Terry Smith's Photo Walks

The Walk: The Cleveland Way which runs from Helmsley to Filey Brigg is an 109 miles long-distance walk which
becomes 110.5 miles when a couple of optional detours are added. It is set in and around the North York Moors
National Park. It is in two distinct sections, the first is mainly a moors path and the second is wholly a coastal path. On
offer are some wonderful views, classic coastal villages and interesting historical sites.

Today's Walk 21st May 2008: Helmsley to Sutton Bank a 10.5 mile walk including the first optional extension to
White Horse, Kilburn. Total ascent 1,125 feet.

Map: Explorer OL26 North York Moors, Western Area.

Weather: Starts off with a grey leaden sky, improves later in the day. Dry.

We planned to complete the walk in two seperate stages. The first taking us across the Cleveland Hills
and Moors to the coast at Saltburn. Then going away to let our blisters heal and returning in July to
walk the coastal path to Filey Brigg. There was 5 days walking on the first stage and 4 on the coastal
stage.

A few minutes into the walk and we turn around for a view of Helmsley Castle. Above us the sky is grey and leaden -
Welcome to the British summer of 2008. Now I remember (just) Eddie Cochran singing There Ain't No Cure For The
Summertime Blues. But it's not that bad really. The weather stays dry, the air is fresh and we do get to see plenty sunhine long
before we reach Filey

After approx 2.5 miles we pass Rievaulx Abbey on our right (GR577848). Built by Cistercian monks it dates from the 12th century
and is in a lovely setting. It has to be said that the monks that built these wonderful buildings certainly knew a good site when
they saw one. You can still make out in places parts of the short canals that were used to bring the locally quarried stone to the
site. Nearby are fish lakes used by the Abbey cooks. Meat couldn't be eaten on Holy Days and as almost every other day was a
Holy Day fish was an important part of their diet. Above the Abbey and with a fine view of it are the Rievaulx Terraces complete
with 2 temples (one of which was used for dining). Built by the Duncombe family (who also owned Helmsley Castle and
Duncombe Park) in the 18th century, the family and guests paraded up and down the terraces and dined in one of the temple
buildings.

A couple of miles on and I was suprised to see this man (with his wife) walking towards us. I
had worked for the same employer as Bruce in Newcastle and hadn't seen him for several
years. He and his wife were caravanning in the area. It was good to see him and catch up on
some gossip, before we continued on our seperate ways.

Soon we crossed the A170 road and headed through a wood then onto the edge of the Hambleton Hills
towards the White Horse at GR 513814. After seeing this we returned keeping to the edge of the
Hambleton Hills until we re-crossed the A!70 to the car park at Sutton Bank GR 516831. That was the end
of our first days walking.