Yorkshire Walks

Memorial to the crew of a crashed wartime plane

From the car park we set off south along the Cleveland Way route climbing up through the woods. After about a kilometer the shape of Captain Cook's Monument loomed up out of the mist. There was no view today, just the mist but thankfully no rain.

The weather forecast for today was for showers all day but my mate, Jim, and I decided to go for a walk anyway. We drove to a Forestry Commission car park at Gribdale Gate at map ref. NZ591110. It's about 3km out of Great Ayton on the road past Great Ayton station. When we arrived it was not raining but the low cloud had descended onto the hills and we were in thick mist.

Cleveland Way path to Captain Cook's Monument

Captain Cook's Monument in the mist

Path through Coate Moor wood

As we reached the road we passed a Forestry Commission sign that named the wood as "Coate Moor". At the road the Cleveland Way route turned right, but we turned left to walk along the road.

From the monument we continued along the Cleveland Way route heading roughly west for about 1.5km though the woods to a road at map ref. NZ605105.

Path through Coate Moor wood

The road into Lonsdale

Bluebells by the road

Lonsdale Beck

About 150m beyond the beck the road turned sharp left at a farm, but we carried straight on through a gate onto a stony track up the hill.

The road took us round a right hand bend and down a steep hill, past Lonsdale farm and across Lonsdale Beck. As we came down the hill we dropped below the cloud and could see across the little valley of Lonsdale Beck.

The road across Lonsdale

May Blossom, Hawthorn flowers

Logging equipment at Lonsdale Plantation

There had been some logging operations and the track had been badly rutted making a muddy mess to walk along.

As we climbed the track we were soon back into the cloud. We followed the track up,through Lonsdale Plantation.

Rutted track through Lonsdale Plantation

Approaching the road above Lonsdale Plantation

Remains of an old moorland marker

Our track is joined by the Cleveland Way

Here the Cleveland Way route joined the track from our right. From here we continued along the track, now on the Cleveland Way to the edge of Hutton Lowcross Wood. At the wood we turned left to continue along the Cleveland Way route round the edge of the wood.

The track brought us to a road at map ref. NZ606118. The tarmac road ended here and there was a gate to a track across the moor heading roughly Northwest. There were signs saying that this part of the moor is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). We followed the track across the misty moor for about 1km to map ref. NZ598128.

Gate on to the moor above Lonsdale Plantation

A wartime bunker by the track

The edge of Hutton Lowcross Wood

Riders passing our lunch stop

Gate on to Newton Moor

Path down from Newton Moor

The paved path then drops down a steep descent of around 60m before climbing up to the top of Roseberry Topping.

We stopped on a low bank for our lunch and after our break we resumed our route along the Cleveland Way. From the corner of the wood the path crosses Newton Moor.

New cones and pollen flowers on a lodgepole pine

Cleveland Way route marker

The climb up Roseberry Topping

The rocky top of Roseberry Topping

Today it was just swirling mist in the strong wind. We sat in a sheltered spot in the rocks by the trig point for a drink and then, as we stood up to leave, the rain started.

The steep climb to the rocky summit is normally rewarded with a wonderful panorama of the surrounding countryside and the Tees estuary.

The rocky top of Roseberry Topping

Coming down from Roseberry Topping

Climbing back up to Newton Moor

After about 2km we came back to the car park at Gribdale Gate. The whole route had been about 11km and it had taken us a little over four hours to walk including our stops.

We retraced our steps back and up to Newton Moor and we were soon very wet indeed. From Newton Moor we continued along the Cleveland way route.

A twisted Scots Pine in the mist

Heading across the moor back to Gribdale Gate