Bill's Walks

Bilsdale and Bransdale

Filed under: Other

Distance: 14 miles
Start: Chop Gate village hall (OS 559993)
Map : OS Explorer Map 26 – North Yorkshire Moors: Western Area

Click to view start position on Google Maps

This walk shows the several aspects of this fine walking area which being in a National Park avoids many of the problems with footpaths encountered in other parts of the North riding of Yorkshire.

It starts at the Community Centre at Chop Gate, which is about 200 yards south of the pub, where there is parking, picnic tables and toilets. You leave on to the road and pick up the footpath on the far side of the road to William Beck Farm. In July 2010 there was notice of a sensible diversion round the farm to the north which I would expect to be in use shortly. The diversion passes behind the farm and comes to a lane heading east uphill steeply through Black Intake. A short distance after this levels out you arrive at a broad track which has been much improved for grouse shooting. This should be taken right and after a very short distance it descends down to Tripsdale Beck which is a nice secluded corner. There is an alternative footpath which can be used but this could well be grouse and other waders nesting territory and particularly in the nesting season this is probably best avoided.

The access track now heads east up on to Hag House Moor and Slape Wath Moor with extensive views all round and a feeling of space which is something that I like. About 2 miles after Tripsdale and after passing two lunch shelters for the grouse shooters (not open on our visit) the track joins a further large track heading in a north to south direction next to Stump Cross. This is an ancient road called the Thurkilsti track. The cross (which is a stump only) is on your left. Now go south looking down into Bransdale on your left and after one and a half miles you arrive at the tarmac road leading north to Cockayne. The walking has been very easy with little in the way of hills other than the climb up from Tripsdale. Note the cairns to the west which are a common feature on these moors.

On reaching the road you head immediately south-west along a narrow track passing the oddly named Botany Bay on the OS map. The track, although small, is clear and obviously used by many walkers. In less than a mile it drops down to cross Bonfield Gill without a problem (unless in flood when you might get your feet wet) to pass to the right of a small wood and reach another broad track which is a further access track for the grouse business. Cross this track and continue for a further mile and a half in the same south-west direction to Black Holes, where the track joins a bridleway. Go down to a wall in front of you where there should be another wall coming up from Bilsdale joining the wall at right angles. Here is a gate and now follow the bridleway downhill, with the fence on your left, to enter Kirkhill Plantation. The track goes down to the left to reach the B1257. Here turn north for about 100 yards and take the footpath on your left which passes to the left of High Evecote and crosses the beck by a foot bridge. Watch out as it may be slippyhere. Continue north passing behind The Grange to arrive at a farm access road to Stigamyers and Coniser. Turn down in that direction (west) and where the road takes a sharp turn left, take the footpath to the north past Stable Holme. If you have crossed a small stream you have missed the correct route which is waymarked.

The route after Stable Holme is well defined alongside a wall to Beacon Guest where you head uphill on its access road and behind the house. It does not look right on the ground but it is the correct way. After going through one field you should go through a gate and follow the path north maintaining your height. The wall is on your right through open land with grazing cattle and sheep. On the other side of the wall is enclosed fields and after passing by three of these fields you will see High Crookleith Farm diagonally in front to your right. Take the obvious large gate in the wall (not waymarked) and head diagonally across the two fields towards it. Just before the buildings turn right and pass by a silage pit before going in a north-east direction to find a footbridge over Hollow Bottom Beck. The waymarking hereabouts is poor for a National Park. It now improves as you head left for a short distance back towards High Crookleith on their access road before taking the waymarked path to Low Crookleith. Here you follow the waymarked path right and then left to cross three fields where wheat is currently grown. This is quite a rare crop in this part of the valley. The hillside above High Crookleith suffered a big landslide a few years ago and prevented access to the farm for quite a while. At Orterley Farms turn north-east down to the River Seph (which can be wet through the woods) back to the start, or go to the west of Orterley Farm to then head north over three fields to the old mining track which then leads back down to the start.

Addendum
For those wanting more information on the crosses of ther North Yorks Moors there is an excellent booklet called “An Illustrated Guide to the Crosses of the North York Moors” by Elizabeth Ogilvie and Audrey Sleightholme, whilst Trailblazer also have a book on walking to the crosses.

Ogilvie and Sleightholme state that stump Cross has one of the largest bases of any of the crosses at 2ft 6ins square and in 1829 it was known as ‘the cross with a hand’, which was presumably a waymark.

They also state that a short distance from Stump Cross to the north-west the Thurkilsti joins the Via Magna which in 1154 was called the great road coming from the Thurskilsti. Note the change of spellimg. Was this the derivation of Thirsk?