CLEVELAND HUNDRED

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

The following notes are a brief description of the route and are intended to supplement the relevant O.S. maps.

You are asked to respect the privacy and the property of persons living in the area. Take special care not to disturb people or farm animals during, the hours of darkness. Honour the Country Code and remember that some parts of the route are not on public rights of way. The Organisers (the LDWA) have been Granted special permission for the purposes of this walk. Please take care not to damage walls or fences… there are gates.

Bearings are compass (magnetic) figures in bracket after 'checkpoints' indicate mileage from start. TL - turn left etc.

START (028888) Woodlands Ravine/Manor Road. Take exit path in the NNW corner. Cross the Woodlands Ravine road enter the allotments and turn right after 50 yards TL to join path along old railway line. Continue along path passing under footbridge. Bear L following the path. 1½m from the start path crosses Scalby Beck on the former railway viaduct. Follow path by the side of the old people's homes Chicester Way. Cross Station Road take road leading to housing estate. After 100 yards take right fork and follow this road to the bungalow at the end; path continues round the back of this and returns to the railway path. Continue along this for 1m then cross Burniston Beck. After 100 yards cross the A165 and descend concrete steps and return to railway path. Continue on this path for a further 6m to RAVENSCAR CHECKPOINT ONE (8½m) 985013

Continue W along Station Road as far as the entrance to the Raven Hall Hotel. Take the footpath to the L 'Coast Path' continue down the hill NOT entering the gate to the riding stables. Join the path at the bottom of the hill in the direction of Robin Hoods Bay. In 'The Bay' take the road up through the village as far as the car park on the site of the old railway station. The coast path sign points to the right... the road runs parallel to the former railway track. Continue on the cliff path in the direction of Whitby. In Whitby the path is on the right-hand side of the Coastguard Station and the Abbey. Descend through the Abbey car park and the famous 199 steps. At the bottom TL and after reaching the A171 TR and cross the swing bridge. TR and make way to the sea front. Either walk along the beach or road as far as Sandsend. The checkpoint is at the very end where a flight of wooden steps climbs up to the old railway station. SANDSEND CHECKPOINT TWO (21m) 859131

Follow the cliff path as far as the entrance to the railway tunnel. DO NOT ENTER climb up the bank to L and continue on cliff path. Take care at the at the steep decent to the beach at Hob Holes. Continue along the sands as far as the houses in Runswick Bay. Take the tarmac road into the village to upper car park and RUNSWICK BAY CHECKPOINT THREE (26m) 808162

Follow cliff path as far as Staithes. Descend into the village and cross beck by footbridge. TL and follow road up hill and into Cowbar Lane. Look for radio transmitting mast ahead... this is the next check. Where road is quite close to the two tall chimneys of the potash mine a path continues straight on while road swings to the left. Take path across fields. Where the path comes near to the houses it meets a tarmac road. Take either the first or second road on the left (bearing 226) when this joins the road up the hill TR (bearing 300) check: is on the RHS of the road just beyond the radio mast. CHECKPOINT FOUR STREET HOUSES (30m) 747193

Continue on minor road, at fork bear left for Loftus. In Loftus TR on the A174 for Saltburn. This road after 2½m at Brotton turns sharp R (bearing 336). After ½m road turns L under railway. At this point carry straight on over level-crossing. After further ½m beyond farm buildings path turns through 90 (bearing now 262). Continue on this bearing into SALTBURN and CHECKPOINT FIVE (35m) 670215

Route continues through the Italian garden to Skelton then up to Airy Hill Farm... Leave checkpoint by footpath as shown. Keep the back on RHS cross the beck at the Second bridge (Flagged). Now keep the beck on the LHS of the path, follow the beck and pass under the viaduct. Follow the footpath up to field gate leading to minor road into housing estate. Minor rood loops first left and then right to meet main road (road is on a bus route) TL at bus shelter to meet main street of Skelton village. Cross Main Street and go up the steps facing (there may be an acorn sign at this point). This leads to a minor road at the top. TR for a few yards across road and go up ramp (another acorn). Pass through park on footpath to gate, cross road opposite old (former) school which is now a factory. Take well metalled track past Airy Hill Farm as far as the main road (A171) TL to near ICI petrol station SLAPEWATH BRIDGE CHECKPOINT SIX (41m) 643158

Take track on bearing 275 ½m then follow track round through LH half circle, after ¾m of this pick up track passing farm building. At this point pickup track on bearing 234 leading to Highcliffe Nab, passing through 90 it then leads to GRIBDALE GATE CHECKPOINT SEVEN (47m) 593110

Continue on track on track towards Captain Cooks monument turning L for ¼m and then follow path contouring round the hill until farm track is met after 1m. TR and follow this downhill until it passed under the railway end to the tarmac road. TR and after ¼m TL (bearing 156) and continue on the tarmac road for 2½m to BAYSDALE CHECKPOINT EIGHT (50¼m) 611070

Continue on the track to Tidy Brown Hill and then to Bloworth Crossing. Go straight across here climb the Forestry Commission Gate and continue down Rudland Rigg for a further 2m. Descend to Cow Sike on reaching road TS on a bearing of 178. Where the road forks and there is a PO letter box and a nearby call box take the right fork and continue down the road. (There is a gate to negotiate first) Pass Groat House Farm, the check is in the next build 200 yds on. BRANSDALE CHECKPOINT NINE (58¼m) 623963

Go on road to the bottom of the hill, cross the beck and continue up the other side to a farm directly ahead. (Low South Farm) The path goes through the farmyard to the right of the house. Take care to close the gate then carry on up the hillside following a half sunken cart track. Find the gate to pass through the stone wall on the right and reach the tarmac road. TL (S) along this road until one reaches the entrances to Bonfield Gill Farm. This is marked "Public Bridlewey to Bilsdale". Do not go right up to the house about 100 yards away after passing through a gap in the stone wall bear diagonally L across the pasture to find a wooden footbridge over the beck. Go straight up the hillside and cross ridge track. Carry on up the hill-side and after ½m on this bearing pick up track on moor top marked with a series of posts. Where these posts swing very definitely to the S take a bearing of 288. One has to track through heather here and it is best to aim directly for the TV mast ahead on Flat Howe. It has red lights on it at night and is over 1000' high. Once over the crest descend until one meets a strong wire fence Do not attempt to climb this but carry along it to the N until one meets a gate which is partially hidden by the remains of a broken drystone wal1. Follow the flags down the hill to the road and turn S for ¼m. TR down the steps to cross the footbridge over the beck. Check in here before continuing (?) into the village. FANGDALE BECK CHCKPOINT 10 (?m)

Leaving the village hall cross Fangdale Beck by the footbridge just below the hall - continue up past Malkin Bower TR (bearing 262) go up hill on sunken cart track. When on the moor top set compass bearing on 270 and make tracks across the moor for Thwaites. Straight on, Blow Gill Beck can be crossed at a point near GR 530940. Go up the hillside to the road and then proceed NW to the point 1m further on where there is a bridge over Wheat Beck. (This is at the bottom of a steep hill). Proceed through the gate. After about 50 yards the road swings sharp L. Take the sunken road on the R of the farm track. Go into the field where there is a gate in the top corner. Turn to the L and keeping close to the wall make a way up to the tractor route up the top of Arden Moor. Go straight up to the top of the hill. On reaching the moor road on the ridge TR and carry on a bearing initially of 278, changing to 188. The check is about ¾m S of WHITESTONES on the drove road. CHECKPOINT ELEVEN (70¼m) 492922

Continue S along the drove road as far as Snack Yate Bank. After another 2m arrive at Dialstone House. Transmitting mast is nearby. At the road junction turn L. Continue for ½m to COLD KIRBY CHECKPOINT TWELVE (77¼m) 530844

Go along the road TR on road by the church follow farm road round and descend into Nettledale. TR follow backside through wood. At road TL towards Helmsley and cross River Rye by hump-backed road bridge. After a further ½m the road turns sharp L and ascends a steep till. Take the track leading to the R opposite a Moors Path sign. Take this path into the centre of Helmsley. Leave the market place by the SE corner on the road leading to Thirsk. After 100 yards TL before the Thirsk road crosses the river. The road is now Ryegate. First TR into Southlands. Pass industrial buildings. When the road approaches the gas holder follow the fence round on LHS and join the track bed of the old railway. Bearing now 188. Continue for further 1m to reach stone bridge over railway blocked by heap of stones. Climb fence on RHS and find in the field RYE HOME FARM CHECKPOINT THIRTEEN (84m) 634822

Cross railway bridge and continue (bearing 76) as far as tarmac road. (Signboard Rye House Farm) TR along road and continue into Harome village. Bear R past the thatched Public House. At T-Junction along road sign posted Harome Siding after ¾m bear R to cross beck by road bridge - continue bearing 220 Continue past Harome Siding (North Eastern Railway Period Brick) straight on. Pass through gate into pasture and follow track which keeps to LH hedge. Pass through two gates to reach FB over River Rye. Cross and immediately TL keep close to river bank then climb slope to reach farm track marked as bridlepath leading past East Newton. On reaching tarmac road TR. After ¼m TR by GPO letter box on B1257 road towards Helmsley. After 100 yards TL before Laysthorpe Lodge. Pass down through farm yard and pass through two white gates TL and descend hill in track. After crossing beck on concrete bridge TL round the edge of cornfield Take bearing of 186. Keeping to the edge of the fields continue crossing the former railway by means of two gates. On reaching the tarmac road by the sign for Cawton TL and continue for ¼m to reach Spring Farm and CAWTON CHECKPOINT FOURTEEN (89m) 643766

Continue along fram track towards Hovingham. In Hovingham TR take road to Malton. After ½m look for turning on right at Wath and quarries. This is expected to be marked on the day. Proceed up this farm track to ridge then TL and continue along to road at; SLINGSBY BANK TOP CHECKPOINT FIFTEEN (94m) 704732

Cross road to track on ridge leading to gate into forest path. Follow ridge round keeping to the edge of the wood until you reach sunken track. TR here (bearing 194) and make way down to the tarmac road. Check is on the road verge near the entrance to Easthorpe House EASTHORPE CHECKPOINT SIXTEEN (96m) 737115

Follow the road down to enter Malton on Castle Howard Road. This joins the main A64. TL on this and soon left again on The Mount. Cross Middlecave Road, Mount Crescent soon leads to a junction: You want the third road on R – Pasture Lane. Keep the cemetery on the R and after ¼m is the finish at Malton Rugby Club. MALTON CHECKPOINT SEVENTEEN AND FINISH (100m) 788724

Peter Sleightholme Organising Secretery C/H Committee