The Cleveland Way - Introduction & Planning

As soon as the Pennine Way had been proposed in the 1930's The Teeside Ramblers Association pressed for the creation of a similar long distance route and the Cleveland Way was officially opened in 1969.

During its planning it was referred to as the "North York Moors and Yorkshire Coastal Path" which is a good description for the diversity of scenery; i.e. moorland, escarpment, woodland, forest, cliff tops & sea that is encountered on this long distance footpath.

My first encounter of the CW was when I was 15, it was 1973 and my dad Arthur and I spent 10 days on a camping/backpacking trip exploring and photographing it, memories of this adventure are now few and I have not been able to locate any of the photos that we took. So it was time to refresh memories and re-visit the CW, this time alone. 

Hours were spent researching trying to establish the whereabouts of camp-sites and shops for food and water etc. Google and other peoples blogs helped along with pouring over maps and even reading the original 1972 guide book by Bill Cowley.

 I even pinned the original 1970 Ordnance Survey 'One Inch to One Mile' North York Moors Tourist Map up on the bedroom wall to aid with the planning. 

I had a target of six days, or five and two half days to be exact, to complete the CW. The plan was to walk 10 miles on the first day, which would also include the travelling time to and from Yorkshire, then I would have to average 18 miles a day for five days, leaving a 10 mile walk to finish and then travel home on the last day.

I had to travel 'light' as I knew the moors and cliffs of North Yorkshire would be no easy stroll and be as self sufficient as possible so I wouldn't be constrained to stopping at camp-sites, I could camp wild if necessary. 

I also didn't want to resorting to buying any new or expensive equipment, I already had some good kit although it was getting old so things like the 'trusty old' Saunders Jet Packer Tent were resurrected from the loft cleaned and re-proofed.  

The only thing I did indulge in was a new rucksack, a Karrimor Panther 65, which turned out to be a great investment, the quality of the materials, stitching, webbing and buckles seemed to be equal to that of rucksacks of up to twice the price and once I had got the adjustable back system set to suit me it carried the load superbly and I never gave the rucksack a second thought throughout my trip, which is always a good sign of a good piece of equipment

So equipment was selected weighed and reviewed some discarded then weighed and reviewed again the target was to get the 'dry' weight down to 10kgs then with food and water I shouldn't exceed 15kgs.

Equipment Weight List

The adventure started for me with the train journey, it feels like you are about to do something special if you catch a train, feelings that are probably deeply routed from my childhood when holidays always started with a train ride, there is always something special for me in catching a train. 

York Railway Station

A return ticket from Blackburn to Malton was £30.80, which I thought reasonable and and from there it was a bus ride to Helmsley. Malton was a very interesting country market town well worth a return visit but with no time to explore because my onward journey was by bus, it was a very scenic bus ride (£4.50) through beautiful countryside and pretty villages an hamlets.

and so I finally arrived at Helmsley, ready to start.... (see Cleveland Way Day 1)

Cleveland Way - Day 1

Helmsley to Hamleton Inn (Sutton Bank) via Rievaulx Abbey - 10 miles.


Alighting off the bus at Helmsley Square I was disappointed to see the throngs of people and cars all clogging the market square, it was a Tuesday afternoon in September, the school holidays were over and I had expected to find a quiet market town. All chances of a photograph of the square and the Feversham Memorial were spoilt, however a quick look down some of the backstreet's  revealed just what a pretty place Helmsley is.

The stream that runs through Helmsley

It had been a beautiful morning, cloudless skies had made the train journey over the Pennines and across the Yorkshire Plain very pleasant and boded well for the start of the walk, however clouds were now building.

All Saints Parish Church Helmsley

There were so many things to see, I knew that inside Helmsley All Saints Church there were some interesting murals, which included a 6 metre long dragon and a copy of the painting 'Veronica's Handkerchief' and then there was the 900 year old Helmsley Castle

Helmsley Castle

but time was getting on and I was itching to get started on the walk. I made my way to the start passing this garden on the way.

I guessed that the yellow bike was celebrating the recent visit of Le Tour de France to Yorkshire and the lady in the period costume on the right remembering the 100 years since the start of the Great War of 1914-18 but I wasn't sure about the guy in the middle maybe he was just a 'common or garden' scarecrow.



Then finally after weeks of planning I made my first steps towards Filey

Start of The Cleveland Way at Helmsley

It's a long gentle climb out of Helmsley across the fields towards Rievaulx with some nice views of Helmsley if you take the trouble to look back. I pondered on my journey ahead and the fact that ultimately I had a train to catch that was 6 days and 109 miles away and the idea of a blog title came to mind;

"You Have Only 6 Days, 3 Hours and 17 Minutes, To Catch A Train" 

I laughed to my self because it sounded like the famous line from the Flash Gordon Movie;

 "Flash, Flash I love you but we have only 14 hours to save the Earth"

Common sense obviously prevailed, it was not a very descriptive title for anyone searching the internet looking for information on the CW.

I had planned on a small detour to look at Rievaulx Abbey along the way and hopefully get some photos but from a photographic point of view the lighting wasn't very good.

Rievaulx Abbey

However it was well worth the detour the impressive remains are set in a tranquil valley and a pretty hamlet.

Rather than retrace my steps back along the road I opted to walk over the fields to Bow Bridge, cross the river and return to the CW through the woods.

I pressed on to the next village Cold Kirby and on route passed literally thousands of game birds obviously being bred and fed for 'the glorious 12th', as it was now September I could only think that these were the lucky ones, so far!

Cold Kirby

I didn't see a soul as I walked through the village everybody must have been indoors the only welcome being a stand at the side of the main street selling home-made flapjacks.

The lack of people and the dark late afternoon skies only added to the feeling of 'it's getting late' so my thoughts started to turn towards 'were was I going to spend the night'. My original plan was to get to at least Sutton Bank giving me the option of camping at The Hambleton Inn. 

I arrived there just before 6:00pm and the door was closed so I decided to carry on to the next point of interest i.e. the White Horse of Kilburn but after arriving at Sutton Bank escarpment and realising that the chances of getting any photos were now over for the day and the thought of a very long and lonely night camping wild I hastily beat a retreat back to the pub. On arrival the front door was now open and very welcoming, inside the landlord who is accustomed to Cleveland 'Wayers' was very hospitable and said that I was more than welcome to pitch on the lawn at the rear of the pub and if I was coming in for a bite to eat there would be no charge for camping, 'that seemed fair enough'.

I went outside, pitched the tent, sorted my sleeping bag & mat out then went straight back into the pub where I indulged in a couple of pints of Theakstons, then Breast of Chicken wrapped in Bacon, served with Creamed Mash & a White Wine Leek & Bacon Cream Sauce with Side Veg. for £13.95. It had been a long day and by 9:00pm I was ready for bed, there had been a couple of guys and a dog sat in the corner and when I went outside they were pitching their tents in the dark. They were also doing the CW and after a brief chat we all retired, little did we all realise at this stage that it was going to be the start of a friendship and 'The Adventure of Three Men and a Dog'.  I slept soundly until 6:00am when the noise of traffic speeding along the A170 woke me up.

Cleveland Way - Day 2

Hambleton Inn (Sutton Bank) to Lordstones (Carlton Bank) - 19 miles 
(plus an extra 2 miles to visit the White Horse, Total 21 miles)

I awoke early morning to cold thick wet fog, the tent was soaked and being so tiny every time I turned in the night I brushed the tent sides which wet my sleeping bag. I warmed up some porridge and made a filter coffee, proper coffee being one of the luxuries I won't be without even when camping, these days it takes a good shot of caffeine to fire up the old engine in a morning. 

While eating breakfast and packing I chatted to the guys I had met the previous evening, they were planning to go to Osmotherly that day a distance of about 12 miles. They were not detouring to see the White Horse at Kilburn so when I was ready for setting off at 7:30am I said "goodbye, you never know we might meet up later".

As I got to Sutton Bank the fog started to lift and the first point of interest was the Yorkshire Gliding Club, it is quite spectacular when the gliders literally go over your head and over the escarpment but unfortunately it was too early for anything to be taking off.

Interestingly Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia in 1930, had been a club member . 

She died in 1941 and mystery still surrounds her death, the reason remains a government secret, one report says she was flying from Blackpool to RAF Kidlington and went off course in adverse weather conditions, reportedly out of fuel she bailed out as her aircraft crashed into the River Thames Estuary, Lieutenant Commander Walter Fletcher of the HMS Haslemere spotted her parachute coming down and saw her alive in the water, he dived into the water in an attempt to rescue her, however conditions were poor with heavy seas, a strong tide, falling snow and it was intensely cold, he failed and died of exposure after the attempt and her body was never recovered. 

However the crew had reported seeing a man and a woman in the water and said it was the man that the Commander had tried to rescue, later the Ministry of Aircraft Production issued a statement saying 'that there was no passenger with her'.

Another twist came in 1999, Tom Mitchell an ex gunner claimed to have shot down the plane after Amy had failed to give the right identification code, which was changed daily so ground forces knew which aircraft were British. Apparently she failed to give the code twice and was shot down as an enemy aircraft. 


Just a bit further on from the glider club is the White Horse of Kilburn and the CW brings you to the head of the horse.

This didn't really provide a good view so I opted to go down to the bottom to try and get a better photo.

Unfortunately from the bottom you can't see it's head!

and of course you have to climb back up to return to the CW. With a 15kg rucksack on your back and 20 miles still to walk it's not really a good way to start the day. So with not much chance of a flight in a glider to photograph the White Horse from above I have resorted to Google Maps for an image. (Dragging the image down also allows you to see the proximity of the glider club).




The horse was the work in 1857 of Thomas Taylor, headmaster of the local school, his pupils marked out the figure and 31 volunteers spread 6 tons of limestone on it to whiten it. 

After my detour to see the White Horse I began to make my way back to Sutton Bank and it's impressive escarpments. 

Sutton Bank in the mist.

I was now however hungry and thoughts turned towards the National Park Visitors Centre and breakfast No.2

By the time I arrived it was 9:30 and the 'big fancy' National Park Centre was not yet open, so no food!!!  I couldn't help but think that a 'butty van' on the main road would have provided a better service. I managed to find an outside tap and filled up with water and I carried on with my walk. 

I was disappointed with the dull and murky weather conditions, I was hoping to get some photographs along this stunning section of the CW. James Herriot wrote that 'Sutton Bank has the finest view in England’ and a sign confirms this. I should have been able to look out over the Vale of Mowbray and the Vale of York and beyond to The Pennines but due to the mist I couldn't .

There is a good view of Gormire Lake, one of the few natural lakes in Yorkshire, and the result of glacial activity.

There are several tales in folklore about the lake, one being that it is bottomless another that it hides a lost village in its depths, there is also a story of a witch who was being chased across the moor and upon reaching the cliffs jumped into the lake and eventually emerged in a well nine miles away! Another tale concerns a goose that was dropped from the cliffs into the lake, it supposedly emerged featherless in Kirkbymoorside 12 miles away!

However not connected to tales of folklore was this sad memorial.

The path underfoot was good so, enough of photography, I decided to make up for 'lost time' and set off  'tabbing', and pondered whether I might catch up with the guys I had camped with last night.

So I marched on to the moor where the heather was beautiful

The day was now starting to brighten and my hunger pangs could no longer be ignored. 

So with the sun just breaking through the misty clouds I decided to stop and dry my sleeping bag and warm up some instant spicy noodles. After all an army marches on its stomach as quoted by; 'Napoleon Bonaparte, or Frederick the Great of Prussia, or Claudius Galen, chief physician of the Roman Army', anyhow who am I to argue, it's true.

In the breeze and the sun my sleeping bag quickly dried and I wolfed down my scran and set off again. 

To top off this military feel to my thoughts, overhead passed a Lancaster bomber, .

VERA

It was the Canadian Lancaster Bomber 'Vera',  nicknamed Vera because of her registration VR-A, she is one of only two remaining Lancasters that are still airworthy. Vera was probably on a test flight out of RAF Coningsby after having suffered problems on engine No.4 while on her 60 venue tour of the UK.

The Lancasters are most famous for the Dambuster Raid. This was carried out by 133 airmen of 617 Squadron in 19 Lancasters, 8 aircarft were lost, many of which were flown at just 60ft above the ground, it was a desperate bid to smash Nazi Germany’s war efforts by flooding much of its industrial heartland.

Sadly 56 flyers did not return from the mission – 53 were killed while three were captured – and as many as 1,300 people on the ground died in the floods and devastation that followed the bombing runs.

Despite the desperate loss of life the mission was hailed a huge success.



I pressed on to Osmotherley and on arrival enjoyed the way the path cut through the village along narrow passageways and a ginnal, I took care to adhere to the order.

Osmotherley

I had a quick look round and took a few photos, went into the village shop and bought a bottle of water, a banana and a small bar of chocolate, I am sure the lady was pleased she had stayed open. 

I decided to press on with 7 miles still to go. I was begining to wonder if I would catch-up with the guys I had left this morning they must have charged along to be still in front of me, little did I know that they were sat in a cafe eating a meal while watching me run up & down taking photos and shopping. 

It was a tough climb out of Osmotherley and on to Scarth Wood Moor past a large telecommunications facility but it afforded fine views

Scarth Wood Moor

The path then descended off the moor and into Clain Wood where I came across a memorial to Bill Cowley

The author of the original guide book that me and my dad had used all those years ago and I had used as a reference when planning this trip, he was also the creator of the Lyke Wake Walk.

After Clain Wood it was a another tough climb up Knolls End and onto Round Hill

Looking back at Clain Wood from Round Hill

The moor seemed to go on forever and it was tough going but somewhere over Carlton Moor was my destination and camp-site for the night at Lordstones.

I arrived at 6:00pm and the camp-site was empty so I went into the building to enquire about camping, it was a restaurant with a bar in the middle of nowhere, and an oasis for one very tired Cleveland Wayer. I was shown to my pitch by a waiter dressed very smartly who than asked me would I like to make a dinner reservation! I replied I would, just give me time to pitch the tent and have a shower. 


I got the tent up and went for a shower in a very palatial shower block, I got undressed and was amazed to find an enormous blister on my heel

The alien in my shoe!

I have a lot of hard skin on my heels from doing long distance running and the blister had formed underneath and I was totally oblivious to it. I popped it applied some Savlon and it never bothered me for the rest of the CW, a lucky escape.


Tent pitched, me showered and blister sorted, I made my way down to the 'restaurant' and bumped into three guys just arriving, the two from last night with their dog and a German that they had collected on the way, he was walking the 'Coast to Coast' path which joins the CW for a few miles at this point. I asked if they would be going down to the bar for a drink later and they said yes.

I had dinner on my own, I opted for the The Beltie Burger a home-made char-grilled beef burger served with dry-cured Yorkshire bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, caramelised onions all on a toasted brioche bun with fries. It was excellent quality and at £10.95 in a restaurant with waiter service I thought it represented the very best value for money and I will definitely return here one-day.

I left the dinning room and went back to the bar to join the other guys for a drink, everybody was tired and we didn't stay up drinking very long.

Cleveland Way - Day 3

Lordstones (Carlton Bank) to Margrove Park (Guisborough) - 20miles

I woke up this morning to wet foggy conditions again, however it was bright and you could tell that it was only a question of time before the sun broke through. I had intended to take a photograph of every camp I stayed at, but at the first camp  I had been deterred by the thick fog so I took one at this the second camp. 

At Lordstones I took the opportunity to pitch the tent close to trees and an unoccupied bell tent for shelter.

 
After an excellent dinner at Lordstones the night before (best on the CW) and after a few beers with Ulli, Gary & Dean we decided we would take the opportunity of having a Full English Breakfast at Lordstones cafe before setting off on the next stage of the walk.

The name “Lord Stones” comes from the three ancient boundary stones which sit on top of a Bronze Age Tumulus, these stones marked the meeting point of the three boundaries of land owned by; Lord Duncan, Lord Dudley De L’Isle and Lord Wharton.

The breakfast was excellent, huge and we had ordered coffees with the it and after we had finished these the staff gave us a jug of coffee free gratis. All this food and coffee contributed to slowing down the pace of my growing band of trekkers (now an international team) for at least the first 3 miles that morning 

'Team Blue' limbering up at Lordstones an oasis on the CW

Ulli the German, Gary, Dean and Monty preparing for the day ahead. Another tough day lay ahead of us but at this stage little did we realise just how tough and long it would be.

Ulli, getting towards the end of the C2C, was having an easy day so we said our goodbyes and set off walking. I said "I think it's this way" but Dean was quite adamant it was the other way, so off we set in his direction. Five minutes later, after walking out of the camp-site and right around the back, we were in front off the cafe and Ulli again. Ulli must have pondered on how they had ever lost the war.

I remembered Dean & Gary saying last night that they had got lost on both the first & the second day, so after today's false start I secretly vowed to take charge of all future navigational decisions. 

Dean & Monty fully loaded on the first climb of the day

The mist had cleared, the sun was out and already the morning was hot and humid. 

View from Kirby Bank

In the first 3 miles I knew there was going to be four tough climbs and three steep descent.

View from Cringle Moor

In my post  'Introduction & Planning to the CW'  I described how I had kept weighing and reviewing my kit in order to get my overall pack weight down to under 15 kgs.  

Yellow Leader - 15kgs v 20kgs

Note how my light, small, 15kgs rucksack is hidden behind me compared to Dean's 20+kgs rucksack below! Dean had chosen to carry a few luxuries, gallons of water and a few days supply of dog food and had easily exceeded 20 kgs. However Dean is built like the proverbial outhouse and carried the load, that would have brought lesser men to their knees, very well. 

Lightweight Dean

The plaque was placed there by the Holiday Fellowship, a co-operative society founded in 1913 with the objective of "organising holiday-making, to promote the healthy enjoyment of leisure, to encourage the love of the outdoors and to promote social and international friendship". (Quite appropriate)

It reads:

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

It reminded me of my dads favourite quote when on walks; 

"Leave nothing but footprints take nothing but photos"

Dean & Monty

Monty was starting to  develop a bit of a cough and Dean was beginning to get concerned about him. 

Looking at Broughton Bank and what lies ahead! 

Eventually we arrived at Wainstones, the first 'milestone' of the day 

Wainstones

Looking back from Wainstones along the CW

Monty, Dean & Gary negotiate Wainstones

Looking back again from Wainstones

View over Clay Bank to Carr Ridge

I had caught up with a Canadian guy who was walking the 'Coast to Coast'  and was a professor in molecular chemistry for a large multinational chemical company manufacturing fertilisers and pesticides. He also lectured at Quebec University, I had a fascinating and enlightening conversation with him about bio and chemical pesticides.

I also asked what was the attraction of the C2C,  he gave a very similar answer to Ulli that there are not many walks that will let you go from one ocean to another while passing through three National Parks and only crossing two motorways and all in just two weeks.

A good view of Roseberry Topping or 'The Yorkshire Matterhorn'

Monty on the descent to Clay Bank

On arriving at the road crossing at Clay Bank we came across this advert and virtually ran the 150 yds. down the road. Unfortunately this oasis turned out to be a mirage, the car park was empty 'The Ration Pod' was nowhere to be seen and definitely not Bacon Butties or Yorkshire Tea. We quietly walked back up the road in single file even Monty's tail was down.

The Ration Pod

Dean & Monty climb Carr Ridge with Gary in the distance

The day was hot so we decided to have some lunch at the top of Carr Ridge. While we were eating Ulli caught us up and from here walked with us.

Looking back at Hasty Bank

First one up for lunch is Monty (after me!)

Monty Climbs

What Monty can't see, and so is oblivious to, is Roseberry Topping. RT is in the distance, it's a long way off and it will be later today before we get there!





After lunch we look across at Greenhow Bank we will be walking along that later but in the opposite direction because in effect we are walking a big horseshoe.

The long and winding road

Looking back along the route we have taken today the weather is still sunny and warm, however looking south-west across the moor towards Bilsdale Mast the skies are starting to look stormy.

Bilsdale Transmitter from Round Hill

At Blowith Crossing we part company with Ulli, this is where the CW and the C2C divide. It was a pity we had to part company with Ulli he was a great guy, easy to make friends with and well up for a bit of northern (English) banter. We were sorry to see him go.

Greenhow Bottom

Time was getting on and the original plan made this morning over 'The Full English' was to make camp at Margove Park, just past Guisborough. Dean had deposited some food supplies for Monty a few days earlier to cut down on the weight both he and Monty had to carry, so we pressed on.

Then we got our first view of Captain Cooks Monument and another glimpse of Roseberry Topping both still to be achieved before Margrove and time was getting late.





Just enough time though to give Monty a bowl of biscuits. We estimated that we were 2 miles from Kildale and 9 miles from Margrove, if we could get at least water and if possible something to eat we then would have the option of either pressing on to Margrove or camping wild near Roseberry if it went dark ,which it would.

Monty's Pit Stop

Looking right back along todays walk you could see all the Cleveland Banks we had crossed over.

Ewe eye view

As we dropped down into Kildale I couldn't resist the opportunity of yet another photograph.




In the sleepy near deserted village of Kildale a lady with a young child kindly agreed to fill all our water bottles, over 10 litres in total, and so off we set.


The track slopes up to Captain Cooks Monument and by the time we had made it there the sun was getting ready to set.  

The monument is inscribed to "The celebrated circumnavigator Captain James Cook, F.R.S. A man in nautical knowledge inferior to none, in zeal, prudence and energy superior to most". An 18th century farm labourer's son from Marton, who went to school in Ayton and became a Captain in the Royal Navy and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He went from Easby Moor to Australia, New Zealand and the scattered islands of the vast Pacific Ocean" It was a profound statement and kind of put our little adventure into perspective!

Captain Cooks Monument

We stopped briefly to put on some more clothing as it was starting to feel cold and then we marched on toward Roseberry Topping. 

I had been looking forward to climbing Roseberry Topping. I could just vaguely remember climbing it with my father and having to run back up because we had left a camera lens behind and oddly, we found a tin of carrots tucked into a stone wall at the bottom, which we took with us and added it to our evening meal at camp that evening. 

However on arriving where the out and back leg for the climb and descent of Roseberry Topping starts, it was dark, it would have been pointless and time consuming to climb it with nothing to see at the top. I was tempted to suggest we camp overnight and climb it in the morning but Dean was keen to get to Margrove that evening where he knew a good pub so common sense prevailed, or was it that the temptation of a pint was greater, we carried on. 

It was about 4 miles to Margrove across Hutton Moor and then down through Guisborough Woods and by now we were walking with our head torches on. After crossing the moor and while descending through the woods we must have past a CW sign, we were now lost.

It was the use of Deans GPS mapping that allowed us to tell, that even though we were in the wrong part of the forest, we were at least on a track that was heading in the right direction. 

I knew it was a big forest and in the dark the track seemed to go on for miles, in places it was wide and good underfoot but at times it narrowed to single track and was very muddy but eventually we climbed back up on to the CW and dropped down onto the road. 

We arrived at The Fox & Hounds at 'last-orders', kicked off our muddy boots went inside and ordered six pints of bitter and six packets of crisps (between us of course) we went back outside and sat there in the cold and the dark drinking beer, never has a pint tasted so good! We left the pub and walked about a mile up the road to our camp-site, fortunately Dean when leaving some food there for Monty had enquired about camping and had been shown where we could pitch tents. We set up camp, cooked a pasta dinner at midnight and went to bed, another long, but enjoyable day, on the CW!