Yorkshire Walks

Lord Stone's Cafe at the top of Carlton Bank

"Camping Pods" at Lord Stone's Cafe

Jim got chatting to the proprietor and she showed us their latest project due to open at Easter. It's a series of "Camping Pods" in a very pretty enclosure with an attractive pond. The pods themselves consist each of a single well insulated room providing warm dry camping style accommodation. From the car park we walked out to the road where we turned left and walked about 100m along the road and then turned right off the road to follow a public footpath along a farm access road.

This morning my mate, Jim, and I drove through Helmsley and up Bilsdale to Chop Gate where we turned left to drive up Raisdale to Lord Stone's Cafe at the top of Carlton Bank. We parked in the car park at map ref. NZ524030. Since our last visit the whole cafe and its grounds have been completely revamped and all to a high standard too. We called in the cafe for a coffee before starting our walk.

Our turning off the road onto the track to Thwaites House

View across the pond near Thwaites House to Cringle Moor, still hidden in low cloud

Pond near Thwaites House

Track between Thwaites House & Staindale Farm

Old stone gatepost with slots for the crossbars

There was a nice view of Cringle Moor away to our left with its top still hidden in the low cloud. We had occasional spells of bright sunshine as the sun broke through the cloud and then disappeared again. After about 800m from Thwaites House we reached the access track to Staindale Farm.

Along the farm access road we passed a pretty pond on the left and about 500m from the road we passed Thwaites House. From there we continued along the path across the fields. It was a pleasant path, a bit muddy after the heavy overnight rain.

Approaching Thwaites House

Track between Thwaites House & Staindale Farm

Approaching Staindale Farm

Looking across Raisdale to Wath hill

Track down Raisdale from Staindale Farm

Small stone out building just above the path

After about 500m from Staindale Farm we came to a small stone out building standing on its own just above the path at map ref. NZ528011.

We followed this track to our right through Staindale Farm and continued following the path across the fields contouring around the hillside. Part of the path was quite hard to follow through the dense reeds of cotton grass.

Beyond the gate the path gets a bit lost in the cotton grass reeds

Looking down Raisdale towards the misty hills of Bilsdale

Path around the edge of woodland after the stone out building

Gate leading towards the stone forest access road

We turned left to follow the forest track for about 500m to map ref. NZ534007. Here we turned right off the stone track on to a muddy track following the stream on our right for about 300m to Raisdale Mill.

From this out building we followed the path around the edge of some woodland for about 300m to a field gate on the right at map ref. NZ530009. We went through the gate and after about 20m we joined a stone forest access track.

The path along Raisdale was once a paved pannier way

Turning off the forest road to a muddy path to Raisdale Mill

Raisdale Beck on the way to the mill

The road bridge over Raisdale Beck

The path up the grassy hillside

About 150m beyond the beck the road bent round to the right and on the bend we turned off the road on to a footpath climbing steeply up the grassy hillside. After about 250m the path led us to a road at map ref. NZ543006.

The old mill buildings are now a complex of holiday cottages. We followed the drive from the old mill up to the road and then turned right to walk along the road. The road dropped down to cross Raisdale Beck and then began to climb up the hill on the other side of the beck.

Raisdale Mill holiday cottage complex

Turning off the road to climb up the grassy hillside

Stile onto the road from the path up the grassy hillside

Looking back across Raisdale from the road at the top of the short climb

Cringle Moor briefly in the sun & free of mist

Joining the track from Beak Hills farm

At the farm the metalled road ends but continues past the farm as a track between the fields. It's an ancient route crossing from Bilsdale and down the northern escarpment of the Cleveland Hills and on to Stokesley.

At the road we turned left to walk along the road for about 1km to Cold Moor Cote. We followed the road around the buildings and then continued for another 800m along the road to Beak Hills Farm.

Following the road to Cold Moor Cote

Horses at Beak Hills Farm

Looking back over Beak Hills Farm to the mist in Raisdale

Track from Beak Hills Farm to join the Cleveland Way

Joining the Cleveland Way

The route over Cringle Moor is paved with heavy stone slabs that I think came from the demolition of textile mills.

We followed the track from Beak Hills Farm for about 1km to join the Cleveland Way at map ref. NZ545034. Here we turned left to follow the route of the Cleveland Way.

Walkers climbing up to Cold Moor along the Cleveland Way

Paved Cleveland Way path at the foot of Cringle Moor

Following the Cleveland Way to start the climb on to Cringle Moor

Cleveland Way climbing onto Cringle Moor

Alec Falconer memorial plaque

At the western end of the ridge we came to the Alec Falconer memorial seat at the view point, and what a splendid view point it is looking out across the Tees valley.

We climbed the stone steps and cobbles from the col between Cold Moor and Cringle Moor up to the ridge of Cringle Moor a climb of about 120m (400ft). We continued on the paved path along the ridge with a view through the misty low cloud out over Teesside to our right.

Cleveland Way on the ridge of Cringle Moor

Alec Falconer memorial seat at the view point

Approaching the seat at the view point along the ridge of Cringle Moor

The Cleveland Way near Lord Stone's Cafe

Looking back to Cringle Moor hidden in low cloud again

The whole route had been around 10km and it had taken us three and a half hours to walk with no significant stops. The weather had been very kind to us with no rain and some bright sunny intervals. The low cloud had sat on top of Cringle Moor all day but this had given us some lovely effects with the bright sunny patches. We left our muddy gear in the car and went into the cafe for a coffee and a bacon roll before heading for home.

From the seat and view point we continued along the Cleveland Way route down from Cringle Moor for about 400m down the steeper part of the hill and then another 600m back to the entrance to Lord Stone's Cafe. Here we turned off the Cleveland Way route and walked down into the car park and the end of our walk.

Cleveland Way churned to mud by scores of boots

Turning off the Cleveland Way to Lord Stone's Cafe

Cleveland Way coming down from Cringle Moor towards Lord Stone's Cafe with Carlton Moor ahead in the mist