Author Topic: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)  (Read 5136 times)

WhitstableDave

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Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« on: 15:30:09, 25/04/20 »
I've just completed the first of what will probably be eleven stages of the Cleveland Way national trail... by treadmill. As with my recent Pembrokeshire Coast Path walk, I plot the route on my PC, then watch the way unfold before me using Google Street View on the treadmill.

The Cleveland Way is about 110 miles in length and I've decided to do it in 10 mile sections. Today, I started in Helmsley and ended somewhere to the east of Boltby. Perhaps, like me, you had no idea where these places are (or even where the trail is located), so I'd better explain that the Cleveland Way does a sort of horseshoe route around the outside of the North York Moors National Park with the second half (when going clockwise as I am) heading south along the coast between Saltburn-by-the-Sea to just past Scarborough.



It took me a while to find the stone sculpture by the car park in Helmsley that marks the start/finish of the Cleveland Way:



I know it's early days yet, but I was a bit underwhelmed by today's section - there being little difference between this and any of a million other walks in the English countryside. If I'd arrived home after this walk and my wife had asked if I'd enjoyed it, I'd probably have said, "It was okay, thanks."

There were three distinct parts. Early on, the path went around field boundaries and through narrow sections of woodland...



...then it spent a good two or three miles on tarmac - pleasant enough, but nothing special - and I went through just the one village, Cold Kirby.



The best part of the walk was the last bit, where the views opened up towards the west. From Helmsley, the path gained height steadily, though never steeply, and the views were the reward! The area where I took the photo below is in the Sutton Bank National Park Centre where there's a big car park and there were a lot of people around admiring the views.



Tomorrow's walk will take me north to just beyond Osmotherley...  :)
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Bhod

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #1 on: 20:27:37, 25/04/20 »
Yeah the first part is pretty boring to say the least, Osmotherley onward is quite nice with some good views once you get onto the 'high' moors.

Does your treadmill actually compensate for gradients?  You'll need a stairmaster in places  O0
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tonyk

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #2 on: 22:04:38, 25/04/20 »
 
Quote
I know it's early days yet, but I was a bit underwhelmed by today's section - there being little difference between this and any of a million other walks in the English countryside. If I'd arrived home after this walk and my wife had asked if I'd enjoyed it, I'd probably have said, "It was okay, thanks."

 Must have done the entire route at least ten times.I usually take around a week but have done it in three days when pushed for time. Its a good backpacking route as there are plenty of places to wild camp.

WhitstableDave

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #3 on: 13:12:42, 26/04/20 »
Yeah the first part is pretty boring to say the least, Osmotherley onward is quite nice with some good views once you get onto the 'high' moors.

Does your treadmill actually compensate for gradients?  You'll need a stairmaster in places  O0

I'll be writing up today's section shortly, so for now I'll just say that it's been very pleasant and I liked Osmotherley.  :)

The treadmill only elevates to a maximum of 12%, but I compensate for steeper climbs by never dropping below 4 mph.
« Last Edit: 14:34:20, 26/04/20 by WhitstableDave »
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Toxicbunny

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #4 on: 13:44:34, 26/04/20 »
I walk parts of this regular far better non virtual though. The best part for me is osmotherley to flyingdales area.

WhitstableDave

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #5 on: 14:42:00, 26/04/20 »
I walk parts of this regular far better non virtual though. The best part for me is osmotherley to flyingdales area.
I think that most walks are probably far better in real life.  ;)
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WhitstableDave

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #6 on: 14:42:34, 26/04/20 »
Day 2 of my treadmill trek along the Cleveland Way was from somewhere near Boltby to about a mile past Osmotherley.

My apologies for the rotated map, but I wanted to save space...



The walk continued along the ridge from where I ended yesterday for a couple of miles and the views to the west were again quite excellent. After three miles I arrived at the heather-covered moors and at last the scenery was what I'd come to see. The weather was better today as well; yesterday was mostly wintertime whereas today was definitely late summer!  :)

Nice as this landscape is, the basic view was unchanged for more than five miles: Left-to-right - dry stone wall, heather, path, heather.  :)



Eventually, the path descended to go past a small conifer plantation...



...then across a bit more moorland, some very pleasant farmland, and into the delightful village of Osmotherley:



I stopped for today about a mile past Osmotherley with the path seemingly heading back up to the moors.
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rural roamer

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #7 on: 15:26:36, 26/04/20 »
Gosh the heather comes out early there!  ;D
We had planned on possibly stopping our first night at High Paradise Farm which is on the route near Boltby. Did you see it? That’s as far as we got with the planning before the lockdown! Looking at your reports with interest.

richardh1905

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #8 on: 16:09:22, 26/04/20 »
A nice part of the world. My aunt lived for many years in Over Silton, just to the west of the route.


The pubs are good too  ;)
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WhitstableDave

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #9 on: 17:56:39, 26/04/20 »
Gosh the heather comes out early there!  ;D
We had planned on possibly stopping our first night at High Paradise Farm which is on the route near Boltby. Did you see it? That’s as far as we got with the planning before the lockdown! Looking at your reports with interest.

Funny you should mention High Paradise Farm. I went through it and thought that it looked very nice!  :)


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Bhod

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #10 on: 21:06:34, 26/04/20 »
So that's what Osmotherley looks like in the daylight,  been so long since I've been there in the full light of day. ;D , my last three visits have been at around midnight'ish to start the Lyke Wake Walk  O0   
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Mel

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #11 on: 22:33:33, 26/04/20 »
Awwww heather!  Loverrrrlllly  :smitten:   I'm glad the heather's in bloom for you.  If you sniff a jar of honey as you walk it you can get the full effect of it's wonderful purpliefied loveliness  :D


I'm going to enjoy armchair ambling along this LDP  :)

WhitstableDave

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #12 on: 14:29:30, 27/04/20 »
Day 3 of my treadmill travels along the Cleveland Way and it just gets better and better - and tougher too! Today's walk was the most strenuous I've done yet on the treadmill.



From Osmotherley, the path immediately climbed steeply through farmland and woodland up to the moors; there was no easing into the walk today! 



There were occasional dips down into woods and farmland for a while, but before long the trail stayed on the heather-clad high ground... ground which rose and fell, but the trend was always up!:



A viewpoint with a truly spectacular view from Cringle Moor:



An imposing rocky crag called the Wainstones:



I ended today's walk by a road where the elevation is relatively low. I've just discovered that on the next leg of the walk, I'll immediately be heading up to Urra Moor, which I understand is the highest point in the North York Moors. I'm beginning to look forward to the coastal section!  :)
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Mel

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #13 on: 18:52:27, 27/04/20 »
Ahhh, some familiar views now  :)


Glad you're finding it not as easy as you expected  :D

April

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Re: Walking the Cleveland Way (virtually!)
« Reply #14 on: 21:12:12, 27/04/20 »
Just spotted this thread  :)  looks like a nice walk Dave, enjoy  O0  Love the heather, it is early flowering this year but things are all upside down this year.
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