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Walk the Cleveland Way in Yorkshire

• 40th birthday celebration
• Trail talkers photos
• Ravenscar 6 mile circular walk  
• Earthcaching
• Walker friendly places to stay
• Walking the whole 109 miles
  

40th Birthday Celebration

The Cleveland Way is 40 years old this year. On 24 May 1969 it became Britain's second official long-distance path, following the opening of the Pennine Way four years earlier.

So how has it changed? For one thing it's become much easier to follow. Back in 1969 the philosophy was that long distance routes were for hardy hikers - signposts were to be placed few and far between at locations where map reading might be difficult.  Big rucksacks heavy with tents and stoves were the order of the day. 

Today we manage the Cleveland Way for everyone - there are frequent signs and a clear path to follow.  Our walkers come in all different varieties.  Some like to do it in style, staying at good B&Bs and having their luggage brought on each day by a baggage handling company, while many like to enjoy shorter walks just for the day. But there's still a place for the hardy hiker seeking the thrill and challenge of being exposed to some of the most outstanding scenery in Britain.

For this year's birthday, plans are in progress for the whole route to be walked in one day in ten stages.  We've also produced another Try Trail circular walk, this time from Great Ayton. It's a fairly strenuous 7.3 miles and includes 'Yorkshire's Matterhorn' - aka Roseberry Topping. Great Ayton station on the Esk Valley Line is an alternative start point. If you're heading for the coast then print off our 6 mile Ravenscar Round Try a Trail before you go.

Trail talkers photos

Yorkshire Post photographer Tony Bartholomew's been out on the Trail at Clay Bank near Great Broughton snapping people talking about why it's so special to them.

"It totally clears the mind, but not just while you're up here. Back down, things also seem a lot more sorted too!..."

Helen Patterson - production team worker from Stockton, Teesside.

"When I'm working miles out at sea, this is what I dream of - and can't wait to return to..."

John Davies - oil platform worker from Guisborough, Cleveland.

"Our perfect day off. An early start, up into the hills under clear skies, then down for a tasty lunch..."

Liam Denny - police officer from Middleton St George, Durham.

"I've walked many trails, including amazing Alpine passes. But my favourite? It's got to be the Cleveland Way..."

Mark Jones (left) - swimming attendant and instructor from Middlesbrough, Cleveland.

"My antidote to stress? Get out into those wide open spaces, even just for a short burst. No worries!..."

Jayne Jobling - nursing sister from Ingleby Barwick, Cleveland.

Ravenscar 6-mile circular walk 

If you'd like to try a coastal section of the Cleveland Way as part of a 6 mile round walk from Ravenscar at the southern end of Robin Hood's Bay (between Whitby and Scarborough), then download our easy to follow guide.

You can also buy Six of the Best packs of circular walks, one for the coast and one for the inland section of the Trail, from the National Park's online shop.

Buy Books & Guides

Six of the Best - Along the Coast »

Six of the Best - Enjoying the Moors »

Earthcaching

The Cleveland Way has become the first long distance route in the UK to have a series of educational Earthcaches. Earthcaching, an off-shoot of the adventure game Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing), is treasure hunting for caches that the Earth has stored and, unlike geocashing, does not use stored containers; their treasure is what people learn about our planet when they visit the site. Anyone with a GPS unit can try to locate each of the eight caches, collecting the geological and industrial heritage information (and photographs) necessary to 'claim a find', without having to leave the well waymarked trail.

These Earthcaches are listed below; you can see them and the questions that need to be answered by logging onto http://www.geocaching.com/ and using the GC codes:-

1. GC1G4TX - THE GLACIER HAS GONE
2. GC1G4VA - THE WAINSTONES
3. GC1G4VE - IRONSTONE MINING
4. GC1HGB7 - ALUM WORKING AT BOULBY
5. GC1HNE2 - DEFENDING RUNSWICK
6. GC1JA3P - IT'S RAVENSCAR'S FAULT
7. GC1JNXJ - CORNELIAN BAY
8. GC1JNZV - FILEY BRIGG

Nobody has yet claimed them all while walking the whole route - a special place is reserved for their name in the "Roll of Honour", part of the Filey Brigg earthcache.

Walker friendly places to stay

When you're looking for somewhere to stay that's welcoming to walkers, look for accommodation displaying VisitBritain's Walkers Welcome logo.

These establishments have been assessed for extra facilities like a room to dry wet clothes in and much more to meet your needs.

Walking the whole 109 miles (176km)

The Cleveland Way runs between Helmsley and Filey Brigg for 109-miles and takes about 9 days to complete. The Cleveland Way pages on the main National Trails website tell you all need to know to plan your walking holiday, including where to stay along the way and guidebooks and maps to buy.

If you can manage another 48 miles walking between Scarborough and Helmsley across the Tabular Hills, then you'll be completing a circuit around the North York Moors National Park, and able to travel by train to Scarborough, Whitby, Saltburn, Great Ayton or Kildale to start it.

The Tabular Hills Walk guidebook (with OS mapping) is on sale in the National Park's online shop.

Filey Brigg is also the northern end of the Yorkshire Wolds Way, so why not keep going for another week of waking on one of Yorkshire's Top Trails?