Cringle Moor ~ Medium Walk

Distance: 3 miles   Time to complete walk: 2 hours 

Safety Tips:  The climb up to the summit of Cringle Moor is a challenge. Be careful on the descent from the summit - use your walking stick. The way back to the café goes through a well used cycle track - keep alert for cyclists

A walk that has everything, stunning views, a challenging ascent, and a marvellous café to rejuvenate you after your walk. Starting from the Lordstones café, this will take about two hours to complete. Care needs to be taken on the descent from Cringle Moor- a walking stick would be a handy accessory to help you negtotiate your way down. Finish with a cool drink and a snack at the Lordstones Café. You can check out the café here: http://lordstones.com/

 

 

The Cringle Moor 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 Cringle Moor walk

 

 

The Walk

 

From the car park walk past the cafe to the left of the café as if you were coming out of the café and follow the path out passing some trees and turn right and you can almost immediately see the hill of Cringle Moor ahead of you on the path to the right.

 

 

 

Follow path to the right

 

 



Follow this track alongside the fence to your right and head for the hill ahead of you. When you come to a fork in the path keep on the right path.

 

 

 

Keep to the right

 



Keep on the path until you come to a gate and walk through the gate on the stone path ahead.

 

 

 

Go through gate onto the path

 

 

The hill is a gradual climb and you may need to take a breather every now and then. The view at the top is worth the climb though and this is the only climb in the walk.

 

 

 

When you reach the summit take a pitstop in the handily placed stone chair (with an added wind break in front of it!) and take in the views around. Roseberry Topping can be spotted in the distance.

 

 

 

Views from Cringle Moor summit

 

 

Follow the path behind the stone chair and the path will shortly reach its descent which can be tricky if the stones are wet, it is a steep descent but you will be fine if you keep your eye on the stone path on your slow way down.

 

 

 

 

 

Descend the stone path

 





When you come to the base of the stone path look for a path on the left and take this path.

 

 

Take the path to the left

 

This path goes through bracken but its a well worn track, don't deviate from the path and follow its route ahead when you come to any junctions.

 

 

Views from the path

 



 

Pass through a gate and then descend through a wooded area and you will soon come to the path you started your walk on. Make your way back to the café car park and done forget to stop at the café for refreshments!.

 

 

Cringle Moor

 

 

Cringle Moor, at 432 m (1,417 ft), is the third highest hill in the North York Moors, England, and the highest point west of Clay Bank.

The hill is crossed by the Cleveland Way National Trail and is a part of Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk, which also passes over the neighbouring tops of Cold Moor, Carlton Moor, Live Moor and Hasty Bank — a section of the walk which Alfred Wainwright described as "one of the finest". It is also part of the Lyke Wake Walk.

Druids Temple ~ Hard Walk

Distance: 6 miles   Time to complete walk: 3.5 hours

Safety Tips: This is a long walk- take plenty of water with you. Give yourself plenty of time to complete the walk in daylight. If you feel you are lost at anytime use your GPS signal to get your bearings. There are steep parts to the walk towards the end.

Visit an amazing folly called the Druids Temple on this walk. Described as a mini Stonehenge, it is well worth a visit and there is a café nearby for a pitstop. The walk starts in the village of Fearby and the village pub The Black Swan is also a great way to start or finish the walk. The walk itself is a challenge due to its length and climbs at different parts of the walk. A map which includes this walk and other walks is available from The Black Swan website here: The Black Swan

 

 

The Druids Temple walk

 

 

Getting There

  

If travelling from Middlesbrough, take the A66 to Darlington and follow it onto the A1 and follow the A1 until you come to the Northallerton/Bedale turn off. Follow the road to Bedale which is the B268. Follow the signs to Masham and then from Masham follow the signs to the village of Fearby. Parking can be found at a car park to the right just after the Black Swan pub.

 

 

Druids Temple walk map

 



The Walk

 

From the car park in Fearby turn left and walk along the road until you come to a left turning where a school is. Turn left and follow the road down taking care to listen for traffic as the road is quite narrow.

 

 

Turn left at school

 



When you come to a metal bridge cross over and then turn right towards Broadmires.

 

 

 

Road to Broadmires

 





Carry on through the farm and go through the gate at the end of the farmyard.

Go through another gate heading for the woodland. Continue on the well worn track through two more gates.

 

 

                                                                 Follow the track

 

Follow the track to the gate in the wall and keeping the wall to your right you the track will soon descend and keep your eyes peeled for a three directions signpost.

 

 

Signpost

 



This is an important signpost - you basically need to follow the direction of the Druids Temple 1 signpost. This feels unusual as you will literally be doubling back on yourself, however you will be taking a different route back. A tip would be to look for the signposts with green arrows on and you will be on the right path.

                                                                 Go through gate

 

 

Follow the arrows

 

 

 

 

 

You will now be walking through open fields.  This is a good time to check your GPS and you will soon realise you are heading for the Druids Temple. Continue on the track until you come to a gate and turn right and follow the track to the road which leads to Druids Temple. Turn right and you will arrive at the Druids Temple car park- follow the track to the right of the car park and you will soon arrive at the Druids Temple. Ideal for a pitstop and to take pictures.

 

 

Druids Temple

 

On leaving the Druids Temple, make your way back down the road from the car park and directly opposite the gate you came through turn right and follow the road past The Bivouac Café (again another chance for a pitstop) 

 

 

 

Follow the road to the right

 



Follow the road past the Bivouac Café, go over a stile and then follow the track left behind the houses go over a stile to the right and follow the track downhill towards some woods.

 

 





 

Go over stile

 

 

Turn left keeping woods on your right

 

 

Head down the hill and then turn left at the bottom, keeping the woods to your right. When you come to a road, turn left and then immediately right over a gate (you may need to climb over some of the gates).

 

 

 

Go over gate on the right

 



Follow this grassy track and keep your eyes peeled for a hidden stile to the left. It will be well hidden in the summer months.

 

 

Look out for the stile on your left

 



Cross over the stile and you will soon come to a footbridge. Cross over this and follow the track to your left until you come to a gate.

 

 

Cross the footbridge

 

 

Go through gate

 

 

Follow the track steeply upwards and you will soon come to a road. Follow this road by turning right, right again and then retrace your steps back to Fearby.

 

Druids Temple

 

The Druids Temple, situated near Ilton, about 4 miles west of Masham is a folly created by William Danby of nearby Swinton Hall in 1820. The structure sits deep within a private forest and includes a large stone table, a sheltered cave and an altar stone. The temple is approximately 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, with some of the stones standing over 10 feet high.William Danby (1752-1832) was made High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1784. He created the temple to generateo work for the local population who were paid 1 shilling a day. A salary was offered for someone to live at the Temple as a hermit for seven years. I am unsure if anyone did stay the full seven year term, but I believe someone stayed for five years before going a bit mad.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



Runswick Bay ~ Hard Walk

Distance: 7.5 miles   Time to complete walk: 4 hours

Safety Tips: This is a challenging walk, a walking stick is essential as the woodland part of the walk can be very muddy after rainfall. The path out of Runswick Bay is very steep. This walk has the Staithes walk incorporated into it and has stunning view of the cliffs of Staithes, be careful on the cliff top path.

A rewarding and challenging walk which starts at the village of Runswick Bay a village perched on the North Yorkshire coast. It passes through woodland and through the village of Staithes before rewarding you with jaw-dropping views of the cliffs and coastline on the way back to Runswick Bay along the Cleveland Way. There is challenging climbing in this walk at the very start at Runswick Bay and after leaving Staithes. Take a walking stick as the woodland part of the walk can become very muddy after rainfall. Please allow time for stopping and taking in the amazing views on the return to Runswick Bay!

 

 

The Runswick Bay Walk

Getting There

From Middlesbrough follow the A174 through Saltburn via Saltburn bank and continue on the A174 coastal road. The Runswick Bay turnoff is a left turn after the Staithes turn off. Parking is best to be found in the public car park near the bottom of the steep road into Runswick Bay before the roundabout.

 

Map of the Runswick Bay walk

 

 

The Walk

 

 

From the car park turn left and make your way up the very steep bank away from the village to Runswick Bank top. This is a very steep walk and at the beginning of the walk, however there is no more climbing until you progress your way into Staithes and from Staithes.

 

Climb to the top of Runswick Bank 

 

 

Bear left at the top and follow Hinderwell Lane walking over 400 metres until you come to a waymarked stile to your left.

 

 

 

Stile on left of the lane

Make your way through two fields keeping the hedge to your left.

 

Walk through fields

 

 

Soon you will come to a main road. Taking care turn right but then look for the first left turning which is a road into Newton Mulgrave. Follow this road into Newton Mulgrave passing through the hamlet until you come to a track to the right. This can be found approximately 300 yards after the hamlet.

 

 

Take track on the right

 

 

This track passes to the side of a field and looking for a gate, keep on the track to your left which will have a fence to your left and a hedge on your right.

 



 

 

Keep to the left of the gate

 

Follow the track and follow it so you are walking above the wood. Soon you will see a path leading into the wood to the left - take this path and enter the woods.

 

 

 

Take the left path into the woods

 

 

The path into the woods can get muddy in wet weather. However it is negotiable if you take a walking stick and extra care. Keep ahead at a junction on the path and you will soon emerge into a clearing (if you have completed the Staithes walk this will be familiar to you). A pitstop can be taken on a bench to the right.

 

 

Emerge into a clearing

 

 

As the path goes on it eventually passes a caravan site. Turn left to pass the site and then right to cross over a bridge.

 

 

 

Cross over the bridge

 

 

Keep following the way to Dalehouses at a sign.

 

 

 

Sign to Dalehouses





 

The track will end at a lane. Turn right and pass by the Fox and Hounds pub. Complete another gradual climb onto the main road ahead. Turn right and take the road left into Staithes.

 





 

 

Follow the road down into Staithes which drops down into the charming fishing village. Another pitstop can be made in Staithes.

 

 

 

Cod and Lobster in Staithes

 

View of cliff at Staithes

 

 

At the Cod and Lobster follow the road up which is a climb and you will come to a sign for the Cleveland Way. Follow the stepped path up until you come to a farm.

 

 

 

                                    Follow the Cleveland Way signs

 

After the farm continue on the path ahead and you will then come to another climb up a grassy slope. Take the middle slope it is easier, however most will find both options a challenge. The reward for the tough climb is a magnificent view of the coastline.

 

 

Keep ahead

 

View of coastline

 

 

Looking behind you will see Staithes and ahead you can see the headland of Kettleness. Follow the path taking care when taking photos. Safety first! Following the Cleveland Way you will soon come into Port Mulgrave. Pass by some buildings and look for a turning on the left where the Cleveland Way continues.



 

 

 

Cleveland Way sign at Port Mulgrave

 

 

Follow the Cleveland Way coming across more stunning views of the coastline and keep on the path which eventually leads away from the coastline into Runswick Bay itself. Do some more exploring of the labyrinth of cottages. There are plenty of places to eat and have some well-earned refreshments!

 

 

 

Runswick Bay

 

 

Runswick Bay

 

Some eight miles north of Whitby, the pictureque village of Runswick Bay clings to the cliffs at the end of a long sandy beach.  At the end of the steep descent from Hinderwell village, you have to leave cars in the car park and explore the village on foot.
Many cottages have been lost to the sea over the centuries. Though the village is now protected by a sea-wall, the rate of erosion can be judged from the row of beach huts on the cliff to the south of the village. This is the last of five such rows that stood on the site years ago.  In order to increase the family income, the fisherfolk would live in such huts during the summer months while letting their cottages to the artists and holiday-makers who flocked to the village after the railway was built.

One benefit of the continued erosion of the cliffs is the constantly refreshed supply of fossils. Ammonites abound, locked into small ironstone pebbles scattered along the beach. The fossil remains of a Plesiosaurus and an Ichthyosaurus were found here a century ago and are now in Whitby Museum.

The local lifeboat is still actively supported and has a brave history.  On one occasion, the womenfolk of the village launched and crewed the boat, to rescue their menfolk who had been caught offshore in a freak squall.
Local legends include the Boggles of Claymore Well and Hob of Hob Hole.  If your child was suffering from ‘t’Kink Cough’ (Whooping Cough) your only hope of a cure was to carry them along the beach, lay them down within the Hob’s Hole (a cave) and build a fire of driftwood and seaweed collected from the beach.  Once the fire is going, carry your child round and round the fire (clockwise, of course), chanting ‘Hob Hole Hob, Hob Hole Hob, Me bairn’s getten y’Kink Cough,  Tak it off! Tak it off!’ (Hob Hole Hob, Hob Hole Hob, My child has caught Whooping Cough, Take it away! Take it away!)
NB: The Esk Valley Railway does NOT serve Runswick Bay. There used to be two rail lines from Whitby to Middlesbrough. The one through the Esk Valley is still running. The one that ran along the coast via Runswick and Staithes was closed because of cliff slippages.