turkey Nab to
Bank Foot Farm
but we'd enjoyed a wonderful walk in perfect weather
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