What is this life, if so full of care,
we have no time to stand and stare
Cloughton
Wyke from the cliff path looking south
Map: OS Explorer OL27 North York Moors Eastern area at 1:25000
Route
Map at 1:50000 from OS Open Space service
 Cloughton Wyke |
The
weather forecast for today was better in the east so my neighbour and
I drove to the east coast at Cloughton Wyke, map ref. TA 019952 at the
end of a narrow lane overlooking a little rocky bay. The forecasters
were right and it was a lovely sunny day with a cool breeze. We set
off at about 10.15am heading towards Scarborough on the Cleveland Way
along the cliff top for about 2km to Crook Ness. There is a little car
park here at the end of the lane from Burniston. We left the Cleveland
Way at this point and followed the lane towards Burniston for just over
1km to the disused coastal railway track at map ref. TA 015930. The
railway track is now a footpath and cycle route from Scarborough to
well north of Whitby. We walked along the railway path for about 1km
northwards to Cloughton Station, now a very nice tea shop where we stopped
for a drink and a toasted teacake. At the station (map ref. TA 011941)
we left the railway and turned left to follow the lane to the main road
at map ref. TA 009941.
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We crossed the main road and took the track opposite for about 200m
to the foot of a small hill. There is a path running round the foot
of the hill and we turned left to follow this path round the hill through
some pretty woods and then across fields to the edge of Cloughton Woods
below Ripley's Farm at map ref. SE 995946. From the edge of the woods
the path dropped steeply down to cross a small stream and then climb
up to join a track heading northwards through the woods for about 2.5km
to the main coast road at map ref. SE 991967. The track is a public
right of way for most of the way to the road and it is well walked.
The woodland was very pleasant in the sunshine with the bright fresh
green of the young larch needles. At the main road we took the path
50m to our right on the opposite side of the road across a field and
through some woodland to a road at map ref. TA 001970.
|
 Hundale Point from the cliff path |
 Lookout point above Long Nab |
 Scarborough Castle from Long Nab |
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At
the road we turned left down the hill for 100m to join the path on the
right which took us across a field to a bridge on a farm track across
the old coastal railway track at map ref. TA 002972. Once across the
bridge there is a well worn way down the left-hand side of the bridge
onto the railway path. We followed the railway path to the Hayburn Wyke
Hotel about 600m away. At the hotel we took the path across a field
to join the Cleveland Way on the cliff top above Hayburn Wyke. The railway
had a little station at Hayburn Wyke. A hundred years ago it was intended
to serve a holiday development centred on the pretty wooded valley leading
down to the shingle beach, but it was a failed venture. We followed
the cliff top path back to our starting point at Cloughton Wyke. The
whole route was about 16km and took us 5 hours to walk including a couple
of breaks.
|
 Railway path between Burniston and Cloughton |
 Railway carriage used as a holiday let at Cloughton Station |
 Tea shop at Cloughton Station |
 Woods above Lindhead Beck |
 Cloughton Woods |
 Farm track crossing the railway path near Hayburn Wyke |
 Looking back to the farm track bridge from the railway path |
 Woods at Hayburn Wyke |
 Looking down into Hayburn Wyke |
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Left: Heading back to Cloughton on the Cleveland Way |
Looking
down to the coast from Cloughton Moor
© 2008 Frank M Firth
Original
design by Andreas
Viklund
