The Grey Panthers

This walk is described in the book "The Walker's Guide to the cleveland Hills" by Tom Scott Burns.
The first part of the walk is highly enjoyable, following field footpath, tracks and roads through Raisdale. The walk then ascends to Snilesworth Moor.
The moorland section of the walk can be quite bleak, mostly following a shooters' track towards Head House. There is little cover on this section of the walk.
From Head House a rough moorland track is followed North Eastwards to Cock Howe. From Cock Howe the track descends to Chop Gate, initially fairly gently but then - in the final section, plunging steeply.
This final section is particularly difficult, especially if the ground is wet and slippery underfoot.

For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above link.
(Overlay made with Version 5 of Memory Map)

Some new mapping software is now available which you may want to try, - QUO mapping. You can download the software for free from the link below, complete with demonstration maps. Having installed QUO, you can import and export Memory Map overlays. Thus YOU DON'T NEED Memory Map to use any of the overlays provided on the Grey Panthers web site, - just use QUO!!

Park by the Chop Gate Community Centre (SE 558 993). This is a well-known and well-used starting point for walks in this area.
Take the field footpath found to the West of the Community Centre that initially follows the Raisdale Beck. The footpath crosses several fields and a minor road (the Raisdale Road) to Cock Flat Farm.
At Cock Flat Farm a footpath takes you to Stone Intake Farm, crossing several fields. From Stone Intake Farm, a footpath takes you over fields South Westwards to the Raisdale Road.
Alternatively, follow the Raisdale Road from Cock Flat Farm to this point.
Continue along the Raisdale Road for a short distance, when the lane to Raisdale Mill is signposted.
Head down past Raisdale Mill, and continue on the track that takes you to Crosslets Farm.
Past the farm, continue of the track, gently ascending towards the moorland.
A bridleway is signposted on your left, but it is better to continue past this and follow the shooters' track.
The shooters' track now heads South South East along Barker's Ridge over Snilesworth Moor.
Near Head House, the track now heads sharply North East.
However, do not continue to Head House, but look for a footpath on your left that takes you past a small plantation on one side and a field wall on the other.
Follow this moorland footpath North Eastwards until you eventually cross a shooters' track at Cock Howe.
Continue North Eastwards on the moorland track. This track initially descends quite gently, but above Chop Gate the path descends VERY steeply.
If the ground underfoot is wet, this section of the track can be quite treacherous and GREAT CARE is needed.
The track joins a farm road to return you to the Chop Gate Community Centre.