Yorkshire Walks

Setting off on the Cleveland Way at Sutton Bank

Cleveland Way path near Sutton Bank

I still have over four months to go, but I'm getting a bit further each time we go out. We set off from the visitor centre to the Cleveland Way path along the edge of the escarpment. It was a lovely view out to the West over the Vale of Mowbray but the haze hid the distant Yorkshire Dales.

It's been perfect walking weather all week so today my mate, Jim, and I drove up to the Sutton Bank visitor centre just a few miles from home. It was a bright sunny day with some haze in the distance. I'm still recovering from a knee replacement operation and apparently it will take around 6 months to get normal function back.

Wild daffodils by the Cleveland Way

Cleveland Way path near Sutton Bank

Enjoying the Spring sunshine on the Cleveland Way

White Stone Cliff next to the Cleveland Way

After about 1km there were the white painted railings of some race horse training gallops on our right and as we approached half a dozen horses galloped up along the rail.

We followed the Cleveland Way Northwards looking down on Gormire Lake about 150m below us at the foot of the cliffs. It's a very pleasant path along the wooded edge of the cliffs.

Hazel catkins in the Spring sunshine

Gormire Lake below the Cleveland Way

Turning towards Dialstone Farm

The path heading towards Dialstone Farm

The right of way is marked on the OS map and there are way mark posts at both ends but there is no defined path on the ground. However we knew that the path skirted the white rails of the gallops near the road and so we aimed for that spot. As we approached the same group of horses came thundering by and we kept still whilst they passed us - they're skittish creatures at the best of times.

Just beyond the gallops at map ref. SE507838 we turned right off the Cleveland way to follow a path towards Dialstone Farm, with the race horse gallops on our right. After almost a kilometer, just beyond a small wood we turned right to follow a public footpath across the fields to a minor road at map ref. SE517837.

Path beside the gallops heading for Dialstone Farm

Turning across the fields towards a minor road

Way marks at the crossing of a minor road

The access road from Hambleton House

We joined the track at map ref. SE523834 and walked along it and then along the access road away from Hambleton House for about 150m to map ref. SE523832. Here we turned right off the access road onto a footpath through the plantation.

We crossed the road and continued along the same right of way towards Hambleton House. Again there was no defined path on the ground, but we aimed for a tall hedge screening the house from the field where we knew there was a crossing point on the gallops.

Looking back across the field from Hambleton House

Turning off the access road into the plantation

Path through the plantation towards the visitor centre

Path through the plantation towards the visitor centre

The whole walk had been about 4km, a record for me so far, and it had taken 2 hours to walk. We stopped at a cafe on the way home for a coffee and a bacon sandwich and despite the short distance it was starting to feel as though I could get out on the hills again properly by the end of this year.

We followed this path through the plantation for about 800m to the edge of the visitor centre site. We walked along the path through the woods next to the road by the visitor centre for about 150m to a wooden footbridge over a ditch that gave us access onto the road and back into the visitor centre car park.

Path through the plantation towards the visitor centre

Footbridge to the road at the visitor centre