This morning a group of four of us met at the car park by the village hall on the south side of Chop Gate in Bilsdale. We set off out of the village up a track called Cold Moor Lane onto the ridge of Cold Moor heading north. About half way along the ridge (it's about 2 miles long) we turned left towards Beak Hills Farm to drop down to skirt the intake wall until we joined the Cleveland Way at the head of the valley. After a few hundred yards we took a path heading roughly south west along the lower edge of Cringle Moor plantation. There is no path marked on the map but the route is well walked and clearly defined on the ground. After about half a mile we joined a public footpath that cuts up into the woods (a very dark conifer plantation). The path joins a forestry track which we followed until near the end of the track it is crossed by a bridleway which we followed to meet the Cleveland Way on the lower slopes of Cringle moor. We then followed the Cleveland Way down to Lord Stones cafe by the road at the top of Carlton Bank. After a welcome refreshment stop at the cafe we took the footpath though the plantation on the opposite side of the road to the cafe. We followed the path down the valley past Thwaites House and Staindale to Raisedale Mill. From the mill we took the footpath over the fields and up to the road along the valley. We followed the road for the last half mile back to Chop Gate. The whole walk is about 8 miles and took us around four hours including a stop at the cafe.

Gate post with slotted holes to allow poles to be put in place or removed