Nawton and Beadlam

We were taking Howldale Lane, a track, entering Howl Dale. The name howl comes from hollow, and is attached to a number of long thin valleys hereabouts.

This one headed north, wooded and shallow, a scratch in the farmland. Soon it was muffled quiet. In days past there was the industry of lime quarries and kilns.

After a mile there was a sign nailed to a conifer reading Wildlife Conservation Area Keep Out. A stone’s throw away stood a pen for the rearing of not wild pheasants.

We left the valley and climbed out to mirrored pastures under sunshine from a blue sky. Across another valley stands the village of Pockley with its skyline bell tower. And we headed that way, crossed Goodhams Dale where fir trees dripped and a farmer shouted at something, in all likelihood the sheep.

The name Pockley comes from ley meaning a wood or forest clearing and poca as in someone’s name, or pocca a fallow deer. My 1928 edition of The Place Names Of The North Riding Of Yorkshire also suggests pocc meaning ‘small pox’. The pox part is probably hotly contested by the inhabitants of this place with thatch.

We visited but briefly, and liked a small barn and sat under a huge ash to soak the sun and warm fingers, and fix in the memory the purified landscape, a view over Ryedale to the Howardian Hills and the Wolds.

Thin snow should be deeper but it does show the colours and textures of land, pierced golden by stubble, contrasted with black soil, a jaunty cap for the big bales of straw. Bright red berries of black bryony lay in the hedges, these contain, according to one of my floras, ‘extremely toxic’ compounds, as used in wrinkle cream.

Our way back is less direct, a zigzag that took us to High Lane. This is metalled and open to the sunshine so we were seduced. There wasn’t any traffic and it brought us back to the Beadlam half of Nawton Beadlam and the hot scents of a favourite curry house.

Fact file

Distance: Four miles.

General location: North York Moors.

Start: The villages of Nawton and Beadlam.

Right of way: Public.

Dogs: Legal.

Date walked: November 2008.

Road route: Via A170.

Car parking: Roadside in Nawton or Beadlam.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Inn at Nawton.

Tourist and public transport information: Helmsley TIC 01439 770173.

Map: Drawn from OL26 North York Moors western area.

Terrain: Moorland fringe.

Points of interest: Kirkbymoor-side market day is Wednesday, Helmsley’s is Friday.

Difficulty: Easy/moderate.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Directions

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point.

Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1. North along Howldale Lane, road becomes track.

2. Right to road, 300 yards, path on left by fence (fingerpost) and up through wood. 100 yards Stile/gap, 100 yards.

3. Left on path near edge of wood (waymark).

4. Right at metal gates to fieldedge with hedge to your left.

5. Right at corner, 25 yards by wood, gate on left into wood (waymark), gate, gate and left uphill through wood edge. Stile out of wood (waymark), fieldedge path with hedge to left.

6. Fifty yards before corner, stile on left (waymark), diagonally right across field via corner of cemetery. At corner of yard, right 50 yards to gate/fieldgate (fingerpost).

7. Left to road, 100 yards, fork left at post box and telephone kiosk to side road (fingerpost), becomes track. Fieldgate, track through field, fieldgate, 50 yards.

8. Left and down on fieldedge path, down by wood edge, stile, across valley bottom field.

9. Stile (waymark), up through narrow wood, right to field edge, left at corner. Track on right before wood (waymark), gap in hedge (waymark).

10. Left at wood corner, right to road back to Beadlam.