B-Walking: Castleton Christmas Circular

Today's expeditions were positively the very last ones in our 2009 Sunday walks programme. They took the form of circular treks from Rigg End Car Park in High Castleton. The intent of the B-walk was to visit Carr House, Scale Cross, Park Nook, Rosedale Intake, Danby Lodge, Ainthorpe and Danby Church before returning back to our starting point at Rigg End.

We arranged to gather at Rigg End car park {NZ 680 077} in High Castleton by 10.00 am. Despite the very snowy conditions (see the picture below) some keen people managed to make it. We set off from the car park at about 10.05 am. There were three people in our group: JB, PB and KF. PB led the walk.


From the car park we headed in a south-westerly direction along the road towards Ivy Hall. At {NZ 678 074} we took a footpath on our right that led us in a northerly direction pass a disused quarry (on our left) to join a south-westerly path at {NZ 678 075} near some boundary stones. Turning left, we followed this path across the moor and downhill to cross a minor road at Carr House {NZ 675 074}.

After passing through the farmyard we followed a snow-laden path uphill in a south-westerly direction to meet a track at {NZ 669 068} near Dale View. This took us north towards an access gate onto Westerdale Moor at {NZ 669 070}. We now skirted around the south-west side of the moor in order to get to Dibble Bridge {NZ 676 078}. At the road we turned left and climbed up the hill, passing Maddy House as we went, in order to reach {NZ 671 083} where we took a footpath on our right. We followed this through the snow to reach another footpath on our right at Scale Cross {NZ 672 088}. This led us downhill to Commondale Beck {NZ 676 089} and, beyond it, the Middlesbrough-Whitby single-track railway line.

After crossing the railway we joined a south-easterly track near Box Hall {NZ 678 091}. We followed this to meet the Castleton road at {NZ 681 087}. From the road we took a snow-bound track that led us, via an old disused quarry, to Park Nook {NZ 685 086}. We now followed a snowy, icy and muddy track in an easterly direction through Danby Park to reach a path junction at {NZ 697 085}. From here we took a northerly track uphill to reach Pannierman’s Lane and then Pannierman’s Causeway. Now arriving at Rosedale Intake {NZ 706 094}, we decided to stop for a short lunch break.


After our lunch stop we made our way in an easterly direction to the minor road at {NZ 708 093} - just above the village of Danby. From here, we made our way along a series of tracks and paths to reach the North York Moors Centre at Danby Lodge {NZ 716 084}. Leaving the lodge on a southerly bearing we crossed the River Esk at {NZ 717 082} and the Middlesbrough-Whitby railway line at {NZ 715 081} in order to reach a minor road at {NZ 714 079}. Turning right onto this road we followed this to Kadelands House where we took a path on our left at {NZ 712 079}. This led us around several snow-laden fields to the small village of Ainthorpe {NZ 704 078}.

Turning left along the road, we climbed uphill - passing the Fox and Hounds public house (see here) on our left. We departed from the road at {NZ 705 075} by taking a south-going footpath on out right. This led us towards Bramble Carr {NZ 705 072} and on to Rowantree Farm {NZ 704 068}. We continued on our southerly bearing until we reached Plum Tree House {NZ 702 065}. From here we made a south-westerly trek to Church House {NZ 699 063}. We now turned left onto a minor road and followed this in a southerly direction. Just after the entrance to Lumley House (on our left), we took a public footpath on our right at {NZ 697 059}. This north-going footpath took us back towards Danby Church {NZ 696 063}. Just before arriving at the church we had a good climb up through the trees. After the climb, we decided that the church would be a good place to have a short tea stop - making good use of a conveniently located wooden bench near to the entrance to the church (with thanks to ‘Lucy Barker’).


From the church we took a northerly path across a snow-laden field to reach a gate at {NZ 695 065} near Wandels Lane. After passing through the gate we turned left and made a steep descent down a narrow lane to a road junction at {NZ 692 064} near Danby Beck. Surprisingly, and thankfully, the surface of this lane was completely free of snow and ice. Just after the bridge over Danby Beck, we turned right, leaving the road, in order to follow a north-going public footpath to {NZ 688 074}. At this point, we changed our bearing to a north-westerly one in order to get to Didderhow Farm {NZ 685 076}. Passing through the farm we now climbed up a very steep, slippery, icy lane in order to reach the road at High Castleton {NZ 683 078}. Turning left along this road, we made our final climb up to Rigg End car park to our cars.

After a little bit of ‘wheel spin’ on the icy surface, we all managed to get our cars off the car park onto the road in order to make our way home.

Well, what a great day we had. There were some tremendous views and I only made two (very minor) navigational slips (one near Rosedale Intake and the other near Plum Tree House). Of course, the snow, ice and mud made the ‘going’ quite difficult under foot; it was also sometimes very hard to find some of the footpaths in situations where they were buried deep beneath the snow.

    

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