I have felt for some time now that there is a lack of up-to-date walks that are based in and around Whitby. Therefore, it has been a labour of love to compile a wide range that should suit ALL needs. They all radiate from Whitby, some are entirely on foot and others utilise the excellent local public transport network to get to the start/finish points.

It would be nice to think that some money for charity could be raised from all of this one day … and only one really came to mind (and in the hearts of many Whitby folk) … the RNLI. However, I have no stomach for crossing the commercial and copyright minefield that would ensue (a massive thanks to Tony D for offering to help me with this anyway!) ... when all I want to do is produce high-quality walks!

For each walk, a leaflet has been produced (with colossal help from Wojciech!) containing relevant information/statistics/points of interest. All are accompanied by the route on the latest (1:25,000) digital mapping.

Compiling the points of interest seemed to take me an eternity to produce … 99% of research is discarded and only the relevant is extracted! I have the urge to tell every single minute detail about the area (it’s like trying to condense ‘War & Peace’ onto 1/2 page of foolscap!). The limited space I have does however discipline me to only deliver bite-sized pieces (manageable to read and digest during the walk). I do tend to dwell on one particular topic, pertinent to the route, for each walk. This has allowed me to build up a comprehensive insight, over the full series of leaflets, into this fascinating part of the world … I love the final result!

PT = requires public transport / Car = suitable for self-driving to start & finish point

The lower the number, for EACH grade, the nearer to Whitby

STRENUOUS (A-GRADE):

0 – Whitby Circular via Littlebeck (valley/woodland) … “The Valley That Never Was”

–

1 – Whitby Circular via Mickleby (coastal/woodland) … ” Mad Cows & Englishmen”

–

2 – Hinderwell to Whitby via Boulby (coastal/woodland) … ” The Germans Are Coming” PT

–

3 – Scaling Dam to Whitby via Egton (moorland/valley) … “On The Radar” PT

–

4 – Hole of Horcum Circular via Lockton (moorland/valley) … “From Russia With Love” PT / Car

–

5 – Cloughton to Whitby via Robin Hood’s Bay (coastal) … ” Cliffs, Klaxons & Cloisters” PT

–

6 – Castleton to Glaisdale via Botton (moorland/valley) … ” ” PT

~

MODERATE (B-GRADE):

10 – Grosmont to Whitby via Beck Hole (valley/woodland) … “Stepping On Stone & Iron” PT

–

11 – Grosmont to Whitby via Sneaton (moorland/valley) … “Mule Train Over The Moors” PT

–

12 – Fylingthorpe to Whitby via Littlebeck (moorland/valley) … “True Or False?” PT

–

13 – Ravenscar to Whitby via Robin Hood’s Bay (coastal) … “” PT

–

14 – Staithes to Whitby via Runswick Bay (coastal) … ” ” PT

–

15 – Lealholm to Whitby via Grosmont (valley/woodland) … “A Fish Called Meander” PT

–

16 – Gerrick to Staithes via Loftus (woodland/coastal) … “” PT

–

17 – Levisham Circular via Keldy (moorland/valley) … ” ” PT
18
19

~

EASY (C-GRADE):

20 – Whitby Circular via Sandsend (coastal/woodland) … “Elephants & Castles”

–

21 – Fylingthorpe to Whitby via Hawsker Bottoms (coastal) … ” Wall Of Sound” PT

–

22 – Grosmont Circular via Goathland (valley/woodland) … “In God’s Own Country” PT

–

23 – Flask Inn to Hawsker via Robin Hoods Bay (coastal/woodland) … “Bang A Drum” PT

–

24 – Hole of Horcum to Fox & Rabbit via Dalby Forest (moorland/valley/woodland) … “xxx” PT

–

25 – Hole of Horcum to Pickering via Levisham (moorland/valley/woodland) … “Land Of The Giants” PT

–

26 – Scarborough via Weaponess (coastal/valley) … “I Promised You A Rose Garden” PT

–

27 – Thornton-le-Dale Circular via Dalby Forest (valley/woodland) … “Gone To The Dogs” PT / Car

can be used with walk D38

–

28 – xx (valley/woodland) … “xxx” PT

–

29 – Helmsley via Rievaulx (valley/woodland) … “Bonny Bobby Shafto” PT / Car

can be used with walk D39

~

VERY EASY (D-GRADE):

30 – Whitby Circular via Sandsend (coastal) … “Now You Sea It … Now You Don’t”

–

31 – Hawsker to Whitby via Ruswarp (valley/woodland) … “In The Footsteps Of Monks” PT

–

32 – East Barnby to Whitby via Sandsend (coastal/woodland) … “A Tale Of Three Castles” PT

–

33 – West Barnby to Whitby via Sandsend (valley/woodland) … “If You Dare Go Down In The Woods To-day …” PT

–

34 – Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby via Stainsacre (coastal/woodland) … “A Cinder Surprise” PT

–

35 – Runswick Bay to Whitby via Sandsend (coastal) … “Two Tunnels & A Funeral” PT

–

36 – Goathland to Grosmont via Beck Hole (valley) … “Do Spare The Horses” PT

–

37 – Pickering Circular via Scalla (valley/woodland) … “Pike, Paintings & Poachers” PT

–

38 – Thornton-le-Dale Circular via Dalby Forest (valley/woodland) … “Run Rabbit Run” PT

can be used with walk C37

–

39 – Helmsley Circular via Rievaulx (valley) … “Abbey Life” PT

can be used with walk C29

~

DISABLED-FRIENDLY:

40 – Whitby Circular … “A Perambulation Along The Promenade” PT

~

HISTORICAL TOWN WALK:

–

CLEVELAND WAY:

This is my take on this classic long-distance path. It is broken down into daily sections (of around 18 miles) and is crammed packed with up to date information, mapping and points of interest.

~

HISTORY WALKS

Grinkle Mine to Port Mulgrave Tramway (5.8 miles)

Grinkle Mine was an ironstone mine working the main Cleveland Seam. Initially, the ironstone was mined specifically for the furnaces at the Palmer Shipbuilders in Jarrow but later became independent of Palmers.

To enable the output from the site to be exported, a three-mile narrow-gauge tramway was constructed … it ran across three viaducts and through two tunnels to a harbour at Port Mulgrave, where ships would transport the ore to Tyneside.

During WWI, the threat of wartime action on the harbour led to a connection being built from Grinkle direct to the main Whitby to Loftus railway line just to the north of the mine head. Whilst this allowed for the closure of the port to shipping in 1917 (it was blown up!), the tramway stayed open to transport miners from Port Mulgrave to the mine site.

It first ceased production in 1921, with sporadic years of mining taking place. However, the mine was closed for good in 1930 and part of the site is now underneath the surface working of the more modern Boulby Potash Mine complex, though some buildings remain at ground level.

Our Walk … traces the course of the old tramway (over the tunnel sections). It starts in earnest deep inside Easington Woods and in the shadow of the giant Boulby Mine. Onto Ridge Lane, before dropping down into Roxby Woods and Dalehouse. Skirting Seaton Hall, the route heads for the clifftops before steeply descending down onto the beach at Port Mulgrave.

Loftus to Whitby Railway – our walk covers Runswick Bay to Whitby (x.x miles)

Whitby had already been connected to the national rail system via The Whitby and Pickering Railway since the 1830s.

The Whitby, Redcar & Middlesborough Union Railway was built between 1871 and 1886 and ran from Loftus to the River Esk at Whitby … connecting Middlesborough to Whitby along the coast.

For much of its journey, the line hugged the cliffs but had a troubled build, due to the proximity to the sea and the poor quality of the construction on many of its original bridges and viaducts. The line was closed to passengers in 1958, but the northern section to Boulby Potash Mine was re-opened in the 1970s. It was single track throughout, however, all stations (bar Sandsend) had passing loops.

Dwindling passengers ensued after the war years, the route was only popular during summer weekends. The line’s costs began to exceed revenue, this particularly applied to the viaducts and tunnels from Kettleness to Sandsend. In 1960 work began to dismantle the line, viaducts were sold for scrap metal and concrete was used in the construction of sea defences.

Our Walk … starts at Runswick Bay and faithfully follows the original line, along a relatively new ‘permissive path’ to Kettleness.

TO DO:

Tunnels Kettleness > Sandsend

Alum Works and viaducts Sandsend

Golf Course

Whitby New Housing Overbuild

The finale takes in the beginning of the Cinder Track at Stakesby Vale and heads in the direction of Scarborough. Our line diverts off to the right (Prospect Hill Junction) to swing around in a semi-circle to go under Larpool Bridge and alongside the existing Esk Valley line. It is possible to trace the course, but DO NOT proceed beyond Larpool Bridge … to avoid trespassing!