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Setting off towards Easterside Hill
Setting off towards Easterside Hill

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Route No 142 - Wednesday 15 June 2005
Moorgate, Easterside Hill, Hawnby Moor - 12km
North York Moors

Map OS Explorer OL26 North York Moors Western area at 1:25000
Route Map on 'Landranger' map base from OS Open Space service
Setting off towards Easterside Hill
Setting off towards Easterside Hill
The weather forecast was for rain today so we abandoned our plan for a longer walk in Bilsdale in favour of a shorter route on the moors above Hawnby. We drove out to the little parking area at Moor Gate, map ref. SE 540917 and were ready to start walking by about 9.45am. There was just one other car there with another walker getting ready to set off with his dog. We took a path across some rough pasture to cross the footbridge over Ladhill Beck at map ref. SE 545916. We continued up the hill to the ruined Crow Nest farm and passed above High Banniscue farm. We followed the farm track to the road at map ref. SE 550898, where we turned left to follow the road to Easterside farm. Opposite the farm we turned off the road on to the footpath to the top of Easterside Hill. By now the drizzle had started and there was quite a strong wind. The view from the top over Hawnby Hill and the river Rye was still beautiful in spite of the rain.
We followed the path as it droped dowm the eastern side of the hill and met the walker with his dog that we had seen at the car park. As he approached my friend suddenly recognised him as the walker we had chatted to on our walk in the Yorkshire Wolds on 4 May so we stopped for a moment to comment on the rain. Our path took us round the base of Easterside Hill and we sat with our backs to the wall for some shelter whilst we had a drink and a sandwich. We continued on the path to a track at map ref. SE 547917 and followed the track across the moor for about 2km to map ref. SE 560935. By now the rain was quite heavy with a strong wind driving it into us, not very pleasant at all. We took the left hand fork in the track and and turned left again on to the footpath at map ref. SE 559940.
Hawnby Hill off to our right at the start of our walk
Hawnby Hill off to our right at the start of our walk

The moors are wild and bleak up here and still have a facination for me even in such awful weather. We followed the path down the slope to cross Ladhill Beck about 2km upstream of the crossing at the start of our walk. We turned on to the track at map ref. SE 546935 and followed it for about 2km back to the car. Today's walk had been about 12km and had taken us 4 hours to walk including one short stop.

Left: Ruins of Crow Nest farm
I couldn't identify this fungus on an old dead oak stump
I couldn't identify this soft yellow fungus on an old dead oak stump
Moorland track above Ladhill Beck
Moorland track above Ladhill Beck
Looking back to Easterside Hill through the rain
Looking back through the rain to Easterside Hill
Dropping down to cross Ladhill Beck
Dropping down to cross Ladhill Beck

View over the river Rye from the top of Easterside Hill
View over Hawnby Hill and the river Rye from the top of Easterside Hill