Around Crosby Ravensworth (Walk 2)
Walk date – 3rd July 2025
Distance – 8.5 miles
Weather – sunny start but gradually clouding over, breezy wind, no rain, mild
The weather forecast for today indicated that the western side of the county would be overcast, showery and very windy, with the best chance of seeing any sunshine being in the east, so that’s where we went. Once again we started off in Crosby Ravensworth and parked in exactly the same spot as we did last week. We started out in sunshine although there were some clouds around and these gradually joined forces with each other creating an overcast sky. It was also very breezy and strong enough to make eyes and noses watery whenever we were walking into it. Our intended turn around point was the monument at Black Dub but we decided to walk from there over to what we refer to as Hill 401 before making our way back to Crosby Ravensworth.
Route
Crosby Ravenworth – Gilts Lane – Slack Randy – Coalpit Hill – Black Dub – Roman Road – Hill 401 – Long Mire path – Blea Beck – Lane Head – Dalebanks Beck – High Dalebanks – Low Dalebanks – Crosby Ravensworth
We started out by walking up Gilts Lane in bright sunshine. The village was quiet although a couple of dog walkers were out and about. The village hall is just out of shot on the left.
A little further up Gilts Lane is the village pub which prompted memories of our walk of 18 June 2017 when J thought we should stop for a drink.
Further up is Jennywell Hall, a Grade ll listed building, built sometime during the 1780s. It was difficult to obtain a better shot of the whole building as two cars were parked in front of it and the boot lid of one of them was raised as a woman was putting something in the boot. She gave us a cheery good morning as we walked past.
A few paces further along was this metal paque attached to the top rail of a small gate which gives access to …..
….. the old pinfold and the modern structure contained within it. We had seen this before although we thought it was an old well which had been capped with the stone structure preventing any further use. Now that we’ve noticed the metal plate informing us that it was created by Andy Goldsworthy who named the structure ‘Pinfold” we now know what it really is.
We’ve reached the junction at the top of the village where Gilts Lane continues over on the left and we take the right hand lane which is known as Slack Randy. Now that’s a name to get the imagination going!
Slack Randy eventually loses its tarmac surface and becomes a gravelly track which climbs steadily between the fields and eventually across open moorland.
We are heading for the Black Dub monument which we know is south east of Coalpit Hill so we take the left hand track at the junction.
The view back towards the North Pennines on the skyline. Crosby Ravensworth village is out of sight now as it is hidden by all the trees in the dip below us. Plenty of plastic tubes are in evidence and at these low elevations a good number of the young trees in them were thriving.
Having noticed a section of limestone pavement I made a quick diversion over to it. There are many such pavements across these moors as a look back at our 2017 walk will show.
J waiting on the path next to the wall as I return from my diversion to the limestone pavement. We’re still amongst the grazed fields but the moorland is becoming more expansive and the field walls becoming fewer.
We followed the path up Coalpit Hill noticing the two trees on the summit area. Those two trees are growing amongst a huge patch of limestone pavement, see our 2017 walk for a close up shot of them.
With the two trees still ahead of us we arrive at a junction where a signpost was placed. There’s nothing to stop anyone going straight ahead but anyone wishing to head in the direction of the Black Dub monument should take the left hand path at this point.
Another look back towards the North Pennines where a glimmer of sunlight has landed on Cross Fell and Little & Great Dun Fells. We kept getting some sunshine too although it never lasted very long. We also were expecting a shower from the dark clouds above us but none ever came.
Along the way we came across another section of pavement, this time with plenty of sheep grazing in and among it. One or two gave us a passing glance and then returned to their grazing.
Another post indicating the route although, as before, there’s nothing to prevent walkers going whichever way they choose. A turn to the right would lead across to the top of Coalpit Hill but we followed the left hand path and …..
….. within a few paces came to another signpost. Situated just a short distance below the post is the large boulder which J leaned against in our 2017 walk. Taking the path indicated by the signpost would lead us back to Crosby Ravensworth so we swing to the right at this point and follow a faint path leading over to Black Dub. The Howgills are just coming into view on the distant skyline.
The path goes across rough ground full of heather, which was just coming into bloom, long grasses and all manner of prickly vegetation …..
….. so it was a rough trek but eventually the monument came into view.
The monument commemorates the fact that King Charles ll and his army rested here while on their way south to claim the crown of England after being crowned king of Scotland in January 1651. It was built by Thomas Bland, a royal enthusiast and was, among other things, a local resident who lived nearby at Reagill. Here’s a link to a website which has a little more information about him –https://pssauk.org/public-sculpture-of-britain/biography/bland-thomas/
In each of the four faces there is a carving, I think this is intended to portray a lion although it looked more like a dog to us, a King Charles spaniel perhaps? Enough with such levity, take things seriously for a change!
This carving portrays King Charles ll of Scotland. He wanted to claim the English throne after his father, Charles l, was beheaded but he didn’t manage it in 1651. He had to wait until 1660 and the restoration of the monarchy for that to happen. He became known as the “Merry Monarch’ and fathered umpteen illegimate children, all of whom, bar one, he recognised and bestowed titles and land on them. Little wonder he was merry! Many of England’s titled families are descended from those of his children ‘born on the wrong side of the blanket’ as the old saying goes.
This shot shows the outline of a crown although it is hard to make out so …..
….. I’ve added a somewhat wonky outline to make it clearer to see.
A final look at the monument and if you’d like to know more here’s a link to another website for more info –https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/the-monument-to-the-merry-monarch-who-saved-christmas/
This is thought to be the source of the River Lyvennet although we couldn’t see any sign of a spring bubbling up from the ground. It can be found just a few feet away from the monument. Hope there was a bit more water in it when the king and his army stopped here. However, taking the local water didn’t help in the long run and the king and his army were defeated by Oliver Cromwell at the battle of Worcester in September 1651.
From the monument we made our way back up to the Roman Road (known in those times as Wicker Street) which now forms part of the Coast to Coast route from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. After walking along it for a short while we decided to head off over to the left …..
….. and go across to Hill 401 which we often take a walk over although we have never walked to it from this side. I didn’t take any photos during the crossover because a) it consisted of wide open moorland without any items of interest, and b) we were pre-occupied with finding a way through the huge swathes of scratchy, tangled heather. The white object over on the right is one of those grouse shooting panels which the shooters stand behind so they can’t be seen by the grouse. It was a rough walk across until we reached the path leading up to the top.
The large cairn on Hill 401 and …..
….. the trig point overlooking the M6.
I only took this one shot from the trig point looking towards High Street and Kidsty Pike. I wondered how windy it was over there because even at this relatively low height my hair was being re-arranged by the strong breeze.
From Hill 401 we made our way back down and turned along the path leading over to Long Mire before leaving that path and following the one heading towards Lane Head. We were walking through acres of plastic tubes most of which contained nothing at all as their original contents had failed to thrive. A few had managed it though and were being blown about in the wind. A few of the plastic tubes were lying in here and there in the grass which I think were of the old type which won’t disintegrate for years to come.
Crossing Blea Beck and walking up the path going off to the left …..
….. only to find two expired moles lying across it.
We’ve reached Lane Head now and walk down the deeply rutted track to view the derelict buildings.
This was once a farmhouse but now has no roof, windows or doors. It once housed a farmer and his wife and family but now there are DANGER notices attached here and there and the place is gradually falling down and the vegetation is taking over.
Attached to the house were barns and other storage areas and they all looked very desolate too although, to some extent, they have fared rather better than the house itself.
A little further down the track was another area of desolation where a barn was also becoming derelict and …..
….. beside the barn were the remnants of other similarly derelict buildings. It was all a sad sight to see. We carried on down the steep hill and …..
….. dropped down to the Dalebank beck which we crossed without too much wobbling, climbed the opposite bank and eventually …..
….. found ourselves on a lovely grassy path. J’s attention was fixed on the sheep above us who were peering at us from behind a fence.
The grassy path came to an end at High Dalebanks and from there it was back to walking on tarmac which led us down the lane …..
….. towards Low Dalebanks.
Our view of Low Dalebanks as we passed through the hamlet.
From Low Dalebanks we walked the lane back to Crosby Ravensworth. This bridge across the Dalebanks beck caught my eye as it looked too elaborate a construction for a bridge which only led into a field.
The houses of Crosby Ravensworth eventually came into view and …..
….. we were almost into the village when we passed this ford in the beck. This is bound be full of village children paddling during the school holidays this summer. I wouldn’t have minded a paddle myself at the time.
Eventually the village hall came into sight on the other side of the bridge and as we crossed the bridge we noticed that one of the hall’s doors was open, the lights were on, and the car park and roadside parking were packed with cars. Wonder what was taking place? We sat in the car, had a bite to eat and a drink of coffee and then set off for home. As we turned onto the A6 from the north end of Shap (that’s where the diversion starts) we noticed that we couldn’t see any of the usual view of High Street and Kidsty Pike. The cloud was well down and just as we were saying it looked like rain the raindrops began falling on the windscreen. A longer walk than usual today but the showery weather held off until we hit the A6 and continued heavily on and off for the rest of the day. Hopefully July will turn out to bring better weather than that which a windy and showery June provided.