dossier

The Cleveland Way

General Information

Duration of tour: 12 days (11 nights)

Season:  April  - October.

Starting point: Helmsley (North Yorkshire)         

End of tour:  Filey (North Yorkshire)

Breakfast: in the UK will generally consist of sausage, bacon, eggs etc, cereals and fruit will also be available. It is important for you to tell us if you have any dietary requirements when you book your holiday so that we can inform everyone that you are staying with.

Baths: it is not normal for your room to have a bath, the main reason being that it takes up a lot of space, some hotels/guesthouses may have a separate room in the house where a bath is available to guests, but in the main it is showers.

Single Supplements: are payable on most of our tours. The single supplement guarantees the privacy of your own room, however, rooms can at times be small and in some places may not enjoy the same facilities as double/twin rooms.

Luggage: When staying in hotels, sometimes your luggage may have been taken to you room awaiting your arrival. However don’t be surprised if your luggage is waiting for you to take it up to your room.

Getting to the Start and from the Finish

Arriving and departing by train: Helmsley at the start of the route has no railway station. The nearest is at Malton  16 miles away which is the most convenient because  it links  with a reasonable bus  service  to Helmsley, followed by a  short walk  to the  accommodation.

There is also Thirsk  railway station 17 miles away which has a more limited bus service.

At the end of the tour you can leave from either Filey Railway station  or from Scarborough, which has good connections  with London via York. For details  of timings and connections go to www.raileurope.com or call Rail Europe on 1-800-848-7245.

Arriving  and departing by bus: Bus to Helmsley  from Malton via Pickering , Middlesborough, Thirsk and York (limited days only).  There are also services  from Filey back to Scarborough.

Most Convenient International Airport:

London

Outward journey from London: Intercity trains from Kings Cross to Scarborough (via York). Then Bus to Helmsley and a short walk to  your Hotel.

Inward journey to London at the end of the tour: Bus / Taxi/train from Filey to Scarborough. Then train to London changing at York.

Grading

Moderate. Not particularly long days but some steep climbs and  descents. Generally however undulating. Mixed weather can be expected. We would not recommend the route for first time walkers.

Waymarking

This is a ‘National Trail’ and thus uses the traditional white acorn waymark on gates and wooden posts. These are more erratic along the coastal sections. You should however be prepared to use map interpretation, especially at times of low visibility, so you should be accustomed to using both map and compass.

Your Accommodation

Below is described the normal accommodation that we use on this tour. At the time of booking please be aware that other places might be used instead if these choices are full or closed for whatever reason.

Night 1: At Helmsley our hotel is located in the market place. This fine country inn is formed of two buildings  which are local landmarks. It is renowned throughout the area for its culinary delights and fine selection of wine and beers.

Night 2:  At Kilburn the hotel is owned and run by a retired Major in the British Army and his son, who has significant knowledge and a number of years working in the catering industry.

Night 3:  At Osmotherley we use a large, old stone guesthouse that has attracted very favorable comments in the past. A friendly welcome is offered and all rooms are ensuite, clean and spacious. This is close to the center of this pretty village on the edge of the National Park.

Night 4:  At Clay Bank Top our comfortable licensed guesthouse is in the tiny hamlet of Urra right on the edge of Urra Moor. Good home cooking is available using fresh, local ingredients wherever possible.

Night 5: At Great Ayton our hotel has been in the same family since 1978. This 18^th Century rural hostelry is at the heart of the village. Original features include the beamed ceilings and welcoming log fires, which add to the charm and character of this traditional inn.

Night  6:  At Saltburn our family run guesthouse located in the picturesque Victoria seaside resort of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, situated only a few hundred yards from the beach. This is the only guesthouse in Saltburn to hold a 4* award from “Visit Britain Quality in Tourism”.

Night 7: At Rusnwick Bay our large detached stone built family run guesthouse is situated in this picturesque coastal village. This enviable position offers the quietness of a quaint old-fashioned fishing village with a beautiful sandy bay complete with rock pools and possibilities for fossil hunting.

Night 8: At Whitby our guesthouse is centrally situated in possibly one of the best positions on Whitby’s West Cliff having superb sea and abbey views. It is only minutes away from the whalebone arch; the beaches; the old town via the swing bridge and all shopping.

Night 9:  At Robin Hood Bay our accommodation was built in 1892 as a lodging house, the first of its kind, at the top of Bay Bank. This Victorian property has been lovingly resorted retaining all its original features such as servant bells, original cast iron fireplaces in all bedrooms and a cast iron range in the kitchen. To retain the character of the house there are no ensuite facilities, however there are 2 bathrooms and a separate toilet for guest use.

Night 10:  In Scarborough we try to use a beautifully restored Windmill offering quality accommodation based around a cobbled courtyard. The 200-year-old Windmill helps to set the atmosphere of a truly unique and pleasant place to stay. The hotel has many unique features including a fascinating toy museum housing a collection of contemporary toys from the 1960’s to the present day. Based only minutes from the center of this splendid seaside resort.

Night 11:  At Filey our guesthouse in situated 100 yards from the crescent gardens which overlook 5 miles of award winning beach which forms Filey Bay.

Outline Itinerary

Note that  daily distances walked  will vary slightly according to the  actual locations of hotels and any walking deviations made during the  walks (e.g to Abbeys etc.)

Day 1  Arrive in Helmsley and settle into this attractive old market town. Visit the ruins of the cast keep with echoes of the English Civil War in 1644. There are a couple of nice pubs for your evening activities!

Day 2  Helmsley to Kilburn 11 miles. Head out of Helmsley on this easy section across the wooded Rye Valley, then ascend gently up to the Tabular Hills and onto the great viewpoint at Sutton Bank, with views to a Victorian chalk horse carved into the hillside. Enroute you can visit the famous 12^th century Rievaulx abbey (entry fee not included). This is a 1 mile round trip detour.

Day 3  Kilburn to Osmotherley 11 miles. Today is more or less level walking along the escarpment of the Hambleton Hills with views over the vale of York. The walk follows an ancient cattle drover’s road – The Hambleton Drove Road – to the old market and mining village of Osmotherley with (remodeled) 15^th century church with some 12^th century Scandinavian carvings.

Day 4  Osmotherley to Clay Bank Top 11 miles. After the warm up of the last couple of days, hopefully now you will be fit enough to enjoy what most people would claim to be the hardest day of the entire route, as you are ascending and descending over a succession of moors to Clay Bank Top. The views in reasonable weather are extensive. The Coast-to-Coast shares this day and it is a roller coaster ride of a walk up and down beside the crags of Cringle Moor and the famous Wainstones (no relation to Wainwright)! Arriving at Clay Bank Top, note that your accommodation will be a bit off route here!

Day 5  Clay Bank Top to Great Ayton 13 miles. Start the day with a steep ascent up onto Urra Moor and the highest point of the journey at Round Hill 454m. You are now walking on exposed high moorland, following the line of the disused Ironstone railway line and drovers roads, with many ancient features, such as boundary stones, tumuli and cock pits before descending to cross the remote hamlet and railway station at Kildale. Ascend again, passing the Captain Cook memorial. Your accommodation is in the Great Ayton area off route, so your final distance today will vary somewhat.

Day 6  Great Ayton to Saltburn 11 miles. The walk continues through forests with a diversion to “Rosberry Topping” – no, not some old English dessert but an outlying craggy hill – perhaps the supreme symbol of the Cleveland Way! It is a steep climb, but the views on a clear day are of course outstanding. The train follows more moorlands and then through the Guisborough woods and steeply down to Slapewath, an area of old mineral workings. Perhaps fortify yourself with a pint here before continuing the last 4.5 miles to Saltburn-by-the-Sea; an old fishing village; cum small Victorian seaside resort that was once famed for salt making and smuggling! The whole nature of the walk changes from here as you head off along the coast.

Day 7  Saltburn to Runswick Bay 12 miles. Walk along successive dramatic cliffs, past the highest point on the English East coast at “Rock Cliff” near Boulby. Highlight of the walk today is perhaps, however the beautiful little fishing village of Staithes, (pron Stairs). The little fishing boats at the Quay are called Cobles and they still set out to undertake this dangerous activity. Captain Cook served his apprenticeship in a shop on the seafront which has long ago, been stolen by the sea! The trail continues onto the red roofed attractive village of Runswick Bay, by the Jurassic shale cliffs, a fossil hunter’s paradise!

Day 8  Runswick Bay to Whitby Bay 8 miles. Quite a short day to give you the chance to have a good look round Whitby Bay. From Runswick, there is another section of cliffs before reaching Sandsend, from where you walk along above the beach to Whitby Bay. This red roofed town grew rich especially between 1750 and 1850 on fishing, whaling, Jet mining and shipbuilding. Whitby is also famous for its Abbey ruins and for Count Dracula (There is a Dracular Trail in the town). We would recommend that of all the places on this route, you have a fish supper here!  

Day 9  Whitby Bay to Robin Hood’s Bay 7 miles. The shortest day, giving you the opportunity to leave Whitby late, and have plenty of time in Robin Hood Bay. The climb out of Whitby Bay involves 199 steps and takes you up to the old abbey ruins, and to St Mary’s church with its boat deck construction inside. The trail then follows the coastal cliffs once more, with good bird life, depending on the time of year! You then rejoin the Coast-to-Coast trail for the last few miles into Robin Hood Bay. This little places drops steeply down to the sea and the Bay Hotel is a good place to sit with a beer on the ocean terrace, watching the sea and all those people celebrating that have just completed the Coast to Coast walk.

Day 10  Robin Hood Bay to Scarborough 14 miles. After a couple of easy days, you now have quite a long one to the seaside resort of Scarborough, certainly the largest settlement that you will visit on this tour! The route goes past the planned for but abandoned resort of Ravenscar where the Victorian street layouts can be detected where the grass has receded. At nearly 200 metres high, you will get possibly the most beautiful view of the Yorkshire coast from here. You then follow the cliffs gradually descending into Scarborough with its 2 sandy bays, its castle remains on a headland and chances for swimming, ice cream etc. This is said to be the first English seaside resort, having long been associated with spring waters from the 1600s.

Day 11  Scarborough to Filey 11 miles. The last romp along behind Cayton Sands and then along the cliffs again to the calcareous grit stone promontory at Filey Brigg (also a nature reserve). If It is low tide, you can march across the sands to finish at Filey, otherwise you need to retrace your steps to get round to this pleasant fishing/resort town.

Day 12  Depart Filey after breakfast.

PLEASE NOTE: It is generally normal practice when staying in hotels that you check-in on or after 2pm and checkout by 10am the following morning. Guesthouses/bed & breakfast establishments are normally check-in on or after 4pm and checkout by 10am.

Included

Bed  & Breakfast throughout. Ensuite facilities where available. Luggage transfers from Inn to Inn. Full route notes and map package.

Extending Your Tour

It is possible to shorten a long walking day by adding in an extra night enroute. If this is something you are interested in doing then please correspond with a member of staff and they will be happy to advise you.