Yorkshire Walks

The old ironstone railway bed in Rosedale

The weather was quite gloomy with dense cloud and no sunshine at all. We set off at about 10.00am from the car park along a path for about 100m to the old railway overlooking Rosedale. We crossed the old railway bed and continued on a path down the hillside for about 300m to join a farm access track at map ref. SE687989.

This morning my friend, Jim, and I drove thtough Hutton-le-Hole to Blakey Ridge. About a kilometre before we reached the Lion Inn we parked in a little car park on the roadside at map ref. SE683989. The car park is at the point where the old ironstone railway used to cross under the road on its way from Rosedale to Farndale.

Track down to Moorlands Farm

Moorlands Farm & cottages

Here, at map ref. SE692988, we turned right off the tarmac access road onto a track across the fields running down the valley.

We followed this track down into Rosedale to Moorlands Farm. We continued for about 150m beyond the farm and cottages.

Turning off the road onto the track down Rosedale

Muddy gateway on the track down Rosedale

High House Farm

We passed a group of walkers who were complaining about the amount of mud they had encountered that morning. I suggested that they were simply getting good value out of their boots.

We followed the track across the fields to a well restored farm house and out buildings at High House Farm.

Clusters of frogspawn in a puddle

Ponies in their winter coats

Stile off the road into a water logged field

The field from the stile to the footbridge was completely waterlogged with a good flow of water from the hillside above and it was our turn to get some good value out of our boots!

Beyond the farm at map ref. SE700973 we turned left off the access road to climb over a stile. This took us onto a public footpath going down to a foot bridge over the River Seven.

Footbridge over the River Seven

Looking back to the River Seven

This brought us to Craven Garth farm and rows of holiday cottages. We continued through the farm until reached the road on the east side of Rosedale.

We crossed the footbridge and kept to our left to follow a path up the hillside next to the fence.

Ironstone kilns seen from the climb up to Hill Cottages

Holiday cottages next to Craven garth farm

Poultry on the farm next to the old railway

As we walked through the farm there was a stone structure from the days of the ironstone industry which the farmer is using as storage bays. I'm not sure what the original function was.

At the road we turned right to walk along the road for about 150m to Hill Cottages, map ref. SE708976. Here we turned left off the road to go up a farm track where numerous fancy breeds of poultry are kept.

Sheep feeding on silage until the spring grass comes

Cockerel on the farm next to the old railway

Heading onto the old railway path above the farm

Old kilns next to the railway

The kilns were used to reduce the bulk of the iron ore before it was transported on the railway to Middlebrough, via Ingleby Incline, for smelting.

Cairn marking the path up to a row of miners' cottages

Despite the lack of sun it was till a very pleasant view across the valley.

Imediately above the farm we came to the bed of the old railway which is now a well used footpath. We followed the railway around the valley side to the ruins of some large kilns.

Old kilns next to the railway

Approaching more relics of the ironstone industry

When we were opposite our starting point across the valley we found a comfortable retaining wall to sit on for our lunch.

Derelict farmstead below the railway

Path along the old railway bed on the east side of the valley

Frogspawn in a small pool by the path

The temperature up here has been around freezing from mid december to the end of February and there are still many patches of frozen snow lying about so we wondered how these cold blooded creatures are able to breed in these conditions.

After our break we continued along the railway for over 2km to the head of the valley (map ref. SE680010). Along the way there were small ponds where we were surprised to find large amounts of frog spawn.

The railway path on the east side of Rosedale

The path above a waterlogged cuttimg

Male grouse feeling territorial by the path

Swaledale ewes gathering by the path to be fed

On the way home we stopped in Kirkbymoorside for a coffee and a splendid bacon sandwich that has already entered our walking folklore.

From the head of the valley we continued along the railway for another 2km back to our starting point on Blakey Ridge. The whole route had been about 12km and it had taken us four hours to walk including our lunch stop.

A pool on the old railway

Railway path on the west side of the valley below the Lion Inn

Snow lying by the path

Looking down Rosedale from the railway at the head of the valley