North York Moors Walks

Black Hambleton

Date: 25th March 2005
Distance: 6.8 miles
Ascent: 820 feet
Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
With: Lisa
Start Grid Ref: SE510944

Walk Summary:
My first walk in the North York Moors was this pleasant ramble up to the top of Black Hambleton.

Route Summary: Hall Lane - Lower Locker Farm - Locker Bank - White Gill Head - Cleveland Way - Black Hambleton - Robinson's Cross - Dale Head - Hall Lane

Pictures:

1. Black Hambleton from Locker Bank

2. On Locker Bank

3. Arden Great Moor and Upper Ryedale

4. Black Hambleton and a distant Beacon Hill

5. The trig point on Black Hambleton

6. Carlton Moor and Cringle Moor

7. Looking back up at Black Hambleton from near the road

8. Lisa above Wheat Beck

Walk Detail: This was my first walk in the North York Moors National Park. The first stretch of the walk was along some permissive paths on the land owned by Lower Locker Farm and these were at first rather sketchy. As we started climbing up Locker Bank the path got better as did the views which opened out to show Cold Moor, Carlton Moor, Cringle Moor, the Bilsdale TV mast was also very prominent.

At the top of Locker Bank the path virtually flattens out and we headed westwards on the moor until we came to White Gill Head where we were given some good views southwards towards Sutton Bank and across the Vale of Mowbray. Unfortunately the cloud was quite hazy so we could not really see much of the Dales although Pen Hill was quite obvious and I also thought I could make out Great and Little Whernside.

From White Gill Head we basically followed the Cleveland Way northwards until we came to the slight path that detours to the trig on Black Hambleton. In truth the top was slightly disappointing for views as the moorland was quite flat and the views on the moor edges to the north, east and west were much better.

From the top of Black Hambleton it was a short walk down to the car park at Oakdale Head, passing along the way an old boundary stone. After walking along the road a bit we stopped and had lunch by another old boundary stone. We then followed a somewhat muddy path to the isolated farmhouse at Dale Head. Shortly after we crossed back over Wheat Beck and back on to the open moorland.

The sun, which had gone behind the clouds for a little while, came back out again towards the end of what had proven to be a nice introduction to the scenery of the North York Moors.

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