Glaisdale to Osmotherly

Thursday 2nd September 2010 

This was an epic walk as I crossed the main bulk of the North York Moors before traversing an undulating range of hills on my way to Osmotherly on the western edge of the North York Moors. After a couple of nights spent in the fabulous youth hostel in Whitby, I caught a train back to Glaisdale in order to resume my walk along the Coast to Coast Path that I’d left two days previously. I climbed up to the village of Glaisdale from the railway station and onto the open moor where the miles quickly vanished beneath my feet as I crossed the vast moor. The track through the moor led to a road, which led me to a path round the head of Great Fryupdale (fantastic name!). At this point in the walk I was passed by a long line of Land Rovers, all full of rich idiots who think it’s fun to drive onto the moor and shoot at the poor, defenceless grouse. I left them behind trying not to think evil thoughts about them and instead tried to be thankful that at least these days walkers and toffs can share the moor together. Another section of road walking led me to a white-washed stone figure, known as Fat Betty, wonderful name. . 

Opposite this strange object I took a narrow path across Rosedale Head to a road and a track opposite that isn't on the official coast to coast route but seemed to me like a good short cut as I didn't need to take the wide diversion to the Lion Inn. But as Tolkien told us, short cuts make long delays, and I took the wrong path, which after passing a line of grouse butts ends at the edge of Westerdale. So, I had to cross the top of the dale through dense reeds and heather in order to get onto the narrow path that I should have taken. This took me back onto the coast to coast route, on the track of a disused railway that is a fabulously fast route across the moor, so now the miles really disappeared as I sped along the wide flat track across the vast open moor. Eventually I reached Bloworth Crossing where I said hello to the Cleveland Way again and, sadly, goodbye to the easy walking along the old railway. A gentle climb took me onto Urra Moor and the highest point in the North York Moors, Round Hill. I stopped for lunch beside the summit and was in awe of the views that I could see around me, particularly across the vast distances of the Cleveland Plain and the Vale of Mowbray. Roseberry Topping and the Captain Cook Memorial could be clearly seen on the western edge of the moors. After lounging beside the trig point for a while in the gorgeous sunshine I set off again along the wide track over Carr Ridge and steeply down to the road on Clay Bank. Now the whole nature of the walk changed dramatically as a steep climb took me up to the top of White Hill and a steep drop took me down past the delightful Wainstones. This collection of large rocks gave me an excuse to have a bit of a scramble that was sadly short lived, especially as I was passing them in descent. If I’d been doing the Coast to Coast in the usual direction, then the Wainstones would have been tackled in the more satisfying manner. 

After crossing Garfit Gap I again climb took me up to the top of Broughton Bank, only to repeat the pattern again as I dropped down to the next saddle before climbing over Cringle Moor, and then again up to the trig point atop Carlton Moor. This pattern continued up and down many hills and each time wore me out as I climbed in the hot sun, but it was all fabulous walking, even though I’d already walked over twenty miles. The moorland tops and descents more than compensated for the tiring climbs while the highlight of this undulating traverse was the Wainstones passed earlier, but the ever changing landscape and the vast views across the Cleveland Plain were an added bonus. Beyond the trig point on Carlton Moor I passed the deserted remains of a gliding club and finally descended off the moor into Scugdale. 

The farmland in Scugdale was the first sign of civilization I had seen since leaving Glaisdale, but it was short lived as I climbed back out of the valley and into Clain Wood. This was a welcome change after the endless moorland of earlier in the day but by this time I was past caring. By this point, I had walked twenty five miles and I still had another five miles to go before I got to the youth hostel. I trudged on through the wood, up a steep, straight path and across Scarth Nick onto Scarth Wood Moor. After a final ascent up to Beacon Hill I left the coast to coast path behind and took a bridlepath that goes straight into the village of Osmotherly. In all I had walked about thirty miles in less than ten hours which is quite an achievement, but I had been able to put on a good rate of knots while crossing the moor. Once I’d left the open moor the variety afforded by the undulating hills was a welcome change despite the colourful heather never being far away. This was a great walk on a great long distance path, the coast to coast.