THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018 The Northern Echo 47 Walks what’son Walks Kildale and Captain Cook’s Monument moorland for 175 metres to soon reach two conspicuous stone Walk information gateposts in a tumbledown wall. Distance: 8 km (5 miles) After these gateposts, continue Time: 2 - 3 hours straight on alongside the wall on your left for 150 metres then, where Maps: OS Explorer OL26 - always this wall on your left turns sharply take a map on your walk down to the left, bear down to the Parking: Kildale Station car park. left across the hillside (waymarker) Refreshments: Glebe Cottage Tea to soon enter dense forest (Ayton Rooms at Kildale. Banks Wood). Follow the path Anyway, this walk from Kildale straight on heading steeply down Terrain:Quiet country lanes, forest was one of the first I did all those through this forest for 400 metres tracks, very muddy/slippery paths years ago and so I thought it would (take care – slippery bank) to reach as well as clear moorland paths. be a fitting end. Kildale lies hidden a grassy forest track at the foot of There are some steep slopes along away amongst the the steep bank, where you carry this walk. set in its own valley near the straight on along the muddy path How to get there: There is a train source of the River Leven. Tucked across a cattle grid that leads out to soon emerge from the forest to station at Kildale served by the away along a narrow lane beside onto pastureland. Carry straight on join a wall on your right that leads Middlesbrough to Railway Kildale’s small railway station is St along the unenclosed road then, as down to quickly reach a gate at the Cuthbert’s Church, which stands (Esk Valley Line). By car, follow Middlesbrough, and moved with you reach Mill Bank Wood, follow bottom edge of the forest. After on a site that has been used for the signs off the A173 between his family in 1736 to Aireyholme the road bending up to the right the gate, drop down the hillside worship since the Viking times. Stokesley and . Farm in the shadow of Roseberry to reach Bankside Cottage and alongside the wall on your right When the Church was rebuilt in Caution: This walk includes a very Topping where his father was then Bankside Farm just above. for 75 metres to quickly join a clear 1868 several Viking graves were steep muddy bank along the descent employed as a farm manager for Continue along the road climbing wide path, where you turn left discovered which held swords, from Easby Moor. Thomas Skottowe of Ayton Hall, the up passing the some large barns (blue waymarker). daggers and even battle-axes; Lord of the Manor. James attended on your left and up over another Follow this clear path straight these Vikings were most probably cattle grid across the road, after Points of interest pagans buried within this Christian Great Ayton School between 1736 4on through scattered gorse WELL, this is it. My very last walk and 1740 before leaving for Staithes which carry on along the road bushes to reach a gate in a fence site. Inside the porch are some climbing up through woodland for for the Northern Echo. I have been ancient tombstones carved with on the coast and then Whitby across your path after 175 metres, 350 metres then, where the road writing these walks every week the Percy emblem. The historic where he was apprenticed to John after which continue along the levels out (and just before it begins since autumn 1999. That’s about 950 Manor of Kildale has been held Walker, a shipowner. He later set clear path for a further 125 metres to descend), turn left along a wide, walks. Change is the only constant by only three families during the sail from Whitby on three of the to reach another gate in a wall, stony track (signpost ‘Cleveland in life, as the Greek philosopher last 900 years, the most influential greatest voyages of exploration that leads into a belt of woodland. Way, Gribdale’) that leads into the Heraclitus once said, and so it is of which was the Percy family. and discovery of all time to New After the gate, carry straight forest. with sadness that I write these Following the Norman Conquest, Zealand, Australia, Antarctica and on along the middle path ahead words, however, the decision has the Manor of Kildale was given the Pacific Islands. He was killed in Follow this wide forest track (ignore track rising up to the left) been made. That said, it has been to the powerful Percy family who 1779 on the islands now known as 2straight on for 400 metres then, through this belt of forest to soon a great privilege to write these built a motte and bailey castle here Hawaii whilst on his third voyage. just before the track curves gently reach a bridlegate in a wall across walks, as I have discovered the in the 12th Century, later replaced The views from Easby Moor are to the right, take the footpath that your path (end of the forest). Head countryside, villages and towns by a medieval manor house – this superb with the Cleveland Hills branches off to the left (signpost through this gate and walk straight of North , County castle was one of the Percy’s’ chief rising up above the Cleveland ‘Cleveland Way’). Follow this clear on alongside the wall on your right, Durham, Cumbria, Teesside and residences before they moved to Plain, and the distinctive profile of path straight on for 700 metres heading through bracken along the Northumberland. Some places Alnwick when they became the visible to the through the forest, with sparse/ foot of the steep slopes of Easby that instantly spring to mind for Dukes of Northumberland in 1309. north. felled trees at first then more dense Moor, for 750 metres to reach a their beauty are Romaldskirk in Only earthworks and a few stones Thank you for reading my walks, woodland, to reach a forest track gap in a wall across your path that Teesdale, Blanchland, Roseberry remain of this castle and manor and I hope you have enjoyed coming in from your right just leads back into the forest. Head Topping, High Force, Muker and house which was situated just walking the routes. Perhaps we beyond a section of wooden fencing through the gap and follow the Upper Swaledale. I have noticed beyond the church. Kildale Estate will meet on a walk on the moors or (signpost ‘Cleveland Way’), where clear path straight on (waymarker) the changing seasons; the first remained with the Percy family hills one day… you carry straight on along the through the forest for 250 metres snowdrops, lambs and lapwings until the mid 17th Century when very clear wide path for a further to join a clear forest track. Head in spring; haymeadows, swallows it was sold to John Turner, who The walk 475 metres, climbing gradually up straight on (to the left) along this and warm days in summer; wood owned the Estate until it was sold From the small car park at a pitched-stone path to reach a gap track and follow it through the smoke, orange leaves and mist to the Livesay family in 1810, who 1Kildale Station, walk up along in a stone wall at the top of the forest for 1.25 km (keep to the clear in autumn; frost, low sun and built the imposing Kildale Hall in the driveway to quickly reach the moorland, with Easby Moor and wide stony track) all the way back Christmas trees in winter. But it is the 19th Century. entrance to the car park where you Captain’s Cook Monument ahead. to join the road opposite Bankside now time to move on… Rising up above the village is turn left along the road and follow Follow the path straight on across Cottage. Turn right down along the If you would like to join me on Easby Moor crowned by Captain this straight on for 250 metres to the moor to reach the Monument. road and follow it back to reach the a walk, learn how to read a map Cook’s Monument, a conspicuous reach a road turning to your left, As you reach the Monument, cattle grid then bridge across the or want to experience an outdoor landmark visible for miles around. just before Glebe Cottage on the 3pass to its right-hand side just River Leven and railway bridge, adventure then have a look at my Built as a memorial to Captain corner (and the houses of Kildale beyond which you come to a choice back up into Kildale to the road website as I offer over 80 courses James Cook, a tablet explains the ahead). Turn left at this turning of paths – ignore the stone-flagged junction beside Glebe Cottage, and walks each year throughout circumstances behind its building and follow this road down under path to the right (north) but take where you turn right back to the the North of . www. in 1827. James Cook was born in the railway bridge, over a bridge the second path that bears to station car park. teamwalking.co.uk 1728 at Marton, now a suburb of across the River Leven and then the right (north-west) across the Mark Reid

Birdwatch By Ian Kerr T’S turning into an excellent another white-billed diver flew with great northern divers. Kites (FoRK) were out on Sunday problems they have faced, in winter for one of the largest, north off Whitburn in company Elsewhere, a black scoter was taking part in an international common with the Yorkshire re- I rarest and consequently most with a great northern diver. with a flock of common scoter off count of that impressive species. introduction scheme, is sustained sought-after seabirds, white-billed Again, quick word enabled the Goswick which in recent years has Kites are sociable birds and often illegal persecution with birds still divers, impressive cousins of our birds to be tracked onwards with form communal roosts, making become the region’s most regular being poisoned and shot. more regular great northern, sightings at Tynemouth, Seaton them easy to assess. Kites are spot for these North American black-throated and red-throated Sluice, Newbiggin, Druridge Bay doing extremely across Britain Last Sunday’s effort resulted in visitors. Also from across the divers. and then as far northwards as as a whole, thanks to various re- a total of 42 kites, probably about Beadnell. Atlantic were drake American introduction schemes to restore half the total local population, Back in early November I wigeon at Wheldrake Ings in being located at roosting sites reported how two of these In the past these largest of these raptors which were virtually and Grindon along the Derwent Valley. impressive Arctic birds passed divers, so called because of their wiped out in the interests of Lough in west Northumberland game birds during the Victorian north at Whitburn within an white or yellowish bills, were very where a rough-legged buzzard hour. That allowed keen sea- rare visitors to the North Sea era. There are now probably was at nearby Plenmeller. Yet watchers there to use instant from their breeding grounds along more than 3,000 pairs across the another American species, the messaging to spread the word the Arctic coast of Russia. Often country. green-winged teal, remained at enabling birders right along the years would go by without any Sadly, the north east re- Northumberland coast to see them sightings. These days while they Saltholme and last week’s desert introduction has not been so as they passed northwards. Last remain rare they have become a wheatear continued to attract successful and the birds have still Saturday which was marked by fairly regular visitor, usually in admirers at Whitby. to spread and establish a truly the first northerly winds of 2018, company, like the Whitburn birds, Members of Friends of Red sustainable population. Among