Helmsley
The Cleveland Way starts from a sculpture next to the car park, behind the toilets, adjacent to Helmsley Castle and follows a gradually inclining lane out of the town. It is a well defined easy route that takes you past Griff Lodge and onto Whinney Bank before descending through Quarry Bank Wood to join the road to Rievaulx Abbey. The diversion to the abbey is certainly worth doing given the time. Turn right just before Rievaulx Bridge to visist the abbey or cross the bridge to continue on the route. There is now a section of walking along a narrow lane that can at times be busier than you think so please extra caution here. Just after the road turns to the left there is a wide opening to a track on your right and the route ahead along Bridge Road. The track leads to a ford with a series of unusually shaped steping stones that you need to cross. From Flassen Dale a right hand track named Low Field Lane climbs out of the dale and brings you into the village of Cold Kirby. Another track takes you back out of the village
and on to Hambleton and the Hambleton Inn
Now that you have reached the edge this is where you'll stay all the way to Osmotherly with magnificent views to the west and a gently undulating terrain adding to the pleasure. The route is very well defined with no navigational difficulties so just enjoy.
From the Lord Stones Cafe go through or to either side of the small coppice onto open grassland and head for the corner post of the field in front of you. The path running eastwards is the route that you now follow as it climbs up onto Cringle Moor and the Alec Falconer memorial plaque. From the plaque follow the top edge of Kirby Bank
The path from the road at the top of Clay Bank keeps to the wall on its left with an initial short climb that levels off before passing through a gate and ascending steeply via stone slabs onto Carr Ridge. Follow the track signposted Cleveland Way onto the northern edge of Urra Moor. The track eventually joins a wider vehicle track from the right taking you up onto Round Hill and on to Cockayne Head. From here the track descends towards the head of Barnsdale. When the track turns an abrupt right the Cleveland Way path continues straight towards a footpath sign in the near distance.
The decent to the coast through Robin Hood's Bay is steep. If you are tired please don't use the road put make use of the stepped pavement to the left hand side as the steepness of the road can be deceptive for weary legs!! The road winds through the small village before arriving at the sea with the National Park and National Trust Visitor Centre to the right of the slipway to the sea and the pub to the left with the now named "Wainwright's Bar" and descriptive plaque of the walk on the wall outside. The Cleveland Way continues right, note the footpath sign on the wall. Note also that the route takes the series of stone steps to the left up the side of the last house and does not continue on the road up to the garages! The steps first stone and then timber take you up on to the cliff top again.
Links with the Ebor Way in Helmsley and the Centenary and Wolds Way at Filey Brigg Further information
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