Mauley Cross

Trip No.7  Entry No.1  Date Added: 2nd Oct 2016
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 1st Oct 2016

Log Text: Mauley Cross, north of Stape, North Yorkshire: Chrispy's directions were spot on - thanks! Trust us to arrive on the day of a rally, with all the cars coming in the opposite direction. Being off-stage, they needed to stick to the speed limit and we found ourselves constantly pulling in to passing places. It was fun to see the different cars.

Arriving at the junction of the metalled road (Keys Beck Road) which runs north through Stape then up over the moors and the forest track (Brown Howe Road) we came across ‘road closed 1st October 2016 due to the Trackrod Rally). There were some marshalls sitting at the wide entrance to this forest track, so we parked between their cars and wandered 50 metres or so up the track to find this cross, making sure to avoid the rally cars which zoomed down every minute or so. After a few minutes a doctor's car zoomed up the track past us and we took advantage of a lull in the stream of cars (there must have been an accident - hope everyone was OK).

Sitting a couple of metres off the forest track, the grass around the cross has been cleared and a couple of tributes sit at its base.

There are two Mauley Crosses listed on the ADS database, the second being just east of Saltergate (this is a similar cross, made out of one piece of sandstone, forming a boundary marker between the parishes of Allerston and Lockton at grid reference SE86679493.

Old Wives' Well

Trip No.7  Entry No.2  Date Added: 2nd Oct 2016
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 1st Oct 2016. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Old Wives' Well, just south of Mauley Cross, near Stape, North Yorkshire: With this well only 223 metres south of the Mauley Cross, we decided to walk down the narrow metalled road ((Keys Beck Road) to the well. Again, Chrispy’s directions were spot on. This time, the rally cars were back, appearing every minute or so and we had to ensure we were visible to the drivers at all times (sometimes difficult with the bracken at the sides of the road being so high). Walking southwards back down towards Stape Village, reaching the first passing place on the left hand side of the road, a small track leads through the grass. About 20-30 metres into the wood we glimpsed a wooden rail which partially surrounds the well, then the well itself came into site.

With a simple stone built ‘hood’ over it, into which there is writing carved into the lintel, this is a very enigmatic spot. The well basin was full of water and a small tickle cut its way through the peat floor of the wood, heading south west down hill towards the road.

There were plenty of old ribbons and scarves (even a sock!) tied to the trees around the well.

According to the Pastscape Record for this monument, number 60532, the lettering on the lintel reads: "Nattie Fonten L M Natalis" (Roman governor of 3 provinces 120AD).

Rawcliffe Howe

Trip No.7  Entry No.3  Date Added: 2nd Oct 2016
Site Type: Cairn Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 1st Oct 2016. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: Rawcliffe Howe, south of Stape Village, North Yorkshire: No entry exists for Rawcliffe Howe on the ADS, but does on Historic England. From Old Wives’ Well, driving southwards back down through the Village of Stape, we came to a four way cross-roads. Parking in a small layby just as we turned into Low Moor Road, where on the opposite side of the road a footpath runs through the wood leading to Rawcliffe Banks. I used the photographs from the mobile Portal site to help locate this.

This round barrow sits right on the edge of the road opposite the entrance to Low Moor Road and has clearly been cut through by the road. Trying to photograph it was very tricky as the rally cars were coming in groups thick and fast, and at one point I jumped further onto the verge to avoid a car that nearly missed the turning!

We managed to get photographs from various angles, although if I hadn’t known this was a site from the Portal would have missed it entirely.

Black Howe (Rawcliffe)

Trip No.7  Entry No.4  Date Added: 2nd Oct 2016
Site Type: Cairn Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 1st Oct 2016. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: Black Howe round barrow, west of Newton-on-Rawcliffe, North Yorkshire: Just 800 metres from Rawcliffe Howe, travelling east along Rawcliffe Road, Black Howe round barrow can be found.

There is a small layby (which says no parking) but was large enough for several cars, so we parked and hopped out to look.

The barrow was visible as a mound through the bracken, but the farmer had blocked the entrance to the field with harvesting machinery, so it was not possible to access the site to see the barrow from the other side (sadly). There were great views across the Pickering valley.

The only information I can (currently) find out about this barrow is from the Ancient Monuments website, which says: "Traces of an earthwork were noted in the field west of Black Howe in 1949. Field investigation in 1974 found no trace of the feature, the field under pasture", although there is a clear, bracken covered mound at the edge of the field.

St Hilda (Ellerburn)

Trip No.7  Entry No.5  Date Added: 2nd Oct 2016
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 1st Oct 2016. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Anglo Saxon Cross parts at St. Hilda's Church, Ellerburn, North Yorkshire: From Black Howe, with the light rapidly fading, we decided to go to St Hilda’s in Ellerburn. The Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture has added York and East Yorkshire to their catalogue, and I was able to pull all up the Ellerburn pages on my phone prior to visiting. Sadly, there was no signal in the village so it wasn't possible to view them whilst at the location.

Ellerburn is a very pretty hamlet and the church of St Hilda’s looks like an old manor house that has been converted into a church. Pulling into the layby by the church, there were signs asking for a £3 parking fee (but free if visiting the church).

Entering the churchyard through a lych gate, three sheep were cropping the grass. A stile led from near the path into the churchyard (the gate was padlocked) – to be used at your own risk, the sign said. Sadly, the church was already locked up when we arrived (well it was 6pm) so we missed the stones inside. However, we were able to wander round and pick out the cross parts built into the walls.

The Corpus lists nine stones, 9a and 9b of which are the edges of two hog-back tombs. We wandered up the pretty little stream running opposite the church. A noisy campsite at the farm opposite spoiled the peace of the hamlet, but it was still very pretty and worth visiting.

Wandering around the graveyard, I spotted the grave of Isaac Newton and his wife Mary (no, not the famous one, but still made me smile).

Note: the church site says the church is only open between 10am and 4pm each day.