Circular walk from Clay Bank via Chop Gate

Hasty Bank

We walked south for a while to join the Cleveland Way heading steeply uphill on a easy paved path towards Carr Ridge. Here we had a quick coffee stop while we completed a questionnaire for a countryside volunteer who had been hiding behind a wall!

Instead of continuing on the Cleveland Way we joined another track to the edge of Urra Moor giving us great views of Cold Moor and Hasty Bank, the Wain stones on Hasty Bank just visible. After about 1 ½ miles, with Medd Crag, a small outcrop, on our left we took a right-hand path down to Bilsdale Hall. Here we all gathered round to look at some ducks in the pond before walking down the lane to join a footpath on our left.

This route started innocently enough taking us across a field, passing some frisky bullocks, then down a track to cross a beck. Here we turned right to meet up with a track. Although no path shown on the ground it was clearly on the map and following the old advise to "rely on your compass" Ken strode on through the long grass.

Jimmy fighting through the ferns!

A new bridge across a beck reassured us that we were on the correct path only to be met immediately with a wall of tall ferns. There was no going back now so we beat a path uphill through the ferns up to the track leading to Stonehouse Gate. At times it looked likely we would loose one or two people, all that was visible was the odd head bobbing up and down, but we ended up with 10 walkers more or less!

Here we couldn't find the path around the farm, the farmer being no help, so we continued on to William Beck Farm joining the track down to the main road. We had a stop for lunch then we walked into Chop Gate and although the pub was just shutting we managed to get some welcome refreshments. We now joined Cold Moor Lane at the T junction just north of the village. The remainder of the walk followed a path below Cold Moor giving us views of Urra Moor on our right and the Wain Stones on Hasty Bank up ahead. We headed towards Garfitt passing Bank House, North Woods and Broadfield Farm. More ferns (and more moans!) at Middle Heads then on to Garfitt, then a gentle climb through, yes, more ferns to Hasty bank Farm where we joined a track back down to the main road.