THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017 The Northern Echo 35 Walks what’son Walks Ainthorpe Rigg, Little Fryup Dale & Danby Castle

of land has one of the greatest right) to reach a large footbridge Walk information concentrations of Bronze and across the River Esk. Cross the Distance: 9 km (5.6 miles) Iron Age remains in the country footbridge then continue straight Time: 2-3 hours with over 800 cairns, earthworks, on alongside the fence then a hedge Maps: OS Explorer OL26 – always ditches, enclosures, settlement and to reach a crossing over the Esk take a map on your walk field systems, and a stone circle of Valley Railway (take care - beware which only one massive standing of trains), after which follow the Parking: Pay & Display car park at stone remains, all of which dates rough grassy track straight on to the Moors Centre, Danby in Esk back around 3,000 years. An old reach the road. Turn right along Dale. sunken path rises steadily up across the road and follow it down into a Refreshments: Tearooms at the this ridge of moorland before it small ‘dip’ passing Kadelands Farm Moors Centre; Fox & Hounds at comes to a steep escarpment high just after which take the path to the Ainthorpe. above Little Fryup Dale, where a left through a small gate (signpost). Terrain: Mixture of field paths, wonderful view unfolds across this Follow the clear path keeping close farm tracks, country lanes and valley. to the hedge on your left following a moorland ridge. Rough terrain Our route follows tracks and paths the field boundary (ignore path to in places, with some quite steep down through Little Fryup Dale to the left towards ‘Danby Castle’) to slopes. reach the ruins of Danby Castle. soon reach the top corner of the How to get there: From the A171 Dating from the early 14th Century, field where you follow the hedge Whitby to Guisborough road near Danby Castle was built by Lord turning sharp right (still with the bottom, passing between two straight on along the road passing Scaling Reservoir, a minor road Latimer as a sign of his wealth and hedge on your left) on to reach a cottages then on passing the large the castle then follow the road leads south down to reach The power, as he owned vast estates stile across your path at the end of farm buildings of Stonebeck Gate bending round to the left (ignore Moors Centre at Danby. throughout Esk Dale. By the late the hedge. Cross the stile and carry Farm. Turn left after the large turning to the right) then take the straight on alongside a wall on Please note: This walk involves a 14th Century, the estate passed stone barns into the farmyard path to the right through a gate your right to reach a gate at the end fairly steep decent from Ainthorpe to the Neville family; in the 1534 passing in front of the farmhouse (150 metres after the turning – of the field that leads onto a clear Rigg down into Little Fryup Dale. John Neville married Catherine (Stonebeck Gate Farm) then signpost). Follow the path down enclosed track. Follow this track Parr (famous as being Henry VIII’s continue straight on along the alongside the wall on your right straight on into Ainthorpe. Points of interest sixth wife,) and their marital home clear enclosed stony track heading heading towards Castle Houses HE villages of Ainthorpe was Danby Castle. Today it is a down the valley. After 850 metres Farm then, as you reach the farm and Danby lie in the farm and wedding venue, with the Turn left along the road passing follow the stony track bending buildings, pass to the left-hand heart of Esk Dale, and farmhouse incorporated into one 2the pub on your left then carry down to the left towards Forester’s side of the barns and buildings are named after the of the four original corner towers. on up out of the village. Follow Lodge then, as you reach the front then (when you are alongside the TDanish settlers who This is where the ancient Danby of the house, head to the right this road rising steadily up passing large barns on your right), turn left came to this valley over 1,000 years Court Leet still meet, a throw back the tennis courts then, just before through a gate. After the gate, head down a clear farm track across the ago; Danby means ‘village of the to feudal times. In 1655 the manor the road bends sharply round to down to the left (passing to the middle of the field (away from the Danes’. The Danes were not the of Danby was sold off with many the left, take the bridleway that right side of the house) to reach a farm buildings) to reach a wooden first people to settle in this area of the tenant farmers buying branches off to the right (signpost gate in a wall. Head through the gate (waymarker). After the gate, as the surrounding moors are their farms, who subsequently ‘bridleway’). Follow the clear gate then follow the rough grassy bear to the right down across the littered with prehistoric remains set up a locally elected body to sunken path up through thick gorse track straight on which soon opens field (along the track) to a gate in dating back to the Bronze Age and control the use of the common then across heather moorland to out onto a field – carry straight on the bottom corner of the field (next Iron Age. From the Moors Centre, land. Most Court Leets declined soon reach a gate in a fence across alongside the fence on your right to a small kissing-gate). After the which is housed in the 17th Century after the Enclosure Acts; however, your path. Head through the gate and follow it as it bends round to gate, head straight up the slight Danby Lodge that was once the Danby Court Leet has continued to and follow the clear wide path the left then leave the fence behind incline and across the field to join flourish and still has powers to fine shooting lodge of the Dawnay straight on rising steadily up across and continue along the indistinct a path running along a hedge. Turn people for encroachment upon the family who bought the Manor of the heather moorland of Ainthorpe grassy track down to join a wall on left along the hedge, through a gate common. The ruins are on private Danby in 1656, it is a short walk Rigg to reach a prehistoric standing your right which you follow down in the corner of the field, after land, but are still impressive with by way of the River Esk and the stone after 550 metres. Continue to reach a gate at the bottom of the which turn right to reach the road. arches, towers and walls as well Esk Valley Railway to the lovely straight on up across the moor hill and a small bridge across Little Turn right along the road and re- as commanding views across Esk village of Ainthorpe. This quiet for a further 500 metres until you Fryup Dale Beck. Head through the trace your steps passing Kadelands Dale. village has a delightful position reach the ridge above Little Fryup gate and follow the wide enclosed Farm then take the path to the left on the southern slopes of Esk Dale. From the ridge, follow the grassy track heading up, through just after the house on the right, Dale and boasts an assortment of The walk path bearing to the right steeply another gate then follow the signpost ‘Moors Centre’, and follow stone cottages and farms, village From the Moors Centre car down the hillside to join the road at sunken track (keeping close to the the clear path over the railway line green complete with quoits pitch 1park, cross the road then at the bottom of the valley at a road wall on your right) up to join the (take care – trains) and footbridge and a pub that dates back to 1555. the entrance gate to the Moors junction. road. across the River Esk back to the The village also lies at the foot of Centre take the footpath to the left Moors Centre. Ainthorpe Rigg and Danby Rigg, through a bridle-gate (signpost a finger of heather-clad moorland ‘Danby Village’) and follow this At the road, head straight on Turn right along the road and Mark Reid that separates Little Fryup Dale down alongside a fence on your 3(ignore the road up to the right) 4follow this for 800 metres to Walking Weekends 2017 from Danby Dale. This ridge right (Moors Centre across to your and follow this down into the valley reach Danby Castle. Continue walkingweekenders.co.uk

Birdwatch By Ian Kerr

VEN though we have to cheer us all up and give us a courtship, the drakes excitedly a summer and autumn visitor to neighbouring Ladyburn Lake and another six weeks or so of welcome foretaste of better things splashing and chasing low over our coast making an adult which was present until at least Monday. E winter to come, it doesn’t to come. the water, the wind catching and appeared on the beach at Saltburn Reeds fringing this former take much at this stage to prompt Other species are also showing raising the needles of tail feathers noteworthy. opencast mining pool made it some of our birds into spring which provide their name. early signs of spring. On the The long-staying shore larks more difficult to get the very close mode. On bright and frosty dawns coast, shags once again have the Meanwhile, the good run of continued to show well at views hundreds enjoyed last week. on Sunday and Monday I awoke to distinctive crests they develop rarer wintering species has The male pine bunting continued a song thrush in full voice high in Hartlepool and at Druridge Bay, for the breeding season and I’ve continued. Iceland gulls have as did the eastern black redstart to show well at Dunnington in the bare branches of a sycamore noticed a few black-headed gulls again been an attraction with behind my cottage. at Skinningrove. Roving parties North Yorkshire. starting to get their dark spring sightings of juveniles from of waxwings have continued to With their larger cousins, mistle hoods. Our wintering ducks need Whitburn, South Shields, turn up with groups in localities thrushes, they are always amongst very little encouragement to Hartlepool fish quay and other including Bishop Auckland and the earliest of singers, often long display and over the past few days localities. The only adult reported Chester-le-Street. before spring has arrived. The I’ve enjoyed the sight and sound was a single at Hunmanby Gap. local blackbirds, if not yet in song, of drake teal and wigeon trying Three juvenile glaucous gulls Last week’s super-rarities have certainly been tuning up to impress the females in their were off Whitburn on Tuesday continued to attract admirers. too. I’ve also heard snatches of flocks. I was also lucky enough to and two were at Hartlepool. The incredibly obliging juvenile song from dunnocks, robins and come across a small party of long- Others remained at North Pacific diver moved back to blue tits. It’s certainly something tailed ducks indulging in off-shore Shields. Little gulls are normally Chevington North Pool from