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Please note that I provide this free service to you as a fellow walker on the understanding that you walk the route entirely at your own risk and that the information is not used for any commercial purpose.
This description gives enough information to find the intended route of the walk on a suitable map. When used with the map the description should help you to find the route and enjoy the things of interest along the way. For this walk I suggest that you use the Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure Map 27 which covers the North York Moors, Eastern Area at a scale of 1 :25000. Please do not try to find your way without a proper map.
The walk is a circular route of about 17 km. and should take about 5 hours of steady walking plus any stops you make along the way. There are a few climbs out of the valleys that cut through the cliffs to the coast and in some places you will need to pick your way through the muddy bits. You will need strong footwear (preferably walking boots) and the usual safety precautions for this outdoor activity.
My description of the route starts at map reference TA 019953 To reach this spot by car turn off the A171 at the northern end of Cloughton village where the road turns sharp left heading north. At this junction the road to Ravenscar goes straight on But the road we want is a very narrow unclassified road that goes off to the right down the side of the Cober Hill hotel. Follow this road for about 1 km. to the coast. The road is a dead end and at the end there is room to park on the grass. This is where my description of the walk starts.
Walk back along the road to the bridge over the disused railway. Go through the little gate on the right down the embankment onto the railway track. All the lines and sleepers have been taken up and the disused railway now provides a pleasant cinder track to walk on. Follow the railway track for about 8 km. to Ravenscar. You will leave the railway from what was the site of Ravenscar station and come out into an open square with a few buildings on the NW side. One of these buildings in a pleasant little cafe which can provide a welcome halfway stop on the walk.
In Ravenscar village there are public toilets and a tourist information office with lots of leaflets about the "Yorkshire Heritage Coast". You can follow the signposted Cleveland Way down the side of the Ravenscar Hotel or you can join the coastal path for the return to Cloughton by taking the path from the square in front of the cafe. The path leaves the square from map ref. NZ 985013, heading north east for about 100m to intersect the Cleveland Way, the coastal path. Turn right onto the Cleveland Way heading south east along the cliff top and follow the Cleveland Way for about 8 km. back to Cloughton. You should be able to see your car on the cliff top as you approach the bay called Cloughton Wyke.
On
your way down the coast you may be lucky enough to see roe deer on the
plateau part way down the cliffs formed by massive land slips in the
past. You will also, no doubt see plenty of evidence that land slips
continue to occur. The path is often diverted round the latest cliff
fall. All the way back to Cloughton there is a splendid view of Scarborough
Castle on its imposing headland. It's also worthwhile to pause at Hayburn
Wyke. The woods are kept as a very attractive nature reserve. With the
coming of the railways the Yorkshire coast resorts enjoyed a considerable
economic boom in the Victorian era and this little bay is the site of
a failed attempt by the Victorians to develop a new holiday resort as
indeed is Ravenscar itself.
I
hope you enjoy this walk so much that you'll want to try another one
as soon as you can.
Happy wandering! Frank