The Cleveland Way

Summer 2014

The Cleveland Way, gazetted in 1969, is a National Trail in ancient Cleveland in northern England. It runs 110 miles (177 km) from Helmsley to the Brigg at Filey, skirting the North York Moors National Park. The trail falls into two roughly equal sections. The inland section leads west from Helmsley, then north, then east around the west of the North York Moors National Park. It then leaves the National Park near Guisborough to meet the coast at Saltburn. It re-enters the National Park just north of Staithes; the coastal section follows the coast from Saltburn to Whitby, then leaves the National Park for the final time at Cloughton Wyke to reach Scarborough and Filey.

Day 1: Helmsley to Osmotherley (22 miles)

The pretty village of Helmsley is left in glorious Summer weather. This picturesque spot lies in the south of The North York Moors and is often thronged over the weekend by an endless procession of motorbikes.. The way turns off the main road to Stokesley down the appropriately named Cleveland Way and soon exits into open countryside, fringing fields and woods. Take a moment to look back over the shoulder to see prominent Helmsley Castle before proceeding to the Rievaulx road. After the death of the owner, the Duke of Buckingham, in 1687 the castle was sold to Charles Duncombe, a banker and politician who was knighted in 1699 and became Lord Mayor of London in 1708. His sister Mary's husband, Thomas Brown, inherited the castle on Charles's death in 1711. Thomas changed his name to Duncombe. He hired John Vanbrugh to build a country house at Duncombe Park overlooking the castle and left the castle to decay. Although it is still owned by the Feversham family of Duncombe Park, the castle is now in the care of English Heritage.

Glimpses of Rievaulx Abbey (one of the wealthiest abbeys in England until it was dissolved by Henry VIII of England in 1538. Its ruins are a tourist attraction, owned and maintained by English Heritage.) are caught through the growing hawthorn hedge that borders the road and a short detour is worthwhile.

The road is followed for approximately one mile, to the attendant smell of liquorice, before a good track is found on the right. This leads to a series of fish ponds standing serene at the height of Summer with gentle ripples coursing over the surface dappled in sunlight and occasionally pieced by a rising fish. After crossing the feeder stream the forest is entered to a clatter of woodpigeon wings. The trees wrap intimately around the walker, inclining their heads as if to listen to the innermost thoughts of the passer by.

Soon open fields are reached and the sight of the village of Cold Kirby is passed and Sutton Bank visitor centre quickly follows. the views here, across the open plain of the Vale of York to the far Pennine Hills, are superb.

Such views may distract the walker for many hours but the way lies to the north but only after a short detour south along the escarpment to see the recently restored White Horse of Kilburn. Located on the southern flank of Sutton Bank, near Roulston Scar at the edge of the Hambleton table-land, it faces south-south-west and is visible from some distance, particularly from the East Coast Main Line railway south of Thirsk, and from the A19. On a clear day, the horse is visible from north Leeds, 28 miles (45 km) away on the higher ground to the west of the Vale of York.

The figure is 318 feet (97 m) long by 220 ft (67 m) high and covers about 1.6 acres (6,475.0 m2) and said to be the largest and most northerly hill figure in England.

Retracing steps and crossing the road at Sutton Bank itself the escarpment leads north with views opening and constantly changing to the West. Yes indeed... distraction is easy to come by! The walking becomes tougher beyond High Paradise Farm as the escarpment is left behind in favour of an old drovers' road. In the 18th and 19th centuries movement of livestock to London from as far away as Scotland was a lucrative business for farmers. However, turnpike roads were seen as expensive so a higher non-fee paying alternative was found, this being such a high level route. Open moorland is reached extending North and East in an endless purple cloak .

The upland track is hard, stony and relentless as it heads towards Whitestones. After a prominent cairn the track falls away abruptly as it leads to a minor road at Square Corner and then down to Osmotherley on a stone-clad path via two small reservoirs (currently being renovated).

A few minor 'dog legs' lead through some pleasant village lanes to the Market Cross: a fine end to a day's walk.

Day 2: Osmotherley to Kildale (20.5 miles)

The walk from Osmotherley leaves in indifferent weather towards Sheepwash and turns left out of the village to once again attain the escarpment above Cod Beck reservoir. The prominence of the urban sprawl of the Middlesbrough conurbation is now attendant for much of the next section but this fine elevated viewpoint gives the walker many an alternative. The eye is constantly drawn back in fascination and the reasons for the town's situation become obvious as a bridging point on the

Tees and within easy reach of raw materials for the iron industry. As with the day previous, the walk is often on the escarpment sometimes in woodland and often fringing pastoral fields, but once the hamlet of Heathwaite is left via a steep ascent, tough walking on the moors becomes the order of things until the day's conclusion.

The up and down follows the same route as the Lyke Wake Walk (Completed several years ago) http://www.lykewake.org and proves an airy, elevated route skirting the moorland to the Lord Stones Cafe via the gliding club at Carlton Moor. From here the route ascends over Cringle Moor (The second highest point of the day) and Cold Moor to The Wainstones - a jumbled pile of rocks incongruously placed on the edge of the moor.

The route climbing up between them and giving a minor scramble to excite the heart and mind. A sharp descent to Hasty Bank is where some walkers will call it a day while others will push on to the highest point of the moor. With flagging leg muscles the highest point of the whole walk is yet to come! Urra moor ( (1490ft) is the high point of the trail. Though a small diversion from the main path is required to reach the burial mound on Round Hill before descending to Bloworth Crossing where the Coast to Coast, Lyke Wake and Cleveland Way walks have a parting of their ways.

Walking on high moors in the early morning with extensive views running in all directions is a delight. The gentle, cool breeze, dew -laden grass and the throaty voice of red grouse bursting from their hiding places at the last moment make for a quick and interesting passage. The so-called 'Glorious Twelfth' beckons (Unless you're a grouse of course) - how different these moors and their silence will be when guns hold sway. Above Baysdale Abbey an unexpected tarmac road is encountered which is followed down and almost into the small village of Kildale. The moors are now left behind in favour of the escarpment that runs down to Slapewath.

Day 3: Kildale to Saltburn (14.75 miles)

The route onwards from the sylvan glade of the village now climbs up to The Captain Cook monument via a forestry block on Coate Moor. Suddenly the wide-open spaces are rediscovered after the intimate claustrophobia of the woodland. The monument holds a superb position looking north and west and celebrates a man of exploration without equal. The inscription on the monument reads thus:

In memory of the celebrated circumnavigator Captain James Cook F.R.S. A man of nautical knowledge inferior to none, in zeal prudence and energy, superior to most. Regardless of danger he opened an intercourse with the Friendly Isles and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere. He was born at Marton Oct. 27th 1728 and massacred at Owythee Feb. 14th 1779 to the inexpressible grief of his countrymen. While the art of navigation shall be cultivated among men, whilst the spirit of enterprise, commerce and philanthropy shall animate the sons of Britain, while it shall be deemed the honour of a Christian Nation to spread civilisation and the blessings of the Christian faith among pagan and savage tribes, so long will the name of Captain Cook stand out amongst the most celebrated and most admired benefactors of the human race.

Roseberry Topping seems a distant objective but quick passage is made on good paths and the summit is soon reached after a steep climb from the ridge to this significant outlier. Sadly the return journey must be made, then sticking to the escarpment, climbing above the town of Guisborough to a superb viewpoint at Highcliff Nab and then down into Slapewath where the noise of 'The Moor Road' A171 dominates all.

A quick refreshment stop at The Fox and Hounds and then a steep climb back onto Airy Hill and the first view of the end of the day's walk. There is a realisation in the legs and eyes that the old ironstone mining villages of Boosbeck and Skelton. The 'down at heel' feel of these places gives

greater impetus for escape and after a descent through housing estates, Skelton Beck is encoutered which will now be followed to it's conclusion at Saltburn.

The woodlands are enclosing and only broken occasionally by the huge structure of the viaduct for the freight railway line running between Boulby Potash mine and Middlesbrough. Beyond this the woods encroach once again and the long walk down through Valley Gardens suddenly deposits the walker on the delightful streets of Saltburn.

In 1858, while walking along the coast path towards Old Saltburn to visit his brother Joseph in Marske, Henry Pease saw a prophetic vision of a town arising on the cliff and the quiet, unfrequented and sheltered glen turned into a lovely garden. The legacy of this results in a perfect place for stroll to the cliff lift.

The Saltburn Cliff Lift is one of the world's oldest water-powered. After the opening of Saltburn Pier in 1869, it was concluded that the steep cliff walk was deterring people from walking from the town to the pier. After the company was taken over by Middlesbrough Estates in 1883, they discovered that the wooden Cliff Hoist had a number of rotten supports. The Saltburn tramway, as it is also known, was developed by Sir Richard Tangye's company. The cliff tramway opened a year later and provided transport between the pier and the town. The railway is water-balanced and since 1924 the water pump has been electrically operated. The pier itself has been dramatically reduced from an original 1500 feet long to the present day 681 feet length.

Day 4: Saltburn to Staithes (21.5 miles)

Rising from the beach at Saltburn, behind the smugglers' haunt of the Ship Inn by steps that lead to the marker stone of 'Cleveland Heritage Coast, is a fine start to the walk. The route onwards along

the cliff top is easy walking on a level path attended by the wheeling gulls and ripening hedgerow fruits.

As the railway, serving the Boulby Potash mine and Skinningrove Ironworks, swings in from the west to loop around Warsett Hill the path becomes hemmed between the railway line and the ever-eroding cliff edge.

This narrows considerably at the head of the loop where the walker feels that a few 'heavy' storms would see the path disappear over the cliff. The erosion hereabouts is substantial with a Roman signalling station having finally fallen into the sea in the early part of the 20th Century.

Beyond the narrowest point, the 'Charm bracelet' sculpture sits on a small promontory representing local industry and folklore.

The walk now descends into ironstone country passing the preserved ruin of Guibal fanhouse (Supplying air to the multitude of mining tunnels below the feet) and the almost 'volcanic' formations of cooled slag from the ironworks spilling over the cliffs at Cattersty point above the beach at Skinningrove.

The walk rises from the sand beach and jetty towards the cliffs at Hummersea via a steep set of steps. At the head of this rise, the huge panorama of the North Sea coast stretching north to

Hartlepool and beyond opens up. Container vessels sit in the Tees Bay awaiting loading in the docks of Teesport stand in stark contrast to the pretty Victorian town of Saltburn hidden from view by the folds of the coastal hills. The whole area has a sense of movement and change but here with the wind blowing gently from the sea, there is a calm that exists with rural landscapes.

At Hummersea farm, the track now turns south and follows parallel with the coast and rises on a gently undulating track to the highest point at Gallihowe.

The weather along the coast was now beautiful, although there was still plenty of cloud inland. It is a characteristic of this coast that it tends to have a microclimate of its own. Sometimes it can be to its advantage, like today, but other times can result in sea frets, when mist rolls in from the sea, making it cold and damp, when it may be warm and sunny inland. The views up and down the coast are magnificent, especially up on the headland where the 203-metre cliff is the highest point on the East Coast. There is not a sheer drop down these cliffs, there being a ledge part of the way down formed by extensive alum quarrying from up to 350 years ago, but they are nevertheless very impressive.

The track now begins the downhill descent to Staithes via Boulby. As Cowbar lane is followed, coastal erosion is noted with part of the road now re-routed to compensate for the old route having gone over the cliff! The Boulby potash mine (The second deepest in Europe) looms large but strangely does not detract from the scenery.

Staithes is entered via Cowbar and accessed over the footbridge that leads to High Street.

On a good day there can be few other places along this coast where a sense of anticipation can be met. The red pantiles of the whitewashed houses lead the eye to narrow streets inviting exploration. In 1745-1746, Staithes' most famous resident, James Cook (born in Marton near Middlesbrough), worked in Staithes as a grocer's apprentice where he first gained his passion for the sea. He moved to nearby Whitby where he joined the Royal Navy. William Sanderson's shop, where Cook worked, was destroyed by the sea, but parts were recovered and incorporated into "Captain Cook's Cottage".

Day 5: Staithes to Robin Hood's Bay (19 miles)

Leaving Staithes by way of the steep hill rising behind The Cod and Lobster and Captain Cook’s Cottage the Way once more reaches the cliff edge. A final look back over the shoulder at the red- pantiled roofs of the cottages below whose style is echoed in many small fishing villages along this coastline, before the legs are engaged and the route south is followed.

Port Mulgrave is soon reached – a strange misnomer when the village sits atop the cliff and the way to the ‘port’ below is by a path to an ill-fitting harbour. The history of this place reveals much, for as with Skinningrove to the north, the quay was destroyed in World War Two for fear of use in invasion and a tunnel was used to access the sea from the village above.

On this most glorious of early Autumnal mornings deep, rich, claret-red hawthorn berries swell against darkening leaves, fading into russets and golds while vertiginous cliffs fall into the sea in hues of greens and blues…yes, all feels well in the world.

As Runswick Bay is approached a steep road descends to the golden sands below dotted with early morning dog walkers, families with buckets and spades and kite flyers taking advantage of onshore breezes. The steepness of the road seems commensurate with the other side of the bay – the walker soon realises that there is a price to pay for the relaxation of the thigh muscles!

The beach is a delight but the acquaintance is all too brief and at Hob Hole the route turns suddenly and abruptly up a shaley stream into a steep wooded valley with an endless flight of steps that brings the walker back to the cliff edge.

Further alum workings are noted around Kettleness where a railway tunnel disappears into the ground taking the old track bed from Boulby to Whitby. This reappears after a steep descent into woods near Sandsend. The tunnel being two thirds bricked up to allow for the passage of air, smelling of damp and echoing to a constant drip, drip. The track bed is then followed to Sandsend itself.

The beach here can be followed at low tide rather than the busy road that links to Whitby. In fact the beach is infinitely more preferable allowing for a reasonably quick passage and deposits the walker right on the quayside. On this Saturday, in full sun, the streets are heaving with tourists, forming long queues into the street for fish and chips, snaking their way past endless shop windows and reducing their relaxed pace to a ‘crawl’! The way for the walker however, lies over the bridge with a sharp turn left and ascent of the so-called 199 steps. A multitude of children are to be found here counting each individual rise, wheezing grannies, photographers catching the view over the harbour and those intent on the journey south.

The walk south now runs through a caravan park and back to cliff edges skirting the swelling sea as high tide obscure wrecks and rocks around the small stack of Black Nab. The Whitby foghorn and Lighthouse are passed before a succession of ups and down arrives on the old track bed of the railway that has been an attendant companion for the whole walk. This last short stretch deposits the walker above the village of Robin Hood’s Bay – a true gem on the coastline. The fall of the houses into the narrow valley is the stereotypical view of a smuggler’s cove where ‘booty’ of all sorts would have been hidden from the men of the Customs and Excise: A grand place to end the walk and rest the feet after miles of coastal pounding.

Day 6 Robin Hood's Bay to Scarborough (14.5 miles)

Moisture laden haar ( A Viking word mean sea fret) rolls in from The North Sea cloaking all in a shroud of greyish white. Today will not be a walk of extensive views but rather a day of discovering secret coves that reveal themselves at the last moment.

Carrion crows wheel above in a dance of chaotic soars and plunges to an accompaniment of caws while pigeons alight on nearby branches to feast on ripening Autumnal berries. Activity surrounds the walker slipping and sliding over a muddy route intent on a final goal.

Boggle Hole is a secretive place - an old mill in a deeply- riven cove, now a Youth Hostel. It sleeps on at this early hour. The nearby beach remains barren with people yet to imprint their presence on it's surface with the only sound being the gentle pulsing of an incoming tide.

Ravenscar is soon reached by a steep route through old alum works. Here was planned a great resort to match that of Scarborough to the south... Nothing materialised aside from a road grid system! The way beyond here is often grassy, unworn and often overgrown- well- signposted but clearly a less popular stretch of the way.

Fog obscures mush of the route south and the miles are trodden with little regard for the surrounding scenery. Showers are frequent until a headland appears through the mist bearing the ruins of Scarborough Castle. Gradually, bit by bit, the great terraces of hotels and Guest houses are

also revealed and a final rise over Scalby Nab deposits the walker on the promenade of the North Beach.

This is far from the best weather to see Scarborough but a skirt around the back of the large residences shows peeling paint, broken windows and scaffolding... an air of faded grandeur pervades. A town in decline or transition?

Day 7 Robin Hood's Bay to Scarborough (11.5 miles)

As the descent to the South Bay is made under clear blue skies and a warming sun, the pace quickens a little at the thought of ... the final leg.

The environs of Scarborough, so maligned in the previous weekend, are redeemed as The Spa is reached and hillside gardens are climbed to reach fine terraces of substantial properties. Here manicured lawns and tended formal gardens give a genteel air that forces the walker to linger awhile, but a destination beckons onwards. The Holbeck area denotes the town limits where a huge landslide in 1993 took the Holbeck Hall Hotel over the edge.

Reproduced from British Geological Survey website

The hotel had scenic views of the sea and surrounding area. It was built in 1879 by George Alderson Smith as a private residence, and was later converted to a hotel. On 3 June 1993, a landslide began beneath the hotel. This increased, and finally on 5 June 1993, a day of heavy rain, parts of the building dramatically fell into the sea, making news around the world. The remainder of the building had to be demolished by contractors.

Although it was on a cliff top, an information board at the top of the cliff states that the incident was nothing to do with the sea, blaming it on soil creep. This is a common problem in Scarborough,

with several paths and pavements clearly starting to slip down the hill. Before the cliff collapsed, there had been some very heavy rainfall, resulting in the muddy cliff turning into sludge. This flowed downhill – quite rapidly for a muddy bank – and ultimately took the hotel with it. The landslip has now been landscaped at the foot but remains fenced off in the upper area of slippage. If there is a theme to the walk today, then it is surely coastal erosion. Evidence all the way to Cayton Bay and beyond is of an ever scouring sea, unlike the millpond of today!

Serried ranks of static caravans face the sea in this area, detracting from the natural curves of the landscape. Eyes must avert seawards to avoid an obvious confrontation when walking just metres in front of them... this is a holiday coast that still draws upon this legacy of post war Britain now in decline with the advent of the cheap foreign package deal. Looking seawards is a delight however, as lobster pot buoys bob gently in the swelling surf below crumbling boulder clay cliffs and every so often golden stretches of sand 'pull' people as bees to honey pots. Cayton Bay is such a place where the aroma of bacon sandwiches suddenly seems all pervading!

The Way now enters the concluding section across broad grassy paths. As the final turn is made around Cunstone Nab and the roof tops of Filey hove into view there suddenly seems to be a reluctance in the limbs, a subconscious thought conveyed, a firm desire for the walk not to conclude. But finish it must as the cliffs diminish in size and the drama of the moorland and high cliffs are left behind. Here is the way-marking stone on Filey Brigg. 110 miles of varied walking lie behind and a multitude of memories. Finishing in a beautiful little seaside town set at the head of a stunning bay with a silvery sea gently sparkling in the lunchtime sun lifts the heart and enriches the soul... the Cleveland Way is now finished and the mind turns to pastures new.