Gormire Lake ~ Hard Walk

Distance Covered: 2.5 miles   Time to complete walk: 2 hours

Safety Tips: The return from Gormire Lake back up to Sutton Bank is a serious climb. Take in plenty of water and regular stops.
 

This walk starts at Sutton Bank and reaches a hidden lake, Gormire Lake. The journey back up from the lake is quite strenuous but worth the extra effort.

 

Gormire Lake

 



Getting There

 

 

Follow the A19 south until you reach the Thirsk turn off. Follow the road signposted to Sutton Bank which is the A170. Park at the Sutton Park National Park Visitor Centre which is where the walk starts. This is at the top of Sutton Bank.

 

 

Gormire Lake Walk Route

 



 

The Walk

 

 

Start the walk by crossing the picnic area and car park behind the Visitor Centre to the junction of a lane with the main road at the top of Sutton Bank. Cross the lane to a footpath opposite signed "Cleveland Way" and "Sneck Yate", which follows the top of Sutton Brow.

 

 

 

Statues at Visitor Centre

 





Initially in woodland, the path emerges onto more open heath which gives brilliant views across the Vale of Mowbray.

 

 





 

After about three quarters of a mile, the path loses height before turning right around the overgrown corner of a wall.

 

 

 

Views from the path

 





A little farther on, leave the Cleveland Way, going sharp left onto a descending bridleway, signed "Thirlby Bank".

 

 

View of Gormire Lake

 

 

After first falling across shrubby heath, the route soon drops into woodland, winding steeply down through the trees along the course of and old banked way. Ignore side paths until, eventually you reach a junction at the bottom of the hill by a three-fingered bridleway sign.

 

Turn left and then almost immediately fork right along a gently undulating track towards Gormire Lake. Keep left with the main path where it later splits again, soon arriving at the lake shore, which is a great spot for a picnic and if you're more daring even a swim...

 

 

Gormire Lake shore



 





After spending some time at the lake shore, look for a signpost a little farther on and turn from the waters edge to climb through the trees on a path signed to the National Park Centre.

 

 

Large boulder on path



 

The route to the top is steep. Drink plenty of water if your lucky to have hot weather. Over a stile part way up, keep on through the Garbutt Wood Nature Reserve to a fork. Go right, shortly passing a large isolated boulder at the edge of a clearing, Beyond, the gradient, having briefly eased, resumes its upward trend and there is a final stiff pull to the top of Sutton Bank Here you will rejoin the Cleveland Way. Turn right and follow it back to the visitor centre.

 

Sutton Bank

 

Sutton Bank, also known as Roulston Scar, is a hill in the Hambleton District of the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire in England. It is a high point on the Hambleton Hills with extensive views over the Vale of York and the Vale of Mowbray.
At the foot of Sutton Bank lies the village of Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe; at 27 letters long, it has the longest placename in England.
The A170 road runs down the bank with a maximum gradient of 1 in 4 (25%), and including a hairpin bend. Vehicles have to keep in low gear whist travelling up or down the bank, and caravans are banned from using the section.

 
The hill is the site of one of the most important prehistoric monuments in the region—a massive hillfort built in the Iron Age, around 400 BC. It was the approximate location of the attack of the Scots in a major victory Battle of Old Byland they defeated the forces of King Edward II and John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond.
Because it faces the prevailing westerly winds, Sutton Bank has been used for ridge soaring since the early 1930s for the sport of gliding. The Yorkshire Gliding Club is based at the top of the hill.^[2]
Also at the top of the hill is the Sutton Bank National Park Centre, where a high-tech Lime & Ice exhibition tells the story of how the iconic landscape and view came to be through the dramatic action of ice age glaciers. There is also an official tourist information centre, a tea room and a gift shop. Outside, there is a car park, from where pushchair and wheelchair friendly paths leading to a viewing platform, which offers views of Roulston Scar, Hood Hill, Lake Gormire and beyond.
There are lots of other walking trails close by, including southwards to the popular White Horse of Kilburn. The 110-mile (177 km) long Cleveland Way National Trail crosses over Sutton Bank. It includes a spur to the White Horse of Kilburn.
The North York Moors National Park Authority has developed new cycle trails, which use a mixture of natural and man made trails similar to those found in a purpose built trail centre. Using the same style of trail marking, the mountain biking trails available are:

• 'Cliff' - 3 mile green mostly level, circular off-road cycle trail for families that in part follows the famous cliff edge. The trail opened at the end of 2013^[3]

• 'Fort' - 9 mile blue trail with 361m ascent/descent (70% stone, 30% natural surface) runs out past the site of the Iron Age fort at Boltby Scar. A shorter loop of 6 miles avoids the ascent/descent and is suitable for families. The Fort route also includes part of the Cliff Trail along the cliff edge.

• 'Paradise' - 17-mile 'red' trail, making use of existing bridleways that have been upgraded but are shared with walkers and horse riders.

There is also a purpose-built bike skills area and a new cycle centre, Sutton Bank Bikes, offers cycle hire, training and skills courses, a bike wash, repair and servicing and a fully stocked cycle shop.
Sutton Bank is an official Dark Sky Discovery Site, one of two in the North York Moors