Walks 39 what’son Walks Nether Silton, and the Hanging Stone

Walk Information ing ships brought here from the At the road, head along the track shipyards of Hartlepool many cen- opposite (slightly to the right) that Distance: 5.5 km (3.5 miles) turies ago. The small bell that leads quickly over a stile beside a Time: Allow 2 hours hangs in the tiny bell cote is said to gate (ignore the path to the left), have come from nearby Mount then head up the field alongside the Map: OS Explorer OL26 – always Grace Priory. It really is a beautiful hedge on your right to soon reach take a map with you. place. St Mary’s Church on your right (in Parking/Start: On street parking the middle of the field). As you throughout Nether Silton beside From Over Silton, with its lovely reach the gate in the wall that leads the village green cottages and spring flowers on the into the churchyard (church on Refreshments: Gold Cup Inn, grass verges, a track leads up your right), turn sharp left across Nether Silton through Silton Forest, with its the field (after visiting the church), wonderful scents, to emerge below across the middle of the field and Terrain: Field paths, quiet country the natural outcrop known as the up the low embankment then lanes and forest tracks. Many of Hanging Stone, set on a straight on to reach a red metal the paths and tracks are muddy promontory of land. I presume it is gate at the far end of the field that underfoot. called the Hanging Stone as it looks leads onto the road on the outskirts How to get there: Nether Silton lies quite precarious. From just below of Over Silton. just to the east of the A19 about 5 the Hanging Stone, there are miles to the east of . superb views northwards towards Follow the road straight on Caution: The paths and tracks are Osmotherley set beneath Beacon 2through the village passing the muddy underfoot. There are some Hill, with the flat Cleveland Plain turning to Borrowby just after steep slopes to the side of the track stretching away into the distance, which follow the road bending through Silton Forest. This walk while to the west the extensive round to the right, then take the includes some short stretches of vales of Mowbray and York stretch turning to the right No Through road walking – take care along away towards the Pennines on the Road (signpost Thimbleby). Follow these sections and walk in single horizon. The return track leads this up then, just beyond the last file. There is a small ford to cross back through the forest, with house on your right, the road towards the end of this walk, which wonderful views again glimpsed becomes a track which you follow may be difficult after very heavy through the trees. We return to straight on for 100 metres then, as rain. Over Silton, from where a path you enter the forest and the track leads down across a field to reach a bends slightly to the right, take the hidden ford across Penny Beck set bridleway up to the left into Points of interest in a small wooded valley. This is a woodland (signpost). Follow this delightful spot with wild spring sunken path climbing quite steeply ROM Nether Silton, with flowers and the sound of water. up – it soon levels out and leads on, its attractive village keeping close to the edge of the green and country pub, a forest on your left, gently rising up path leads across fields The walk to join a clear muddy forestry (signpost), with Nun House Farm Silton village sign. After the stile F down across to your right. Ignore turn immediately right and head to a remarkable church From the Gold Cup Inn at track. Follow this track straight on set on its own in the middle of a 1 Nether Silton (with your back to (to the left) heading through the the bridleway to your right and down the field gradually bearing field. This is St Mary’s, a wonderful the pub and facing the village forest – the track is level at first carry straight on along the grassy away from the hedge on your right old church that dates back to at green) turn left along the road then drops steadily down before path/track ahead, and follow this to reach a stile in a hedge in the least the 12th Century, although it through the village passing the red levelling out to emerge out of the through the forest for 0.75 km to bottom left corner of the field (keep stands on a much older Saxon reli- phone box on your left and church forest after 0.75 km, views ahead of reach the end of the track to the right-hand side of the section gious site. But why was this church on your right then, as you reach the Osmotherley in the distance with (waymarker) where you follow the of hedge coming up the field). After built away from its neighbouring end of the churchyard after a short the Hanging Stone (outcrop) up to path down to the right, over a small the stile, turn immediately left villages? Perhaps it was built to distance, turn left through a small your right. Continue along the stream to quickly reach a down to join a bridleway over a ford bridlegate on the edge of the forest, serve the surrounding villages, or white gate immediately after the track curving slightly round to the across Penny Beck then bending to that leads out onto a field. Head to perhaps the original village stood Old Post Office on your left with its right (superb views across the the right and rising up to reach the left down across the field to around the church, as there are small post-box set into the wall. Cleveland Plain) to soon reach a Greystone Farm. Head straight on reach a gate that leads onto a road. certainly lots of embankments Follow the enclosed path straight junction with another (rougher) passing between the stone barns Turn left along the road and follow nearby that most probably mark on between the houses to soon track coming in from your left, that leads into the farmyard where it climbing steadily up (take care) the foundations of medieval farms. reach a stile that leads out onto marked by a blue waymarker post you carry straight on along the back into Over Silton. Or maybe the Normans simply fields (leaving the village behind). (where the track levels out). farm track (leaving the farm built their church on the existing Carry straight on across the field behind) and follow this to reach a Follow the road bending round religious site. We will never know alongside the hedge on your right Turn left (waymarker) back on road on the outskirts of Nether 4to the right towards Nether for certain, which only adds to its then, as you reach the end of the 3yourself along this level track Silton. Turn left along the road Silton, , Borrowby then appeal. Inside, it boasts a Norman field, bear very slightly left to reach and follow this straight on for 250 back into Nether Silton. take the turning to the right font, fine zig-zag Norman a stile across your path at the end metres (passing below the Hanging towards Borrowby. Follow this road stonework above the doorway and of the field. Cross this stile then Stone again now up to your left) Mark Reid down out of the village for 75 a stone-flagged chancel roof walk straight on alongside the back into the forest, then continue Walking Weekenders 2014 metres then take the path to the believed to be unique in . hedge on your right across two along the clear track through the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, left up over a stile (beside a This roof is supported by 15th Lake District & Snowdonia more fields (path becomes a track forest to reach a junction of telegraph pole), just after the Over Century oak beams from old sail- across the last field) to join a road. bridleways after 300 metres walkingweekenders.co.uk Countrydiary Birdwatch

HERE’S a lot to look forward to in Small tortoiseshell, HE mild sunny weather has Trust centre at Washington and to March, with the first spring flowers peacock, pictured, encouraged the birds to feel spring- Cresswell Pond in Northumberland, their T most northerly breeding site. T already blooming and the first of the and comma like, with many signs that the summer bird migrants due to arrive butterflies are all breeding season isn’t far away. The first Some regular early breeders have already towards the end of the month. It’s also tempted out on migrant osprey has already passed through started. The other day a friend went to time to keep an eye open for colourful bright days and can the region’s only breeding site, Kielder, clean last year’s muck from his tawny owl insects emerging from hibernation. often be seen basking in presumably en route for a Scottish nesting nest boxes, and found he was too late. At the sunshine. All three lay site. Hopefully, the two regular nest sites Most moths spend the winter as one box he was amazed to find a very irate eggs on stinging nettles. This year’s mild there will be occupied again very soon. caterpillars or chrysalises, but the herald female already incubating her clutch of winter has provided plenty of vigorous moth hibernates as an adult and will begin Black grouse have been showing well at eggs. She must have started laying during early growth in nettles, so there will be no to appear soon. It’s unmistakable, with a their favoured Durham upland site at the third week in February, very early even shortage of tender young foliage for the delta-winged shape and fiery orange Langdon Beck, with 31 males and 24 for tawny owls. caterpillars, although all three butterflies patches on its forewings. Fortunately it’s a females last weekend. Black grouse Of course, many winter regulars are still tend to be choosy about which nettle numbers have crashed in most areas, so common species that sometimes even with us, including the single Bewick’s patches they exploit. They prefer to lay on there can be few places left in Britain where turns up in gardens, but you are perhaps swan, present since early January, at large patches of nettles on sunny birders can enjoy a spectacle on anything most likely to see it in areas where there Sadberge, and the green-winged teal at woodland edges and on sheltered like that scale. are plenty of willow and poplar trees, that Saltholme. Last week I mentioned the hedgerows. Although many wildlife Skylarks are now singing in large numbers shortage of rarer geese. Since then two provide food for its caterpillars. Adults gardening books advocate cultivating emerging in March lay eggs on newly- and the first lapwing pairs are busy tundra bean geese have turned up at nettles for these lovely insects, they don’t displaying. Coastal numbers of common Rainton Meadows. opened foliage and the caterpillars feed often use small nettle patches in gardens. through the summer, pupate and then waders, particularly oystercatchers, Science has positively identified an Providing plenty of early nectar-rich redshanks and curlews, seem to be hatch as adults in autumn. They often top flowers for butterflies emerging from unseasonal lesser whitethroat in gardens at up their energy supplies on ivy nectar dropping by the day as birds move off Tynemouth since January. DNA obtained hibernation is probably a better use of towards inland breeding localities. Avocets before settling down to hibernate. garden space. from feathers when it was caught and have started returning to their regular ringed has now confirmed it as a Siberian The first butterflies to emerge from Phil Gates nesting site at the Wildfowl and Wetlands hibernation also begin to appear in March. race individual. Ian Kerr