THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Lordstones, & Cold Moor

of the most unusual cafes in the Walk information country; the subterranean Lordstones Cafe that blends in well with its Distance: 7 km (4.35 miles) surroundings. Just behind the cafe Turn left along the stone-flagged Time: 2 - 3 hours lie the original Three Lords Stone, 4path and follow it winding down, Maps: Ordnance Survey Explorer which once marked the spot where quite steeply, off Cold Moor to reach OL26 the estates of Lords Duncombe of a gate in a wall at the foot of the Start/Parking: Lordstones Café car Helmsley, Marwood of Busby Hall steep slopes of Cold Moor. After the park, . Grid Ref: NZ 524 and Aylesbury of Snilesworth met. gate, walk straight on with the wall 030. Please use the café after your It is also the site of some Bronze Age on your right, passing the 4-finger walk. burial mounds that date back 5,000 signpost again, just beyond which Refreshments: Lordstones Café. No years. follow the wall bending to the right other facilities en route. to quickly reach the gate in the wall again (head of the stream). Head How to get there: From Stokesley, through the gate, and follow the follow the A 172 towards the A19 Cringle Moor, with memorial then take the minor road southwards viewfinder to Alec Falconer, is one path to the left alongside the wall on through then of the finest views in the North your left then, where this wall ends, steeply up onto the top of Carlton of . Beneath your feet the follow the path ahead into the saddle Bank to reach Lordstones Café. escarpment of the metres to reach a fork in the path, of the wall on your right). Head of land between Cold Moor and Cringle Moor back to reach the fork Terrain: Long stretches of stone- plunges over 300 metres to the flat just as the ground begins to rise up through the gate and follow the path in the path at the foot of the steep flagged paths across the escarpment Vale of Cleveland, with Roseberry (signpost). Carry straight on along on alongside the old wall on your left climb onto Cringle Moor, marked of the Cleveland Hills, with some the clear path ahead alongside a for 50 metres then follow it bending Topping, and the North Sea by a waymarker post. Follow the sections of very muddy paths and clearly visible as well as Swaledale, wall on your left and fence on your sharp left for a further 30 metres to right to reach a gate, after which a right-hand fairly level muddy path indistinct moorland paths in places. and even Durham reach a ‘crossroads’ of paths/tracks This moorland escarpment is exposed paved path leads steeply up to reach at a 4-finger signpost. Turn right (blue waymarker) heading straight Cathedral on a very clear day. Just to to the elements. There is a steep a seat and memorial to Alec Falconer (‘Beakhills) along a grassy track on across old spoil heaps, roughly the south-east on the highest point of ascent and steep descent to and from on a prominent ‘nab’ along the across the middle of the field and keeping to the same contour line Cringle Moor and Cold Moor, with the moor is Drake Howe, another large escarpment, with magnificent views. through a gateway in a wall (very heading across Kirby Bank, with the steep drops to the side of the path in Bronze Age burial mound. Our route muddy track), after which continue steep slopes of Cringle Moor rising places along the escarpment. then follows the down along the grassy track for 35 metres up to your left. Follow this very clear Caution: The paths are very muddy into the saddle of land at the head As you reach the seat and then, at the waymarker post, bear muddy (undulating) path straight memorial, follow the clear stone- in places. This walk includes some of Raisdale, between Cringle Moor 2 left gradually slanting up across the on for 1.1km to eventually reach flagged path to the right along the steep sections. There are steep drops and Cold Moor, before meandering rough field to reach a squeeze-stile a gate in a fence across your path. top of the escarpment gently rising to the side of the path along the top through the upper reaches of Raisdale halfway up the wall across your path Head through the gate, and continue up to reach the top of Cringle Moor along the muddy path following the of the escarpment, which climbs to then up along an ancient sunken (stile is quite hidden - look closely!). (take care – keep to the path), with hillside gently curving round to the a height of 420 metres; keep children After the squeeze-stile, bear left up and dogs under close supervision hollow-way onto Cold Moor, and yet the Bronze Age burial mound of left for 200 metres to reach a path across the next field to reach another along these sections. Navigation may more fantastic views. The return Drake Howe across to your right. junction (signpost), where you carry squeeze-stile towards the top left be difficult across Cold Moor. leg follows a very muddy path along Continue along the stone-flagged path straight on along the clear footpath corner of the field, that leads out at the steep slopes below Cringle Moor, along the top of the escarpment for a down to join a plantation on your the foot of the slopes of Cold Moor. passing over old spoil heaps. further 400 metres, gently descending left. Continue straight on along the Points of interest After the squeeze-stile, head straight at first until you come to a steep clear wide path down through the on bearing slightly right up along descent down into the ‘saddle’ of land plantation to emerge from the forest The walk the pronounced sunken pathway, HE bold escarpment of the between Cringle Moor and Cold Moor where you join the Cleveland Way which soon turns more distinctly Cleveland Hills rises up from (head of the valley of Raisdale). At path again. Head to the right along Tthe Cleveland Plain in a vast From Lordstones Café car park to the right and leads up for 175 the bottom of the steep descent you this clear path (fence on your left) 1(with your back to the cafe), turn metres to emerge onto gently sloping line of undulating heather-clad hills. come to a path junction, marked by a back to Lordstones Cafe. left across the car park then, as you moorland. Where the sunken path A footpath traces its rim providing waymarker post (we will come back reach the end of the car park, follow Mark Reid a thrilling high-level walk with to this spot in about an hour), where disappears as you emerge onto the the wide gravel track ahead through superb views across the flat plain you follow the clear stone-flagged path sloping moorland you come to quite Walking Weekenders 2015 the double gates (‘Additional Parking’) a clear grassy path across your path. towards the industrial landscape straight on down over a small stream to quickly reach a ‘turning circle’ Turn left along this path, and follow The sociable way to enjoy of Teesside. These hills were once then on to quickly join a stone wall on just beyond (beside the toilet block) it bearing very gradually to the right the Great Outdoors North worked extensively for jet, ironstone your right (signpost Cleveland Way). where you head to the right along (narrow path through the heather) for York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, and alum; indeed, the steep slopes of the ‘Cleveland Way’ footpath to soon 275 metres up onto the pronounced Peak District, Lake District Carlton Bank are still badly scarred emerge out onto field. Follow the clear Follow the path straight on ‘ridge’ of Cold Moor, where you join walkingweekenders.co.uk from old alum workings that date path (blue waymarkers) alongside 3alongside the wall on your right a very clear path. Turn left along this back to the 17th and 18th Centuries. a fence on your right (Cringle Moor then, at the fork in the path, follow path and follow it along the ridge of TeamWalking Hill Skills, Outdoor Used in the tanning process as ahead) to quickly reach a wooden the right-hand ‘Cleveland Way’ path Cold Moor for 450 metres to reach Adventures and Team Events in the well as to fix dyes, alum was once a barrier. Head through the barrier, (keeping close to the wall) that leads the stone-flagged Cleveland Way path Great Outdoors, with Mark Reid. valuable commodity. Hidden away and carry straight on along the clear to a gate in this wall on your right across your path along the top of the teamwalking.co.uk at the top of Carlton Bank is most path (fence on your right) for 250 (head of a stream, and also the end escarpment of the Cleveland Hills.

Countrydiary By Phil GatesBBirdwatch y Ian Kerr

PRING may have officially arrived depending on other PRING may be approaching in fits diving mating displays. In my own village, but, as always, it’s a case of two steps plants for support and starts, but that hasn’t prevented they are invariably referred to as ‘peesies’ S forward, one step back. Sunny days S goosegrass can devote a return towards upland breeding and I read recently that an old Durham coax catkins into flower, then withering all its energies to areas for lapwings and other typically name was ‘trufit.’ They seem to have many frosts return. But seeds of some wild plants prolific flowering, early waders. It seems that whatever the other regional names too numerous to list have already jumped spring’s starting gun. rather than investing weather, there is an irresistible urge to get across Britain. Like several common agricultural weeds in making tough, rigid back from the coast and lowlands. We are fortunate in still having very stems. And winter goosegrass – or sticky Jack as it’s more The other day I was busy with survey healthy breeding populations of lapwings germination prolongs commonly known – steals a march on its work in north Durham and was treated to as they are among that category loosely its growing season, so competitors by germinating in late winter. the sight of an almost continual movement referred to as ‘farmland birds,’ which have that by autumn it can of small, excitable groups of lapwings suffered large drops in numbers in recent Forests of young seedlings have already smother hedges and heading towards their favoured sites in years. Also on the move with them were appeared along hedgerow bottoms and produce a vast seed the wet, unimproved pastures around the groups of golden plovers and the first field edges and now, whenever a mild day crop. dawns, their stems will begin to elongate eastern edges of the heather moorland. early curlews. March is always the big rapidly. They are covered in tiny hooks But most wild flower Others were moving further across the changeover month with many wintering and as soon as they reach a support their seeds wait until spring has properly arrived moors into Weardale. species gathering, ready to depart for before they germinate. They contain straggling shoots climb through hedgerows. Some pairs were already on territory more northerly areas of Europe and our It’s a strategy that has a lot of advantages. natural compounds that ensure that in local fields, the males standing tall on own breeding species, like those lapwings By germinating early the plant avoids they remain dormant during the coldest clumps and tussocks, the sunlight showing and other waders, moving back to into the worst of the onslaught from slugs months, until these inhibitors have been off the iridescent emerald sheen on their breeding areas. and snails that become more active as gradually broken down by winter’s freezing backs. This gave them one of their old With much warmer and settled weather the weather becomes warmer, and cause temperatures. So now is the time when names, green plover. As a lad I always in prospect over the next few days there many a gardener to despair when their seeds of plants like primrose and cowslip knew them by their very widespread name could be a significant increase in such prized seedlings disappear overnight. By begin to germinate. of ‘peewit’ from their calls in rolling and movements.