Yorkshire Walks

Bee hives in the heather

There is room to park off the road at two or three places alongside Wintergill Plantation and I found a spot just opposite the path across the moor where I planned to return at the end of my walk.

Today my two regular walking companions were otherwise engaged, one on grandad duties and the other working, so I drove out to Egton High Moor (map ref. NZ 761016) on my own.

Warning sign by the bee hives

Glaisdale from the moor

Looking down Glaisdale

I did not feel like climbing back up again through the heather so I continued on down the bank to Low Gill Beck Farm and followed the road into Glaisdale. At map ref. NZ 781054 I turned off the road down a muddy path at the side of the Arnecliff Arms.

I set off along the road to the northern edge of the plantation at map ref. NZ 763022 where I turned left on to a bridleway across the moor. The path was badly overgrown with deep heather and was awkward to follow. I had intended turning right after a few hundred metres at map ref. NZ 759029, but as I struggled with the heather on the steep bank I missed the path (I don't think it is there on the ground) and before I knew it I was too low down.

Harebells on a roadside bank

River Esk in East Arnecliff wood

Paved pannier way through East Arncliff Wood

Paved pannier way through East Arncliff Wood

After about 100m the path brought me to a footbridge over Glaisdale Beck which I crossed and followed the path though East Arnecliff Wood. The River Esk was below me to my left and much of the path is still paved with the large sandstone cobbles characteristic of the old paved pannier ways used by pack mule trains 200 years ago.

Paved pannier way through East Arncliff Wood

Rocky outcrop in East Arnecliff wood

I followed the farm road past Hall Grange farm (dozens of barking caged dogs) for over 2km to map ref. NZ 792028 just above Grange Head Farm.

After about 1.5km I came out of the wood onto the road at map ref. NZ 793046. I turned left to follow the road for about 300m to map ref. NZ 796048 where I turned right onto a farm access road.

Strange growth on a wild rose in the hedgerow

A Limosin bull grazing quietly by the track

Looking up to Grange Head & Egton High Moor beyond

Looking across Egton Grange from the path up to the moor

Boulders marking out ancient rectangular fields on the edge of the moor

I followed the path across the moor for about 3.5km back to my starting point. There was a fine view from the moor down the Esk valley to the sea at Whitby. The whole route had been 14.5km a bit longer than I had planned due to my navigating error at the start. The walk had taken me about four and a half hours including my stops.

Here I turned left off the farm road onto a track that climbed up the valley side through an area next to the moor where there are several ancient rectangular fields bounded by lines of large boulders. Just above the old field system The track goes through a gate in the wall on to the open moor.

This random rubble wall shouldn't stand up!

Looking over the heather on Egton High Moor to the sea at Whitby