Guided-walk reports 2024

On this page are reports, in reverse chronological order, on guided walks that took place in 2024. To jump to any one report, click the relevant link:

Nov – Scots Dyke
Sept – Rocks, fossils and an owl
Sept – Reeth Local History
Jul – Keld wildflowers
Jun – Addlebrough summit
May – Braithwaite Hall, East Witton Camp and Castle Steads
Mar – A Romano-British settlement near Applegarth
Feb – Maiden Castle and other Scheduled Monuments

November – Scots Dyke
Planning a walk in November is not without its risks but fortunately the weather remained dry for our last walk of 2024. Twelve people joined leader Jane Harrison to look at the remains of the Scots Dyke around Richmond.

Remaining sections of this linear earthwork are scheduled but much of it has been ploughed out or is heavily eroded. It is an east facing bank and ditch with a counterscarp bank in places. The dyke can be traced from just south of the river Swale, where we started, to Stanwick St John about 14 kilometres away, where its relationship to the Brigantes fort has been much debated. Henry MacLauchlan (1792-1882), a surveyor, geologist and archaeologist, concluded that it extended further north to the river Tees. Some antiquarians suggested that it ran right up to the Scottish borders. Over time the height of the dyke has decreased and the ditch has infilled but at Whitefields, where our walk concluded, it is still over 4.5 metres high and 30 metres wide.

Very little excavation of the dyke has taken place. In 2004 an excavation prior to house building on St Nicholas Drive, Richmond, showed that there was a deliberate gap in the earthwork at that point. When the A66 was widened in 2006-7, excavations revealed that the ditch was at least 5.6 metres across and 1.27 metres deep. Luminescence dating suggested that it started to fill before 100BC and possibly as early as 970BC.

Considerable authority, manpower and resources would have been needed to construct the Scots Dyke suggesting a possible link with Stanwick. There is an interesting paper by Alan and Judith Mills, on the SWAAG website, about the dykes further up Swaledale, which considers the manpower and time required – The Swaledale dykes revisited.

There are many questions still to be answered about the dyke. Was it a single or multi-phase construction? Were sections re-used in subsequent centuries? The section that was excavated on the A66 was not re-cut but even today the eastern town boundary of Richmond runs along the line of the dyke, indicating that it remained an important feature of the landscape down the centuries.

At the current time the purpose of the dyke is unknown. Was it defensive? Was it built to delineate territory? In the late Iron Age ‘oppida’ or large defensive settlements were beginning to emerge and societies were undergoing major transformation in their scale and organisation. The University of Durham and UCL are currently looking at linear earthworks, including the Scots Dyke, as a part of their ‘Monumentality and Landscape Project’. Their research seeks to understand how and why human societies chose to delineate landscape in such a highly visible form and why such socio-political behaviour is evident particularly in the Late Iron Age and Early Middle Ages. It will be interesting to read their conclusions.
J. H.

Winter view looking down and along the side of a high, steep embankment covered in rough grass and tall tree saplings. at the foot of the embankment and on the right side of it, a muddy footpath runs into the distance. To the right of the footpath is a row of five new-built houses. — Scots Dyke near St Nicholas Drive.

View from the edge of a wood, looking through the gaps between the trunks of a row of five, ivy-clad, mature trees. Ahead is a grass pasture with a low, grass-covered, linear earthwork running diagonally away into the distance. — Scots Dyke below Rimington Avenue.

September – Rocks, fossils and an owl
At the end of September, SWAAG members enjoyed a walk to look at the geology and industrial archaeology of the Swale valley, near Keld.

It was led by Les Knight, who began by explaining how the underlying Yoredale rocks were laid down during the Carboniferous period when, as result of plate tectonics, the British Isles lay much nearer the equator. Limestones formed in the warm tropical seas and were later buried by sediments washed in by rivers draining the surrounding land surfaces. Over time these compacted to become mudstones, shales and sandstones and the sequence was then repeated over ten times as sea levels rose and fell. Only the later of these ‘cyclothems’ are visible at Keld.

A group of nine hill walkers stand in a circle, most with their backs to the camera, on a grassy slope next to a waterfall in the background, which cascades for about 30 feet over a sheer fault in the rock. — The group at East Gill Force, near Keld.

Close-up view of a grey stone surface marked by a multitude of short, tube-shaped fossils in relief. — Crinoid fossils

Since being uplifted the rocks have been weathered and eroded. Today the limestones form the steeper cliffs and waterfalls, whilst the less resistant mudstones and shales form the gentler slopes. Faulting has also affected the landscape by bringing different rock types into close juxtaposition. We stopped to look at the limestones at East Gill Force and an outcrop of shales higher up the track. Farther along we looked for crinoid fossils. Sue explained how lichens can be used to distinguish between limestones and sandstones.

Relics of the lead mining industry can be seen across the slopes of Beldi Hill. There are hushes, spoil heaps and derelict buildings. Les explained how shafts and adits were used to access the mineral veins deep below ground. It was during one of these explanations that he was totally upstaged by a large owl which was having a nap, right in front of us, in a hollow tree. Startled, it flew away directly over our heads. We finished our walk at the ruins of Crackpot Hall where we had lunch. The weather was much kinder than on our previous visit!
J.H.

A group of eight or nine hill walkers, roughly in a line, most with their backs to the camera, stand on a steep grassy hillside, which rises in the background to a rough moorland topped by a shallow rock cliff. To the right of the frame is a complex of stone buildings comprising a roofless ruined house next to another with a slate roof. — On the slopes of Beldi Hill and approaching Crackpot Hall in the background.

September – Reeth Local History
Twenty-five members and guests joined Alan and Judith Mills on Saturday 7 September, to explore the local history of Reeth and its surrounding area.

Looking across a small cut-grass area of a village at a collection of different shapes and sizes of Georgian-era houses and small buildings bordering the grass and meeting at a corner. — Reeth Union Workhouse Porter’s Lodge with wards behind.

Starting on Reeth Green, Alan discussed the development of the village and its appearance as an incomplete planned village. Reeth got its market charter in 1695. Buildings discussed dated from medieval times to the Georgian period, with alterations in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The porter’s lodge for the Reeth Poor Law Union Workhouse was pointed out. The workhouse was in operation from 1840 to 1930 and housed up to 80 paupers. From the bandstand, the western part of the Grinton – Fremington Dykes and a Romano- British settlement could be observed on Harkerside.

A view from a high position looking through a gap between the first-floor levels and roofs of two Georgian-era houses. In the gap and in the far distance is a grassy hillside rising to a brown-topped moor with a horizon above. The grassy area has several dry-stone walls crossing and rising the hillside. One of the boundaries is marked by an ancient bank and ditch. — A view from Reeth Green across to Harkerside and the south-western bank and ditch of the Grinton-Fremington Dykes.

Leaving the Green, we passed down towards Reeth Bridge (built 1772/3) passing Stonegate (many of which were shops in earlier times). Arriving at Fremington Corn Mill it was possible to see the water wheel still in situ in the building. The first record of the mill was in 1288. The current building dates from 1751. It closed around 1900.

As we approached Draycott Hall, a ditch and bank could be observed running up to High Fremington. A little farther along the road to the right, an eroded bank could be seen. Is this part of the dyke system? We progressed towards Grinton. The bridge was constructed in 1797 Looking underneath we could see where the medieval bridge was widened to accommodate more traffic.

Passing through the church yard in Grinton, we moved along the Corpse Way and could see more parts of the dyke system. Here the ditch and bank are clear. There are seven sections of the dyke in the area – possibly dating from the Bronze Age / Iron Age / Viking period – but probably multi period, extended and reused as required over the ages.

Swale Hall Farm is one of the oldest houses in the area. This is a possible site of a corn mill, usually every manor house had a corn mill (this is the manor of West Grinton). Moving on we passed a Bronze Age burial mound, the Romano British settlement we had seen from Reeth Green, a burnt mound and a tufa quarry (white calcium carbonate – limestone – used as a fertiliser).

At the Swing Bridge we could see How Hill to the left (a worked mound with a possible settlement on top. Across the river we could see the strip lynchets (terraces) dating from the 14th century.

Alan and Judith Mills have produced a more-detailed description of this route and of the historical and archaeological features that can be seen on the way. It is available to read or download and used a as a self-guided walk here: Reeth and vicinity self-guided local-history walk.

July – Keld wildflowers
A group of nine met at Rukin’s car park in Keld for a short walk led by Sue Knight and Janet Bethune. The walk was about a mile in total to allow for the slow pace needed for adequate discussion of the flowers and grasses which were encountered. The group was provided with hand-lenses and a list of about 70 plants they were likely to see. The aim of the walk was to point out distinguishing features that would help people remember the plants.

We started with the common buttercup and how to separate Meadow and Creeping Buttercups and then focused on a range of grasses. The commonest was the soft, downy Yorkshire Fog. One member wondered if references to putting cows out into the “fog” and producing “fog cheese” from their milk could be a reference to this. A special plant for the northern dales was Melancholy Thistle, which put on a superb show. Despite of being a thistle, it has no spines. We also tackled a couple of ferns, with lenses out so the shape of the fronds could be checked.

Everyone managed to see the subtle differences between Male Fern and Lady Fern, the latter having a more delicate appearance! Colour was provided by the Monkey Flower, Meadowsweet and Common Spotted Orchid. The sense of smell can also be used to help name a flower and the horrid smell of Woundwort and Herb Robert is not easily forgotten. We ended by testing the sense of smell on a more pleasant note by comparing Garden Mint and Water Mint, the latter having a fresher, spearmint-like smell. We returned to the car park as the heavens opened, pleased that the walk had been dry.

Close-up of a thistle-like, bright-pink flowerhead. A butterfly with its wings folded is perched on the flower. Its wings are predominantly orange with black spots. — Small Copper butterfly on a Melancholy Thistle

Close-up of a tall flower head against a lush-green background of mixed vegetation. The flower petals are coloured in different shades of purple and are shaped and marked like scores of small butterflies gathered around a stem. — A Common Spotted Orchid

Close-up of a flowerhead formed by a tall pinkish stem with pairs of pink flowers at intervals. The bottom two pairs of flowers are open while those above are at decreasing stages of readiness to flower. — A Hedge Wound Wort.

June – Addlebrough summit
Nine of us met in the small car park in Thornton Rust, a small village on the south side of Wensleydale. After reading the information board about the sheep dip in the stream next to the car park we set off at 10.30am. After a few hundred meters along a walled track, we reached the fields heading to the heathland below Addlebrough. Eventually after a few ladder stiles we reached what could possibly be a large standing stone that had toppled over and from here we got our first view of the Bronze Age / Iron Age settlement that was visible on Greenber Edge to the south.

Wide-angle view of a green dale-side of rough pasture grass divided by a network of dry-stone walls reaching to the horizon. In the middle ground is a terrace with steep rises above and below it. On the terrace can be seen the feint appearance of stones known to be remains of ancient settlement buildings. — Terrace site of Greenber Edge settlement.

Looking up to the distant summit of a grass-covered hill. In the foreground, a dry-stone wall crosses the frame and in the middle of it is a wooden ladder stile over the wall. From the left foreground, another dry-stone wall stretches up the hill, appearing to reach the summit. — The last ladder stile before Addlebrough.

We then set off on the steady climb up Addlebrough. Once on the top we were greeted with stunning views of Wensleydale. We could see across to Carperby and the Bronze Age burial mounds above the village, Bronze Age settlement at Pen Hill and the henge above Aysgarth which was at the centre of these settlements. We made our way to the south side of the summit where we could view the settlement on Greenber Edge including Stoney Raise cairn which is the largest stone cairn in the northern Pennines measuring 30 meters across and 2 meters high. The settlement is almost one kilometre in length and very visible in the landscape. It had been used many times over the centuries including Iron Age / Roman and possibly in medieval times.

A group of eight walkers dressed in cold-weather walking gear, looking at the camera, and standing in a line at the summit of a high hill. There are boulders near their feet. — SWAAG Members on the summit of Addlebrough at the Bronze Age burial mound with cupped stones.

After lunch we headed around to the north side of the summit looking at various features on the way until we reached the burial mound with some beautiful cup-marked stones on top. This burial site has stunning views of the full length of Wensleydale.

Close-up of a single small boulder with its upper face covered by several small hollows known to be ancient man-made cup marks. — One of the cupped marked stones on the burial mound, Addlebrough.

We then walked around to the west side of the summit in strong winds to view the remains of some medieval house and field plots of stone which are still visible. From here we could see Semer Water and the huge boulder named the Devil’s Stone that lay below.

Looking down from a high hill at a substantial lake surrounded by green hills visible to a far horizon. — Semer Water from Addlebrough.

The wind was now strong, so we decided to return to Thornton Rust off the front of Addlebrough. On the way we observed lots of natural springs and looked for the many possible burnt mounds that are around Addlebrough and Thornton Moor.

Burnt mounds are mounds containing a large pile of burnt stones and a trough that would have contained water from the spring. The hot stones would have been added to the water, these are believed to be bronze age and found all over northern Europe. It is not known whether these are prehistoric saunas, for industrial use such as leather working or of a ritual purpose. For more information see the page on this website Burnt Mounds.

Once we had crossed a few more fields we were on the road that led us back to Thornton Rust and the car park. The four-hour round journey took in stunning views of Wensleydale and the rich archaeology in this bronze age landscape. For more information on the archaeology of the area around Addlebrough and Semer Water, see the SWAAG database PDF Category Settlements 1 and scroll to record 795. There is also more information on this website at Round Cairns and Rock Art.

May – Braithwaite Hall, East Witton Camp and Castle Steads
A small group from SWAAG enjoyed a lovely walk on Saturday May 18^th from Braithwaite Hall encompassing East Witton Camp and Castle Steads.

Braithwaite Hall is a 17^th Century house. It incorporates an earlier building from the early 1600’s. The current building replaces the original structure mentioned in 1301 that was linked to Coverham and Jervaulx Abbeys. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries the house was owned by the Crown then the City of London and later by the Wood family. Benjamin Wood was responsible for the renovations /rebuilding in 1667 when the “new” staircase was installed.

To the east of the Hall is an area with Ridge and Furrow and earthworks indicating the site of a former peasant settlement.

Moving up on to Braithwaite Banks you find East Witton Camp. This is a fortified “univallate” hillfort. It is defended by a rampart and an outer ditch, except the east side and this is defended by the Red Beck Gill – a steep sided gulley. The banks are constructed with a stone core and have two entrances. The defences were extended to the north. The inner area is quite flat and may have been ploughed. It is now bracken covered. From LIDAR it does appear to have a square feature on this platform. Was this an area of occupation, a farm or more of a meeting place, a market or it has been suggested a citadel.

A view down a rough-grass hillside to a dry-stone wall running across the frame. In the foreground is a grass-covered ditch with bank on the right side, both curving away to the left and out of sight. Beyond the dry-stone wall are sheep grazing in a good grass pasture, and beyond that are more fields, tree-tops of a wooded ravine, and in the middle distance are farm buildings on a grassy ridge. In the far distance, just visible through a haze, can be seen a broad dale-side landscape of fields and woods. — Ditch and bank on the west side of East Witton Camp.

The group then walked over the moor, a wonderful landscape. There are areas of mining here and some marshy wet areas. Birds observed included: Cuckoo, Wheatear, Kite, Grey Lag Geese and goslings. A female deer was spotted as we moved towards a dry valley (possible melt water channel). The landscape changes here – bilberry bushed replace bracken and heather.

Lunch at an old quarry, and what appeared to be a meeting place of trackways. Passing through a “doorway” in the wall we passed down the hill side into Castle Steads. A large flat area enclosed on three side by a ditch and bank, the south side being the steep hill leading on to the moor. Is this just an animal enclosure, a farm, it does not appear to be a defensive structure.

A view along a rough-grass-and-bracken hillside, rising to the left of the frame and descending to the right, The focus in the middle is on a grass-covered bank and ditch running away from the viewer. Over the near horizon of the hillside can be seen in the far distance a dale-side of fields, a few trees and some farm buildings. — Castle Steads – looking west along the ditch and bank.

Heading back towards Braithwaite Hall, we found some evidence of a later structure and a ford crossing in the middle of a field (the ford crossing is marked on the OS map) The structure was a long building with an entrance on the northside, the structure appears to be built into the hillside. The wall has a substantial foundation. Possible hollow way / track crossing above this area.

For more information on the archaeology of this area see SWAAG database PDF Earthworks and scroll to record no. 691. Braithwaite Hall is a National Trust Property. There is a lot of information about the building and the archaeological remains in the general area at the National Trust Heritage Records Online, here Home | National Trust Heritage Records – National Trust Heritage Records Online and use the search term Braithwaite.

SWAAG would like to thank Vicki and Charles of Brathwaite Hall for providing parking and access to the land.

March – A Romano-British settlement near Applegarth
The postponed walk to the enclosed Romano-British settlement below Whitcliffe Scar finally took place in mid-March. Six SWAAG members met leaders Rod Flint and Jane Harrison at Marske. The original plan to follow the Coast-to-Coast footpath across the fields was abandoned in favour of picking up the ancient trackway further along the tarmac road. As a result of the detour we avoided getting very wet feet, spotted an old sunken trackway running parallel to the modern road and discovered several newts in a trough!

Jane explained how Swaledale owes its distinctive character to the underlying Yoredale rocks and subsequent erosion by ice and water. The more resistant limestones and the overlying cherts form the higher ground and scars on the north side of the valley. On the southern side of the valley these are overlain by younger rocks which were mostly deposited in terrestrial rather than marine environments. Thin coal seams were able to form and were mined for a limited time on Downholme Moor.

A mound of ancient stones in the foreground is being examined by three people wearing outdoor gear. Behind them, the high valley terrace on which they stand stretches away to further mounds and a clear footpath running along the terrace edge. In the background is a glimpse of the green valley bottom and the far side of the valley rising up to a horizon. — The view eastwards across the eastern enclosure.

The settlers at Applegarth probably made use of natural features when building their settlement below Whitcliffe Scar. There are several springs in the vicinity and the steep rampart overlooking the approaching sunken way may be a modified fluvial or glacial deposit.

We explored the site after lunch. There are two main enclosures separated by a sunken track. Both contain the remains of buildings. The most interesting features are the unusual beehive structures in the east wall of the eastern enclosure. Further exploration revealed there were probably others which have either collapsed or have been buried below rock fall.

Three people wearing outdoor gear looking at ancient stone remains, mostly covered with grass, extending away from the camera to what appears to be the top edge of a precipice descending to a valley. Farther away is the tree-covered far side of the valley. Above the far horizon is a grey sky. — Examining the beehive feature in the eastern enclosure.

A close-up view of a stone feature that appears to form a bridge over a gully about two metres wide. The stone is about half a metre wide and deep and is largely covered with moss. More stone features are higher up the gully, which has grassed areas on either side. — A closure view of the beehive feature.

Further information is available on SWAAG’s database Category Settlements 1 PDF, scroll to record 228, or on Historic England’s website here: : Romano-British enclosed settlement 340m north east of East Applegarth at Whitcliffe Scar, Richmond – 1018335 | Historic England. Of the rumoured lead mine, we could see no evidence!

Although it was cold and drizzly when we met, the day stayed dry, and we were rewarded with some beautiful views along Swaledale when the sun came out. There were good views of the cultivation terraces when we walked back down to Marske. These are thought to pre-date the medieval ridge and furrow.
J.H.

Four people in outdoor gear are walking away from the camera along a minor tarmac road. To their right is a recently-cut, neat field hedge and to the right of it a grass pasture that rises up the dale-side in very neat, long medieval terraces. — Cultivation terraces at Marske.

February – Maiden Castle and other Scheduled Monuments
The early February weather was kind to our party of twelve on our walk around Harkerside. We set off from Grinton passing a funerary barrow (SM 1012599) close to Swale Hall, crossed the Fremington dykes (SM 1004043,4) and discussed their attributes as defensive structures, boundary markers and enclosures. Perhaps they have been all these things. We pondered over the significance of a large mound of stones at a stile below Bleak House and some earthworks just to the west of it.

Looking along the top of part of a semi-circular dry-stone wall that looks about two metres thick. It curves away to the left and inside the small area it encloses stands a bare tree, its branches spreading from near the base of its trunk to fill the entire width of the frame and stretching over the top of this part of the enclosure wall. The earth inside the tight enclosure is bare from being completely shaded by the tree when in full leaf. — Large semi-circular stone feature at Bleak House.

Looking up a set of four steep, narrow stone steps, just wide enough for one person, squeezed in between two heavily built dry-stone walls. At the base of the first step is a very-old-looking open wooden gate with a spring hinge and rusty bolts. At the top of the steps can be seen the backs of two hikers in winter-weather clothing walking away in single file as the footpath continues the tight squeeze between extending dry-stone walls. — Footpath and stile crossing the broad semi-circular stone feature at Bleak House.

Then onwards and upwards, sheltering from the wind in the ditch of Maiden Castle (SM 1012609) to eat our lunch, share information from a 2011 geophysical survey of the place and from Will Swales’ research on the excavation of the large mound to the east of the “castle” by Rev Canon Greenwell who, on a summer’s day in 1867, had “a very effective staff of miners” at his disposal. However, “not a single bone or fragment of man’s work was found.” Upwards again, we walked to another barrow, west of the castle earthworks, and then turned east towards Harker mires.

Three hikers in winter-weather clothing standing close together amid heather on a wide expanse of moorland stretching far into the distance and rising to a higher horizon. Immediately in front of them is a circular raised mound covered by heather and with a few small boulders just visible above the heather around its circumference. A few sporadically placed larger boulders can be seen amid the heather in the middle distance. — Hut circle or embanked stone circle at Harker Mires.

Five of us continued to the cairn field (SWAAG database 150) and the feature marked as a hut circle on the Ordnance survey map but described by Tim Laurie as an embanked stone circle in a Bronze Age settlement landscape and listed as such as a Scheduled Monument In 2005 (SM 1012612). Nearby there are numerous cairns, stone features and a linear ditch and rampart (SM 1012617) which merges at its east end with the steep west bank to Grinton Beck. We finished our walk downhill to Grinton just before wind and rain set in.

A moorland scene looking along a raised linear embankment covered with heather and rough grass. It disappears into an undulating landscape in the middle-to-far distance. To hikers in winter-weather clothing are standing or walking several metres apart on top of the embankment. — Linear ditch and rampart at Harker Mires.