Clay Bank - Urra Moor - Ingleby Incline

Sunday 19th November 2000

( 6 miles )

( Weather: cool and mainly cloudy - breezy on the moor top )

Today's walk begins at Clay Bank car park ( Grid Ref: 572 036 )
from where we enjoy this view across the Cleveland Plain towards Roseberry Topping about 4 miles distant

After walking south along the Stokesley to Helmsley roadside for about 200 yards
we turn left through a gate and follow the steep, rough stone-paved path up the hillside

For the next 3 miles we are on the track that follows the Cleveland Way, the Lyke Wake Walk and the Coast to Coast Walk

From half-way up the hillside we pause and look back towards Hasty Bank

( if you ask them nicely, the sheep around here love having their photo taken )

From near the top of Carr Ridge we again look north towards Roseberry Topping

At a junction of paths at the top we again take a breather and turn to enjoy the views of
Hasty Bank with Cold Moor and Cringle Moor beyond

You can't go wrong along this track on Urra Moor, even in the worst of weathers - it's perfect walking terrain

The whole of this area is littered with old marker and boundary stones -
from this one at Grid Ref: 594 016 we see, just 50 yards north of the path, a trig point on a small mound . . .

. . . which is, in fact, the ancient burial ground of Botton Howe,
and at 1490 feet, is the highest point on the North York Moors

I always find it a bit of an anti-climax standing here - the land doesn't fall steeply away affording spectacular views
- instead we see vast areas of flat, desolate moorland stretching for miles in all directions

Here we look south towards Bilsdale with the tall TV mast visible on the horizon (right)

About a mile further on we turn left onto the trackbed of the old railway line which ran from the Rosedale Ironstone Mines . . .

. . . enjoying spectacular views west towards the Cleveland Hills . . .

. . . before arriving at the ruins of the old 'brake-drum house' at the top of Ingleby Incline

From here the land, and the railway trackbed, fall dramatically away . . .

. . . for 700 feet down a dead straight mile of descent

( Believe me, it's as hard to walk down here as it is up ! )

From half-way down the Incline part of our return route via the forestry track can be seen below (left)

At the bottom of the Incline we turn left and follow the forestry track for the next 2½ miles back to the start of the walk . . .

. . . enjoying brief glimpses of autumn colours through breaks in the trees

........

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