An uphill hike to Bilsdale Mast made much harder by lots of bracken and no visible path. Below is the route, parking at Chop Gate Village Hall pay and display car park and following a clockwise loop along the bottom of the hill, south. Then a steep uphill climb past the mast and onto the moor, then over the moor north, then back downhill to Chop Gate.
The footpath starts at the south east corner of the car park and heads south following a beck and a drystone wall. The path is a straight line through three fields then turns right, up to Orterley Farms. The destination, Bilsdale Mast, already clearly visible.
The star of the show.
Through Low and High Crookleith Farms and a lot of fields the uphill trek begins turning off the footpath right, just before Beacon Guest.
The path heads west then southwest and is a little steep. This pic was taken during the climb, the bracken was head high and the path not visible, it was exhausting, so much so I didn’t have the energy to take any other pics.
After clambering through the bracken and having a couple of rests on the way, it was time to cross the moor to the Bilsdale Mast. This itself wasn’t easy as the path disappeared in some places but the mast was easy to spot so I just headed straight for it.
Heading further south along paths in the heather before taking a slow U turn at the most southern point of the trek and getting onto an easier track that heads north.
A much easier track to follow.
Keep following the track north, for 2 miles until you get to this pile of stones marked as Cock Howe on the OS Map.
At the stones take the footpath right and head northeast, downhill down a dirt track.
One final view of the mast, looking south as I headed downhill.
And ahead a view of Chop Gate, the car park is to the bottom right of the village which the path heads straight to.
