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.

Roseberry Topping

Wednesday 1st September 2010 

After a morning spent exploring the connections between Whitby and Bram Stoker's Dracula, particularly in the Abbey, I took a train down the Esk Valley line to the tiny station of Kildale. I was going to walk up a popular hill in the area, but I was not going to be take the orthodox route to the bizarrely named Roseberry Topping. Once in Kildale I re-joined the Cleveland Way (but this time actually going in the usual direction) as it climbs steeply up the hillside opposite on a minor road. At the top of the hill I left the road and walked along a lovely path through woodland and eventually emerged onto the wonderfully purple-flowering heather-clad moorland of Easby Moor. At the top of the prominent hill ahead was a tall monument to Captain Cook with extensive views across the wide Vale of Mowbray westwards. 

From the monolith I headed north into a wood and dropped steeply to a car park. Across the road I climbed steeply again onto the vast heather-clad Newton Moor. A wonderful walk along the edge of the escarpment took me to the corner of the moor where striking views could be seen of a distinctively shaped hill. Roseberry Topping sits at the north-eastern corner of the North York Moors and is a prominent hill that can be seen for miles around. It accordingly attracts many visitors and is probably the most popular hill in the North York Moors so it has many paved footpaths up its steep sides, but to me it just seems like a trifle! I dropped down to the saddle and climbed the zigzagging path that climbs to the summit of this popular hill. Despite misty distant views, the panorama was quite extensive with far reaching sights. After appreciating the views I took a path down the southern slopes of the hill and walked round to a small folly on the south-western side. From there I crossed the western slopes of Roseberry Topping until I reached the path that climbs the north western slopes. I climbed this paved path and before I knew it I found myself back at the summit (I must have had bountiful amounts of energy!). After re-acquainting myself with the summit I returned to the saddle and climbed back up to the moor. Even stuck in Leicester, I had heard of Roseberry Topping before as I have friends who have been up it and they seemed to be always mentioning it. This is a very popular hill because it satisfies all the necessary requirements: it is a relatively easy to climb but is so prominent it attracts the eye, and it has a main road at its foot. Roseberry Topping is rightly a very popular hill as it is accessible to all the family. 

My return route involved another fabulous moorland crossing, eventually leaving the Cleveland Way and following a track that crosses the moor. At a tarmac road I immediately took a heavily eroded track that descends through trees to the small valley of Lonsdale where I picked up a road, which was the one that I’d taken on my outward route and so eventually brought me back down into Kildale. This was a good walk up a distinctive, if small, hill in great, sunny, weather.