Cray Hall Stone

Cray Hall Stone at SE 47978 95674 – South Face with its name engraved upon it, April 2013. The track on the left whilst now part of the Cleveland Way is a very ancient route and was a major trade artery in prehistoric times, with round and long barrows along its route evidence of this. In mediaeval times it was known as the ‘Regalis Via’ (Kings Way) and laterally Hambleton Street or more commonly the Hambleton Drove Road. It was one of the main routes along the western edge of the moors for Highland Cattle coming from Scotland to the markets at York, Malton and beyond. Astonishingly up to 100,000 a year in the early 19C. However with the advent of the railways and other considerations large scale droving had more or less petered out by the end of the 19C.