Carlton Bank ~ Easy Walk

Distance Covered: 2 miles   Time to complete walk: 1 hour

Safety Tips: This is a very safe walk with a gradual climb

Starting at Lordstones which is a subterranean café and shop make your way up a steady climb to the top of Carlton Bank for panoramic views of Teesside. With a graduated steep climb this walk will take around 1 and a half hours to complete.

 

The Carlton Bank Walk 

 

 

Getting There

  

From Middlesbrough, go up Ormesby Bank and at the roundabout at the top, take the second exit towards Stokesley which is the A172. Follow the road and at the next roundabout take the first left turn past Strikes garden centre. Continue on the A172 until you come to another roundabout. At this roundabout take the third exit to Carlton. Follow the road and look for a left turning to Carlton. Drive through Carlton and look for a left turning signed to Lordstones.

This is Carlton Bank and is very steep. At the top turn left into the Lordstones car park which has ample parking spaces.

 

 

Map of the Carlton Bank walk

 



The Walk

 

You can either visit the Lordstones café restaurant and shop now or after your walk. The café is subterranean and the shop is handy for special produce. From the shop turn left as if you were coming out of the shop and head towards the gate on your left. 

 

 

Lordstones Café and shop

 

 



 

Gate to the left of the shop

 

 

On the path ahead take a left turning at the signposts.

 

 

 

Signpost

 

Gate ahead

 







 

Soon you will come to a gate and then cross the road to the path straight ahead. Follow the path until you come to a set of gates with an information point about Carlton Bank.

 

 

 

Gate to the left

 

Information point



Take the left gate and walk onwards on sandstone path. The path is a gradual climb and is the only climbing part of the walk. Whilst walking you will have excellent views of Teesside and Roseberry Topping in the distance.

 

 

A distant Roseberry Topping

 



When you reach the top you will be on open moorland. Look for a path to the right which will take you over the top of the hill.

 

 

 

Path at the top of the hill

 

 

Follow the path until you come to two stone pillars, You are now at the top of the hill and will be rewarded with panoramic views.

 

 

Stone pillars

 



 

After you have enjoyed the view look for a stony path which will take you back down to the gates and information point. Retrace your steps back to the Lordstones.

 

Carlton Bank

 

Carlton Bank is a hill in the Cleveland Hills, in north-east England. It is located on Carlton Moor in the North York Moors and overlooks the villages of Carlton-in-Cleveland and Faceby. The summit provides extensive views of Teesside including Middlesbrough and Redcar to the north as well as the surrounding moorland. Roseberry Topping can also be clearly seen from the summit in a north-easterly direction. The Cleveland Way National Trail crosses Carlton Bank and is part of Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk.
A gliding club aerodrome is situated approximately 500 metres (1,640 ft) south of the summit

Lordstones Café and shop

Visit the Lordstones website here http://lordstones.com/

 

 

 

 



Roseberry Topping ~ Hard Walk

Distance Covered: 5 miles   Time to complete walk: 3 hours

Safety Tips: At the very start of the walk there is a serious climb up to the Monument. In wet weather the track can be very slippery and muddy. A walking stick is essential. Roseberry Topping can be a hard challenge for some, the route of this walk takes the easier path to the summit.

Climb to the summit of two of North Yorkshires landmarks, Captain Cooks Monument followed by Roseberry Topping on this exhilarating walk that includes two steep inclines with astounding views of Cleveland. This walk is challenging with some very steep parts and should take around 3 hours to complete.

 

The Roseberry Topping Walk

 

 

 



Getting There

 

From Middlesbrough go up Ormesby Bank and then turn left at the roundabout at the top onto Guisborough Road. At the first roundabout turn right to head to Great Ayton. Follow the signs for the railway station. Parking can be found in the train station car park where the walk starts.

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Map of the Roseberry Topping walk

 

 



The Walk

 

From the station car park go up the steps and through the white gate. Turn right and almost immediately turn right again along a short lane with a chicken farm to your left.

 

 



 

Steps down from the station

 



As you enter the next field turn left at the junction of cart tracks. Turn right onto a lane that soon becomes a path heading towards the lower moors which at first has hedges on either side and then trees later on. As the slope eases look for a yellow arrow to the left and follow this track up the slope.

 

 

Track leading up the slope

 

This track will take you into the forest near a bench and through a gate. Take the middle of three tracks making your way up what becomes a very steep track and keep going crossing over a forest track on the climb. This part of the walk is the most challenging as it is very steep.

 

 

Take the middle track

 

The steep track has steps and eventually levels out onto a more manageable track. Captain Cooks Monument should soon come into view.

 

 

Captain Cooks Monument

 

 

After a visit to the monument and some welcome respite, turn left away from the monument and head down the path which will eventually end at a picnic site. You will be able to see Roseberry Topping in the distance.

 

 

From the carpark near the picnic site turn right and then follow the Cleveland Way signpost up a stepped track.

 

 

Path up to the moors

 

 

Again you will be able to get some great views of Roseberry Topping, your destination. Follow the moor track for some time until you come to a gate to the left at the angle of the wall.

 

 



 

Gate to the left

 

 

Walk downhill on the path towards Roseberry Topping. The zigzagging path up the summit will be coming into view as will the Monument to your left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get ready for the climb to the summit of Roseberry Topping making sure you use the zig zagging route upwards. When you reach the summit you will have astounding views of Teesside and Guisborough.

 

 

Views from Roseberry Topping

 

 

Walk carefully downhill by a path to the left and you will eventually come to a track. Turn left and head towards the farm track. Follow this past the farm Aireyholme Farm.

 

 

 

Path from the summit and farm track

 

Follow the path from the farm downhill until you eventually come onto Dikes Lane. Turn right and over the railway bridge a bit further on and back through the white gate into the station car park.

 

Roseberry Topping

 

 

Roseberry Topping is a distinctive hill in northern Yorkshire, England. It is situated near Great Ayton and Newton under Roseberry. Its summit has a distinctive half-cone shape with a jagged cliff, which has led to many comparisons with the much higher Matterhorn in Switzerland.It forms a symbolic image of the area and featured as the logo for the now defunct county of Cleveland.
At 1,049 feet (320 m), Roseberry Topping was traditionally thought to be the highest hill on the North York Moors; however, the nearby Urra Moor is higher, at 1,490 feet (450 m). It offers views of Captain Cook's Monument at Easby Moor and the monument at Eston Nab.
The hill is an outlier of the North York Moors uplands. It is formed from sandstone laid down in the Middle and Lower Jurassic periods, between 208 and 165 million years ago, which constitutes the youngest sandstone to be found in any of the National Parks in England and Wales. Its distinctive conical shape is the result of the hill's hard sandstone cap protecting the underlying shales and clays from erosion by the effects of ice, wind and rain.
Until 1912, the summit resembled a sugarloaf until a geological fault and possibly nearby alum and ironstone mining caused its collapse. The area immediately below the summit is still extensively pitted and scarred from the former mineworks. The summit has magnificent views across the Cleveland plain as far as the Pennines on a clear day, some 40 to 50 miles (60 to 80 km) away.



The Roseberry area has been inhabited for thousands of years and the hill has long attracted attention for its distinctive shape. A Bronze Age hoard was discovered on the slopes of the hill and is now in the Sheffield City Museum. It was occupied during the Iron Age; walled enclosures and the remains of huts dating from the period are still visible in the hill's vicinity.
The hill was perhaps held in special regard by the Vikings who settled in Cleveland during the early medieval period and gave the area many of its place names. They gave Roseberry Topping its present name: first attested in 1119 as Othenesberg, its second element is accepted to derive from Old Norse bjarg ('rock'); the first element must be an Old Norse personal name, Auðunn or Óðinn, giving 'Auðunn's/Óðinn's rock'. If the latter, Roseberry Topping is one of only a handful of known pagan names in England, being named after the Norse god Odin and paralleled by the Old English name Wodnesberg, found for example in Woodnesborough. The name changed successively to Othensberg, Ohenseberg, Ounsberry and Ouesberry before finally settling on Roseberry. "Topping" is a Yorkshire dialect derivation of Old English topp, 'top (of a hill)'.^[ The naming of the hill may thus fit a well-established pattern in Continental Europe of hills and mountains being named after Odin or the Germanic equivalent, Wodan. Ælfric of Eynsham, writing in the 10th century, recorded how "the heathens made him into a celebrated god and made offerings to him at crossroads and brought oblations to high hills for him. This god was honoured among all heathens and he is called ... Oðon in Danish.
In 1736, the explorer James Cook's family moved to Airey Holme Farm at nearby Great Ayton. When he had time off from working on the farm with his father, young James would take himself off up Roseberry Topping, which gave him his first taste for adventure and exploration, which was to stay with him for life.
Roseberry Topping can be seen from many miles away and was long used by sailors and farmers as an indicator of impending bad weather. An old rhyme commemorates this usage:

When Roseberry Topping wears a cap, let Cleveland then beware of a clap!

The hill was private property for many years, formerly being part of a game estate owned by the Cressy family. In the early 18th century, Dorothea Cressy married Archibald Primrose, who was later made Earl of Rosebery in recognition of the hill. Roseberry Topping is now managed by the National Trust and is open to the public. It is just within the North York Moors National Park whose border runs along the A173 road below it.
A spur of the Cleveland Way National Trail runs up to the summit. The path has been a popular sight-seeing excursion for centuries due to the spectacular views of the Cleveland area from the summit; as early as 1700, travellers were recommended to visit the peak to see "the most delightful prospect upon the valleys below to the hills above."
The site was notified as a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1954, with a boundary extension in 1986 bringing the designated area to 10.86 hectares. The site is listed as being of national importance in the Geological Conservation Review
During the Napoleonic Wars, the Wensleydale volunteers responded to a false alarm when the beacon on Penhill in North Yorkshire was lit in response to a supposed lit beacon on Roseberry Topping, 40 miles distant. This turned out to be burning heather. From "Wensleydale", p. 176, by Ella Pontefract, pub. 1936.

 

 

Hackfall Wood ~ Medium Walk

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

Safety Tips: A highly enjoyable walk with no big safety issues. The river is Ure is fast flowing so stick to dry land.

Discover a magical wood, with a waterfall, grotto, castle, fountain pond and many other secrets. Ideal for families with children or  just those who are big kids at heart, once you visit Hackfall Wood you're sure to return...

 

 

The Hackfall Wood walk

 

Getting There

 

From Middlesbrough follow the A19 south to Thirsk. Look for the A61 right turn off to Ripon. Follow the A61 until you come to the A1608 turn off. Follow this to Masham which is well signposted. When you reach Masham follow the road out of Masham which is called Thorpe Road and look for the car park on your left for Hackfall. The car park is small and often full. Alternative parking can be found in the next village, Grewelthorpe.

 

The Walk 

 

 

Map of Hackfall Wood

 

From the car park, make sure you pick up a map of the wood. They are kept well stocked up and you would be lost without one. Follow the route for the longer walk. Make a note of your position as the P for parking on the map. Follow the meadow downhill until you reach the wood. The woods are spectacular in the Autumn so get your camera ready. Also take a good pair of boots and a walking stick as it can get muddy in places.

 

 

Entrace to Hackfall

  

 

On entering the woods through a gate make a note of your bearing on the map. You are near Limehouse Hill on the map and whichever route you take will take you to the banks of the River Ure. There is an excellent beach to stop at and take in your surroundings.

 

 

Beach on the river bank

  

 

Follow the rivers bank path passing the Sandbed Hut on your right. Eventually you will come to a series of stepping stones. Instead of crossing the stream at this point double back and follow the path upwards to Fishers Hall. This is an intriguing building which can be used for a pitstop.

  

 

 

Fishers Hall

 

Continue up the path from Fishers Hall and turn right and you will soon come across The Grotto. If you sit on the seat in The Grotto you will be able to see the third attraction in this area, the Forty Foot Fall. You will probably want to linger here a while. It has a magical atmosphere!.

 

 

The Grotto

 

 



If you can tear yourself away from these stunning views, continue on the path until you come to another folly, the Rustic Temple and the Fountain Pond. If you're lucky the Fountain will be on.

 

 

 

Rustic Temple

 

 

If you continue on this path you will find yourself at a log fence. If you hop over this and turn left this will take you back to the car park. However if you double back and cross the stream by the stepping stones, this path will take you to a fork in the path. If you again double back to your right, this path will take you past the other attractions, the Castle, Alum Spring and the Mowbray Point and Ruin.

 

 



 

Hackfall Wood

 

It was probably sometime towards the end of August 1816 when Turner visited Hackfall, whilst exploring Lower Wensleydale between Ripon and Middleham.  In Turner's day Hackfall was famous as one of the finest and largest wild gardens in Britain.

Between West Tanfield and Masham, the River Ure cuts a winding route through high ground. Set in a 350ft gorge on the edge of Grewelthorpe, the site was bought in 1731 by John Aislabie, famous for his landscaping work at nearby Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.  The most dramatic section at Hackfall was laid out as a woodland garden by his son, William, around 1750. There are pathways, grottos, follies, springs, ponds and waterfalls, on a grand scale, and Hackfall was one of the most important managed landscapes of its kind and period in Britain.

The woods are now owned by the Woodland Trust and in the care of the Hackfall Trust, and considerable work has been done since 2002 to recover this 'lost landscape' and to preserve the historic buildings and improve access.  Hackfall is now a Grade 1 registered landscape garden and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  The recent restoration work has been made possible due to a grant of almost £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and further grants from the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Yorventure.

 

Rosedale Abbey ~ Medium Walk

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Distance Covered: 4.25 miles   Time to complete walk: 2h 15m

Safety Tips: Be especially cautious on the open moor part of the walk as the ground can be marshy - use your walking stick to check the ground ahead. Use your GPS if unsure you are on the right track. Always head for a road if you lose your bearings. Start and finish this walk in broad daylight

A perfect walk for a bright Autumn day which includes walking upstream with the sound of the river for the first half of the walk and then open moor walking for the second half. The walk will take about 2 hours to complete.

 

 

The Rosedale Abbey walk

 

 

Getting There

 

Follow the A171 road out of Guisborough and after you climb Birk Brow look for the right turn off to Castleton. Follow the road into Castleton and as you come to the main street in the village, turn right for the road to Rosedale Abbey. Follow this road over the moors watching out for the sheep grazing at the roadside until you see a left turning for Rosedale Abbey. Follow this road into the village of Rosedale Abbey. Parking can be found on the roadside in the village.

 

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Map of the Rosedale Abbey walk

 

 

The Walk 

 

The walk starts by taking a right signposted path in between a converted chapel and the hotel car park in the centre of Rosedale Abbey village. Rosedale Abbey is really the name of this pretty village and not much remains of the Abbey itself.

 

 

Signposted path

 

 

Follow this path which follows the stream upstream through several stiles and gates through meadows. This is an enjoyable walk if you enjoy the sound of the water streaming down-stream.

 

 

Path

 

Streams converging

 

 



Before you reach a wooden footbridge crossing the stream, look for a right path which climbs uphill.

 

 

Turn right keeping the wall to your left

 



Climb up the tracks, keeping the stone wall to your left.  You should be able to see a derelict barn at the top of the hill. Turn left at a gate and cross the next field diagonally to another gate on the right. The barn will now be to your right.

 

 

Derelict Barn



 

Turn left away from the barn onto a track that will eventually lead you onto a road.

 

 

Bear left from the barn

 

Turn right onto road



 

Join the farm road and turn right following the road until you come to two farm buildings. Look for a signed footpath to the right after the last barn. Follow the path uphill, which is a steep climb. Once at the top look for a gate which leads onto the open moor.

 

 

 

Gate onto moor

 



Once through the gate bear right along the path and then bear left until you join a bigger moorland track coming from the left.  This will be found if you head towards the stone wall ahead on the moor. Once you join the moorland track follow this until you come to a main road. You will see the cars passing to indicate where it is.

 

Main road

 

Stone cross



 

Turn right and follow the road back into Rosedale Abbey village.

 

Rosedale Abbey 

 

Rosedale Abbey is a village in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 8 miles (13 km) north-west from Pickering, 8 miles south-east from Castleton, and within Rosedale, part of the North York Moors National Park.

A Cistercian Priory of the same name once stood on the site. All that is left today is a staircase, a sundial and a single stone pillar. Originally founded in 1158, the priory was inhabited by a small group of nuns who are credited with being the first people to farm sheep commercially in the region. The priory ceased to operate in 1535 due to the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The building was eventually dismantled in the 19th century when the stone was reclaimed for building - including a new church on the site of the original priory.
In the 19th century an iron ore mining industry was established. The population of the valley expanded rapidly until the demise of the mines in the 1920s. The standard-gauge Rosedale Branch railway line ran round the head of the valley, serving mine workings on either side, and across the moors to reach what is now the Esk Valley Line at Battersby Junction.
Rosedale Abbey comprises a collection of stone houses, and public houses, St Mary & St Laurence Church, an art gallery, tea room, glass studio and a village green. Inhabitants of the village consist largely of those born elsewhere, with very few being indigenous.
Tourism in the area has developed into a major industry, with many smaller properties renovated for private holiday homes or as self-catering accommodation. Hotels, larger properties, and farms provide bed and breakfast accommodation.
Recently a local parish council election attracted candidates opposed to the construction of affordable housing close to their properties.
The Rosedale Show is held in the village each August, and attracts some 5,000 visitors. The show dates back to 1871 and is one of the oldest in North Yorkshire.