GILLlNG WEST, JAGGER LANE, HARTFORTH AND RETURN.
Approx. 3 miles. Allow 1.5 hrs. Lanes and field paths.
At the southern end of Gilling West, turn onto Waters Lane. This is an access road for several farms and therefore some light traffic uses it.
After passing by two farms on the right the lane curves around towards Crabtree House Farm. Keep to the right of the farm on a fieldside track, at the top of which turn right onto what is known as Jagger Lane, towards the edge of Hartforth Wood.
This Jagger Lane is just one of the many ancient "Jagger lanes" which formed part of a great communications network of another age. It comes up from the old Reeth road, passes through Gilling Wood to Hartforth and then crosses the A66 to Melsonby. West of Crabtree House Farm the lane passes near to the remains of a lead smelting mill on Lead Mill (or Smelt Mill) Gill, one of many such mills associated with lead mining in Swaledale and other northern dales. Since Roman times lead was mined in these parts, mainly to be used for roofs, gutters and cisterns. In the 13th-15th centuries very large quantities were required for the great period of castle and church building in England.
These lead mining routes carried dressed ore to the mills and lead from the mills to the markets. The loads were carried in sacks slung either side of pack horses known as "Jaggers", often sturdy German ponies. The same name came to be applied to the men who drove the caravans of twelve to twenty ponies along the lanes.
This Jagger Lane linked up to markets at Richmond and Darlington, thence to the quaysides at Worsall, Yarm and Stockton from where lead was shipped to London and the Continent. Coal for the mills would have been sent in return loads.
Enter the narrow south eastern edge of the woodland through a handgate and follow the path which leads out into a field where some large oak trees line the route.
The path develops into quite a deep trench so it is best to keep to the right side of it as it nears the footbridge which takes the path across Leadmill Gill Beck. Head into the hamlet of Hartforth after crossing Hartforth Beck with its weir downstream of the stone bridge. Immediately after the farm buildings on the right, turn and follow the track between the green and a stone wall. After passing through a metal gate, there is a well used stiled path which heads in a south easterly direction across several fields (some of which are cultivated) towards Gilling West. The church and roof tops of the village can be seen ahead in the distance.
Finally the path runs alongside some farm buildings and emerges into the High Street close to the three-arch Gilling Bridge, which was constructed in 1799.
