Alcock's Covert

Hidden away in the forestry above Bank Foot is a tramway incline that served the sandstones quarries higher on Greenhow Bank. It first appears on the 1893 OS 25 inch map. Blocks of sandstone would have been lowered down to a siding by the Rosedale Ironstone railway. I guess here a bridge was built to allow the incline to pass carrying an existing track. The line of the incline can be followed quite easily. The lowest of these quarries is at 230m level. Here the incline branches, one climbs to a quarry at 330m level, the main incline to one at 290m. The 330m quarry was the subject of a post in 2015. It is tempting to assume that these quarries, which seem to have been used entirely for building stone were operated by the Ingleby Ironstone & Freestone Company which built the original three mile long narrow gauge line to their ironstone mine at Rudd Scar. However, that mine was abandoned in 1860. Their narrow gauge railway had by then been upgraded to standard gauge by the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Railway. For sources and references see my blog: Out and about ... (2021). Park Plantation Quarry Tramway. [online] Available at: Link [Accessed 11 Dec. 2021]. Update 26/12/21 The quarry was operated by the Ingleby Stone Quarry Company, a company probably under the direction of a Mr. Wren. The stone was lowered down to the Rosedale Railway by an incline known as Wren's Incline see [The Gazette. (1883). Page 6651 | Issue 25299, 25 December 1883 | London ... [online] Available at: Link [Accessed 22 Oct. 2021].]. In 1866, it was reported that a Mr Wren (the same?) had opened an ironstone mine in the area which was "soon afterwards abandoned" ['The Cleveland Ironstone' (1866) Yorkshire Gazette, 25 Aug, 4, available: Link [accessed 26 Dec 2021].]. This must be referring to the Ingleby Manor ironstone mine which briefly operated between 1856 and 1860 [Tuffs, Peter. "Catalogue of Cleveland Ironstone Mines". Page 17. Cleveland Ironstone Series 1996.]. The mine had been developed with high hopes, having expectations of an annual yield of 150,000 tons ['News' (1857) Newcastle Journal, 12 Dec, 8, available: Link [accessed 26 Dec 2021].].

A poorly surfaced road heading east from B1257 towards Water Beck Farm, which is part visible in the middle distance.

This area, which is just outside the National Park boundary is farmland, surrounded on three sides by high moors.

A typical Cleveland farmhouse of sandstone with a pantile roof. On this occasion further progress along the narrow lane was halted a few hundred metres further on where a large truck, of the sort that might be carrying animal feed, was at a crazy angle, having gone off the road into soft ground. No option but to make a rather long reverse.

One might reasonably ask 'what footpath?', but the line of it is through this recently planted crop field, so walkers might expect plenty of mud adhering to boots.

Retreating by car from a road blocked by a part overturned truck which had become embedded in soft ground a little further east. The view to the west includes Beck House and the ramparts of the Cleveland Hills beyond with the 'nose' at the northern end of Cold Moor prominent.

Straight on for Battersby or turn right for Bank Foot.

The bridge is of the concrete beam type which seem to have been a popular style in the old North Riding some 60 years ago. Ingleby Beck flows beneath the bridge and across the adjoining ford. The footpath leads directly into the churchyard.

A dead end road for vehicles but also an ancient route which climbed on to the moor heading south towards Rudland Rigg and Kirkbymoorside. The house on the left stands by what was once a railway crossing, so presumably was a crossing keeper's house.

Behind the camera position is the start of what is now a section of the old Rosedale railway that can be walked or cycled all the way to that dale, but in this direction for about 1km there is no track as agriculture has taken over. The line of the former track is marked by the hedgerow heading off into the distance.

Looking north back towards Bank Foot, with the familiar outline of Roseberry Topping in the distance.

Numerous tiny streams pour off the nearby moorside making much of the land immediately west of the old railway line rather ill drained, but that's the way that alders like it.

Looking south to the junction of forest tracks. The track in the foreground leads [behind camera position] to the road, some 50m below a car parking area at NZ578038, but is potentially muddier than the upper track.

Looking across the valley towards Midnight Farm with New Sheepfold Farm beyond.

The minor road heading south from Ingleby Greenhow towards Clay Bank.

Close by a gate and a junction of bridleways.

Ewes with lambs in this April scene at Low Farm.