This area is one of the prettiest I have seen with acres of heather, fern and pine trees greeting you as soon as you leave the main road. It lies north east off the A172 and is well worth a visit to hike the many different walks these beautiful hills have to offer.
Why Called Lord Stones
The name ‘Lord Stones’, comes from three Lords that owned estates that met at this point on Carlton Bank. These stones are typical ancient cairns, waymarkers and boundary stones that are found across the North Yorkshire Moors and beyond.
They are affectionately called The Lord Stones but the stone that gave rise to the name is a single big stone that marked the said boundary. There are prehistoric markings that tell us this stone was some kind of boundary marker long before Lords came along. It is actually on the edge of a Bronze Age burial mound.
The landscape here is stunning but has been shaped by mining for jet which is only found here in the Cleveland Hills and North York Moors.
You can go in one of several directions on arriving here and each and every one gives a breathtaking view. This one gave a stunning panorama of Middlesborough, the Cleveland Plain, Cringle Moor, Roseberry Topping and Cook’s Monument in the distance. On a clear day you can even see the north sea from the cliff tops.
The walks around here vary in distance from a short but fairly challenging 3 miles to around 8 or 9 miles.The paths are well laid and maintained with clear signage and it is almost impossible to get lost.
Parking
The easiest area to park is by the aptly named Lord Stones Cafe, by the stones. From here you can take in the walks of varying length.
Crinkle Moor
On the edge of Crinkle Moor, not only do you get huge views but there is a stone monument together with a poem on a plaque. A fun poem by The Holiday Fellowship, with a serious message within.
A request.
A request from the Holiday Fellowship
Friend, when you stray, or sit and take your ease
On moor, or fell, or under spreading trees
Pray, leave no traces of your wayside meal
No paper bag, no scattered orange peel
Nor daily journal littered on the grass
Others may view these with distaste and pass
Let no one say, and say it to your shame
That all was beauty here until you came
There are some steep climbs to the top of Carlton Bank and the terrain is uneven but not too difficult. The path at the top leads to the view point where you can sit and take in the beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and watch the world go by for a while before heading back down the bank for a well deserved beer in the Lord Stones subterranean cafe/bar!
