Old Ralph, Blakey, Coast to Coast
Historical and Educational Articles for Lion Inn to Grosmont
Old Ralph Cross, East Face, Blakey Ridge, Westerdale Moor
Old Ralph Cross, Blakey Ridge, Coast to Coast
Old Ralph Cross lays to the south west of Young Ralph Cross, but unlike Young Ralph it does not adjoin the public highway. There is a path to it from a position a little north of Young Ralph Cross, although the path is for the most part waterlogged. The cross is almost at the summit of Ledging Hill, which rises to 429m. A few hundred yards south of Old Ralph Cross is the Margery Bradley Stone and Flat Howe, and a mile further south, on the moorland road, is the Lion Inn and Blakey Howe. Rosedale Head is only 150 yards east of the Cross, and the River Seven flows south from the Head into Rosedale Valley.
Old Ralph Cross Ledging Hill
Laying very close to the summit of Ledging Hill, at 429m is Old Ralph Cross. The Cross is rarely seen by most Coast to Coast walkers as it is somewhat off the beaten track, and requires an excursion of 200 yards or more over a quasi-path that is difficult to find and which is not marked on the OS map. Old Ralph Cross stands at a height of 6m. In the middle distance you can see the raised mounds of The Honey Poke, a compact trio of mines.
Old Ralph Cross North Face
Old Ralph Cross dates to at least the 12th century and is referred to in the Guisborough Cartulary using its latin name Crucem Radulphi. A Cartulary is a collection of charters and Title Deeds of an estate usually collated in a book.
Old Ralph Cross South Face
The faint path from Young Ralph Cross to Old Ralph Cross is part of the old road from Westerdale to Blakey Ridge. The person in the background (my wife) is struggling to follow the path from Young Ralph Cross. The path is faint and waterlogged for most of its way.
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