For many years the Cole family have heard stories of relatives that used to live in the village of Upsall Pit at the top of Eston Nab.
Over the years there have been a few expeditions to the site but this time I thought I'd document it a bit more and take some pictures of the site.
This is the route I took, a clockwise loop, starting from this layby just off the A171, with a slight uphill climb, then some nice level paths through farmland. Uphill through fields and then turn left through some woods with tricky paths up to the nab. Then a much easier track down the hill til I rejoined the path I'd originall trekked up the hill via.
Here is Tiggy and the layby.
The first track, nice and easy past Mill Farm.
Then a little tricky, muddy, woodland path behind MIll Farm onto easy (but uphill!) grassy paths.
A great view across to Roseberry Topping and the Wainstones Lordstones hills. Some of which I covered in the Lordstones Peaks Tour.
Amongst the lovely, sunny views, a reminder that you are in Teesside #bulletholes.
The grassy path then turns right, into a track, and the first view of the Nabs transmitter towers.
It was at this point that I was getting close to the old village at Upsall Pit Top. Here is what the row of houses used to look like.
And how it looks now. From a distance it just looks like bushes and earth but a closer look reveals the brick foundations of a row of buildings.
After that bit of industrail archaeology it was time to head up to Eston Nab. Starting by following this nice, level, road to Poplar Farm, a pig farm, so a bit smelly!
At Poplar Farm, turn left and head uphill through fields until you get to the woods. For some of the way you are following mud tracks like this.
But the path got trickier here and there with flooding and blown down trees.
Finally, after over half a mile of woodland paths you get to the top and a closer view of the transmitter towers and Eston Nab itself.
"This monument is placed here to mark the
site of the beacon tower which was erected
by Thomas Jackson of Lackenby about 1800 as
a look-out post against invasion during the
Napoleonic wars and which again served the same
purpose in the second world war of 1939–1945.
It stands within a Bronze Age fortified
camp whose outer defences can be seen.
Erected in 1956.""
Turn around for a view over Teesside. From this one spot by the flag I can see where I was born, where I went to School, Collge, Uni and my first proper job! The first pic is the scenic view...
...and then this.
After enjoying the views it was time to head back. This time following the more worn path down the hill.
With the odd reminder now and then that you were still in Teesside.
After around a mile of path like this I rejoined the original grassy path, this time downhill! Then back past the sheep, through the woody bit by Mill Farm and down the track to Tiggy.