Sneaton Slacks, Sneaton Low Moor
More Articles in the Grosmont to Robin Hood's Bay subsection
Sneaton Low Moor at Graystone Hills. The whole of Sneaton Low Moor has slacks running to its western boundary, some of which cut across the Coast to Coast path
Sneaton Slacks, Sneaton Low Moor, Coast to Coast
Sneaton Low Moor is located east of Falling Foss and the disused Alum Works in Littlebeck Wood, and extends eastwards to Fylingthorpe, north to Normandby and south to Fylingdales Moor. It is a small moorland that is cut acrross by many Slacks, most of which are water-filled and drain the moorland of water that one way or another flows into the North Sea. Sneaton Low Moor is only 3-4 miles from Robin Hood's Bay, which is to the east.
A slack is a term synomous only with the local area of Fylingdales, of which Sneaton Low Moor is part. It is an old Norse team that means shallow valley. There are several such shallow valleys on Sneaton Low Moor, and the Coast to Coast path crosses, or passes by, several of them, including Stoney Gate Slack and Soulsgrave Slack.
The Coast to Coast path encounters Low Moor shortly after leavinng Maybecks New Plantation. After a half mile walking north on the B1416 the road curves east around New May Beck Farm and leaves the road for a trail across Sneaton Low Moor.
May Beck Farm Sneaton Moor
May Beck Farm is established opposite to where the Coast to Coast path leaves the road to cross Sneaton Low Moor. The path at first heads east and then joins a better path leading north, passing a conifer plantation. Att the north end of the wood is Nigh Middle Sike. The Sike drains into Mires Slack and Kirk Moor Beck. After changing names several times the Beck arrives at Robin Hood's Bay where it joins the North Sea.
Soulsgrave Slack Coast to Coast
The woodland in the distance runs to the east of the Coast to Coast path on this section of Sneaton Low Moor. The Moor is bisected east to west by the B1416 at the north end of the wood. Just before the path crosses onto the road Soulsgrave Slack issues from the mirey land to its east and flows north east, running parallel to the Coast to Coast path until sweepiing due north to flow past Sneathon Thorpe and become the Rigg Mill Beck, which joins the River Esk at Ruswarp.
Graystone Hills Low Moor
From the BN1416 the Coast to Coast path heads in a steady north east direction, and only as it nears Stony Gate Slack are there any navigational problems. The path exits the Moor at its north west tip, mid way between Rigg Hall to the west and Fern Farm to the east. Egress is via a narrow, muddy, hedged path, but only after negotiating the Stony Gate Slack and the surrounding mire.
Graystone Hills Soulsgrave Slack
The westwardy declining moorland slopes from Graystone Hills are miry with many slacks draining rainwater into Soulsgrave Slack, which runs along the edgte of the moorland in a north east direction. In the image the ribboned trees line the Soulsgrave Slack as it turns north and becomes the Rigg Mill Beck just a short distance from the River Esk. Many of the slacks drain the cluster of ponds on the east side of Sneaton Low Moor.
Approach to Stony Gate Slack
The duckboarding across Stony Gate Slack is still some way off yet and there is little choice but to wade to it, trying to find the shallowest path across.
Stony Gate Slack Low Moor
Stony Gate Slack is a shallow water filled hollow running across the route of the Coast to Coast path on Low Moor. During wet weather the Moor's drainage south of Normanby Hill Top does not confine itself to Stony Gate Slack, and despite the small short boardwalk over the deepest part of the Slack, it is difficult to negotiate the path. This part, thankfully is traversed using the boardwalk.
Stony Gate Slack to Rigg Hall
From the boardwalk the Stony Gate Slack is seen gradually making its way towards the end of the moorland, in the direction of Rigg Hall. Many other Slacks draining the moors converge with Stony Gate Slack, and it then becomes the Long Rigg Beck.
Stainacre Lane Sneaton Thorpe
The Coast to Coast passage from Sneaton Low Moor is found at the north west tip of the Moor, at Normanby Hill Top, where Stainacre Lane leads west then north to the road leading uphill to Low Hawsker. The Lane is narrow, hedged in by a thick smattering of grasses and flowers that fuse into the tall hedgerows.
Coast to Coast Trail Guide
Hiking the Coast to Coast
"Hiking the Coast to Coast" is a digitally enhanced eBook available from Apple Books for all people who have either a Mac, an iPhone or an iPad, and is designed to accompany you on your walk of the Coast to Coast path. The trail guide contains Ordnance Survey maps and other advanced mapping features, step by step directions, hundreds of colour photographs, details of the route, its conditions in different weather and research snippets relating to places of interest along the way.
