Monday 15th May 2000
( weather: warm & humid & a couple of rainstorms )
Today's walk: Great Ayton - Kildale - Captain Cook's Monument - Roseberry Topping
( 9 miles )
Today's walk begins at the village green, Great Ayton ( Grid Ref: 563 107 )
Today was a
'practice walk' to prepare the route for the annual Charity Walk
arranged at my workplace
which will take place on Saturday 10th June in aid of the
Cleveland Search and Rescue Team
( Let's hope we don't require their assistance! )
From near the village green we set off in an south-easterly direction and go along the quiet, narrow road to Little Ayton
Just before the
bridge over the River Leven (above) we turn left and go past
Brookside Farm
- then we follow the farm track straight ahead and over the
railway bridge before turning right along a narrow lane . . .
. . . which leads us to a field track and then through masses of flowering gorse with its distinct scent of 'coconut'
We continue south-east straight along the path enjoying fine views to the south of the Cleveland Hills
We then enter Mill Bank Wood and follow the forest track for the next mile or so . . .
. . . until emerging near Bankside Farm as the weather dulls in and it begins to spit with rain
Here we turn left
up the steep narrow road for a few hundred yards until we reach a
Cleveland Way signpost and turn left
into more forest - soon after we leave the forest track at
another CW sign and follow a narrower path for the next mile or
so
Here we look back
east along the Cleveland Way path with lovely views of Kildale in
the distant right
as the sun begins to shine again
The path soon emerges from the forest onto Easby Moor and takes us along to Captain Cook's Monument
( At least we can see it clearly today! )
Turning north at the Monument we continue along the Cleveland Way path on Easby Moor
From here we enjoy
what is one of my most favourite views on the North York Moors
- what a pity Bex, Paul and Margaret, our new friends from
America, were up here in the mist last week
Continuing down the track we see ahead the short, stiff climb up onto Great Ayton Moor from Gribdale Gate
From Great Ayton Moor we get a good view north-west towards Roseberry Topping . . .
. . . and from the same spot, look back south to Easby Moor and the Monument and the distant, hazy Cleveland Hills
At a gate ( Grid
Ref: 588 128 ) we turn down the path to the base of Roseberry
Topping
as stormy skies threaten to give us a soaking
Today we were lucky
- that particular rainstorm missed us and after turning south at
the bottom of Roseberry Topping
we follow the track towards Airy Holme Farm.
From its southern slopes and looking back we enjoyed this unusual
flat-topped profile of the 'Cleveland Matterhorn'
After turning right just before the farm buildings and crossing a couple of fields, we enter Cliff Ridge Wood . . .
. . . and enjoy one of the finest displays of bluebells I've seen for years . . .
. . . as they literally 'carpeted' the wooded hillside
After sheltering in
the wood during a short, sharp shower we emerge to cross a few
pleasant meadows
and follow our path back to the village of Great Ayton
Today we rewarded ourselves at the end of the walk with a bag of fish and chips!
........
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