Stroll With Stu: Eight-mile walk around Westerdale, near Whitby, to kickstart the new year

As you know, it hasn’t stopped raining since September (cue for a song sequel?) and this is another exercise in mud avoidance.

There is only a short stretch of gloop, as 90% is on quiet country lanes – I honestly only saw half a dozen cars all day.

Starting at Castleton Station, head towards the village, turning right after the river bridge, following the road as it climbs up to a crossroads.

Go straight on along New Road (didn’t look very new to me), signposted for Westerdale.

There are lovely views on your right over the River Esk – only a few miles from its birthplace on the moors ahead of you.

Carry on, to a sharpish left turn above Carr House farm, on past a junction, then press on for a further country mile bearing right at a second junction, and onward into the village.

Westerdale is tiny – fewer than 30 houses – but it dates back to the bronze age, when it is thought that the local population may have been greater than it is now.

As with lots of settlements in the area, there is a link to ironstone mining, but agriculture is the main activity.

There are links to the Knights Templar – a Christian army from the Middle Ages – and the most prominent building, Westerdale Hall, dates back to the 19th Century when the grand pile was built for the Duncombe family so that they could enjoy shooting the local wildlife.

It was used as a Youth Hostel from 1936 until 1992, but is now a private house which hides behind trees to the west of the village.

If you want to turn back towards Castleton now, turn left through the village and skip the next few paragraphs before re-joining us later.

Otherwise, turn right and head downhill to cross the Esk.

The ancient and striking Hunters Sty Bridge crosses to the right of the road bridge and you can use that instead, as it leads to a grassy path climbing uphill parallel to the road that tracks north towards Kildale.

Climbing up the road, I spotted a barn owl swooping around the fields and occasionally perching in trees to the right.

They do hunt in daytime, but I’ve never seen one before and was determined to get a photo.

I skulked down behind a dry stone wall as Owly dropped onto the grass in a dip ahead of me.

I edged forward as silently as my creaky-kneed, wheezing frame could manage, and convinced that I’d crept up on it in an impressively effective manner, my finger was poised on the shutter button.

I slowly raised my head above the grassy ridge, and….. it took one quick look and scarpered off up the valley clutching its dinner.

Oh well, you’ll have to make do with another photo of a sheep.

Carry on up the slope, over a cattle grid and on to the top of the hill.

Take a moment to turn round and marvel at the view over Westerdale, before carrying on for half a mile or so to turn left at a ‘No through road’ junction.

This is the John Breckon Road (I think he was one of the local landed gentry a few centuries ago), and is tarmacked for a mile or so as it drops down past a couple of farms to reach the larger Hawthorn House.

The path skirts around to the right and you may get your boots muddy now as you rise and fall through a series of fields eventually hugging a wall on your left, then on to a wider track.

After a few hundred yards on that track, turn left onto a thin but metalled road which drops down the valley before bending left, ultimately into Westerdale village.

Turn right on the main road (such as it is), then take the first left soon leading to a tiny crossroads.

Go straight on along the tinier Christy Gate road – a lovely lane that traverses the valley (with a handy bridge to avoid the ford at Tower Beck), before climbing back up past Quarry Farm to reach the little road that runs along the bottom of Castleton Rigg.

Turn left, and after half a mile or so take a right at a junction and follow that road directly into Castleton Village.

You’ve worked off some of those excess December calories by now, so pop into the Downe Arms for a beer/bar meal/bag of nuts and warm your bones next to the fire.

I hope all you readers had/have a great Christmas and can enjoy a brilliant 2024.