Clay Bank to Kildale

Friday 13th June 2008

9.5 miles on Cleveland Way

The day dawned grey but dry. There were a few spots of rain during the morning (more like low cloud really) and again during the afternoon, but basically the day got better as it went on and by the time we got back to Great Broughton in the evening it was quite sunny.

Breakfast of strawberries (yummy), yoghurt and scrambled egg on toast then Andrea gave us a lift from Newlands House to the car park at the top of Clay Bank. We got a text from Helen to say that she'd got the summer job at nrich in Cambridge; replying at my usual slow texting speed provided the ideal opportunity for us to let Tina get ahead so we weren't walking too close together.

From Clay Bank we climbed uphill slowly onto Urra Moor. I felt pleased with myself because I found the climb much easier than I did when we came this way several years ago. Last time turned right at the top of the steep ascent, to cross Urra Moor and then descend into Bilsdale. This time we continued straight ahead, climbing gently to reach the highest point on the whole Cleveland Way, the summit of Round Hill at 1489 feet (454 metres) above sea level. Close by we may or may not have seen the Hand Stone (an 18th century signpost) but slightly further on we definitely saw the Face Stone, an ancient boundary marker with a carving of a face on its eastern side.

We continued along a rather boring track across the moor, going inland so there was less of a view. At the point at which the track took a sharp left-hand turning, we carried on straight ahead on a small path to meet the track-bed of the railway line built to transport ironstone from Rosedale to the north. We've walked along a different section of this railway track before, when we were staying near Rosedale when the children were small. This time we only walked a short distance along the railway track, to Bloworth Crossing, formerly a level crossing and now described as a 'crossroads for walkers'. The Lyke Wake Walk and Coast to Coast depart here, heading further south across the moors. We headed to the north along an ancient roadway and the views began to open up to our left, looking back the way we had walked today and yesterday. We passed two stones standing next to one another; the taller is a boundary stone, the shorter is known as 'Jenny Bradley' but no one seems to know why. We also passed some grouse butts.

Eventually at Tidy Brown Hill (nice name, but Tidy is simply a contraction of 'Tiddy', meaning small) we stopped for lunch, sitting on some conveniently placed stones, then forked to the right. We walked across Battersby Moor and very soon we reached the gated tarmaced road that twists its way downhill to Kildale, with splendid views of Captain Cook's monument and a rather photogenic sheep.

As we approached Kildale there were a couple of signs to the camping barn (where Helen and Tom stayed last year). When we reached Kildale itself, the Post Office and 'shop that sells everything' (according to someone Helen and Tom had met) appeared to be shut (possibly permanently) but thankfully Glebe Cottage tea rooms were open, with Tina sitting outside. I had a cup of tea then we went for a walk up to the Church (very attractive, with interesting gargoiles) and the station (on the line from Middlesborough to Whitby). When we got back, just before 3pm, Andrea was sitting with Tina. I had another cup of tea, whilst Andrea had her soup, and we chatted to various other visitors including the father and daughter who we'd last seen at Vane House in Osmotherley. Andrea gave us a lift back to Newlands House then went out for the evening. We had another nice meal at The Bay Horse, though it was quite busy (not surprising given than it was a Friday).

Following day