Cleveland Way Walk, Fall 2022 – The last leg, from Scarborough to Filey Brig, and a visit to Scarborough Castle

September 23, 2022 – Scarborough to Filey Brig, 15.3 km, plus 2 km to access transport

Waking up in Scarborough, I really did not feel like heading out to finish the last leg of my journey as the nice round number of 100 miles to Scarborough seemed like a good enough achievement! I briefly considered cheating a bit by cutting across town to reduce the walk by a few kilometres, but that idea did not last long. I’d come this far, I may as well do the whole thing properly!

I headed down from my hilltop accommodation to Marine Drive where the road and adjacent pedestrian walkway curved towards and around the base of the large rock outcrop that Scarborough Castle sits upon. Again I had fine weather with wind, sun, and cloud, and within the first kilometre the wish to skip this last leg of my walk had already vanished.

The road curved around to the South Beach area of Scarborough with its marina and its array of shops and amusements for people on holiday.

The tide was out and a walk along the long beautiful beach held more appeal than a walk along the roadway so I descended to the sand.

It was a scenic walk with the morning sun shining brightly on attractive buildings (and attractions) on the shore.

This is Nicholas Gardens and to its left (out of frame) is a funicular that rises to the top of the hill.

Midway along the beach is the Scarborough Spa, a grand Victorian building that hosts a conference centre and seaside performance venue.

From midway along the beach one can see that the defensive walls of Scarborough castle that extend from one end of the hilltop to the other.

As I neared the far end of this gorgeous beach I took a last look back,

and then located the trail in the distance ahead of me which would climb to the top of the hill.

A Cleveland Way signpost let me know that I had 7.5 miles to go before Filey and I felt good and fit and ready for the walk.

This is the very beautiful wide sandy beach at Clayton Bay.

A woman that I met on the trail drew my attention to the concrete structures on the beach that were placed there during the Second World War. She said that it was feared that this beach might be used by the Germans as a landing beach and that “my dad’s army” had stationed soldiers in the boxes to watch the sea night and day. She also told me that on her walk the previous day she had seen a pod of dolphins in this bay – a much more welcome kind of sighting!

This view is taken looking back perhaps a third of the way along the beach (with Scarborough and its castle just visible on the headland beyond).

And this view is from near the very end of the beach. Wow!

Eyes forward now I admired this patch of shrubbery with its growth pattern shaped by the direction of the wind.

The trail stayed high for the entire walk today with just a few small dips and rises and I kept my eyes peeled for a possible sighting of dolphins.

Walking above this next beach I’m sure that I heard the moaning wail of seals but I could not distinguish their shapes from the shapes of the rocks.

All along this section I watched a Kestrel hunt. It hovered in the wind, spying its prey, then folded its wings in a flash like a falcon and dove at speed out of sight below the cliff top. I saw it dive multiple times and I also saw the kestrel severally harassed and chased by a small flock of crows. I have never seen crows fly so fast or so acrobatically!

Later, the trail led onto this long peninsula, with Filey Brig at its very end. I met a couple near here (sporting binoculars) and they told me that the kestrel has a mate nearby. Also, they had seen a large pod of dolphins just an hour earlier near here, not very far off shore.

I found myself slowing down to a crawl (figuratively, not literally!), and stopping often to look out to sea and also over to the fields and hills inland, very conscious that my walk would be ending soon.

And of course I also looked back and marvelled that I had walked all the way to here from the furthest peninsula that you can see in the distance, and much more before that. It’s amazing how far you can walk if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other!

Then, soon after, that was it! I was at the end. I didn’t feel a rush of emotion today like when I had arrived in Scarborough, just a quiet sense of contentment tinged with sadness that my time in Yorkshire was almost at an end.

September 24, 2022 – Scarborough Castle

The weather report had predicted rain for all of today and indeed it was raining when I woke up but by the time I sat down to breakfast much of the sky to the east had cleared and there was a giant rainbow outside my window! Scarborough Castle was only a ten minute walk from my accommodation, and on the way I made a quick stop to visit the grave of Anne Brontë who is buried in a nearby churchyard.

Then I was through the entrance gate of the Castle and walking up the cobbled road (whose walls used to be eighteen feet high) towards the keep that was built between 1158 and 1164 by order of King Henry II. Used as a royal residence, this 100 foot high keep stood strong until the English Civil War when the entire front of the keep was demolished by cannon fire from the Parliamentarian troops. The Royalists kept fighting (and they used the fallen stones from the keep as missiles against the enemy), but they eventually had to surrender because of illness among the defenders and dwindling water reserves.

The rear view of the castle looks almost like it could have been built yesterday instead of 900 years ago!

Near to the castle there were stairs that led to a viewing deck on the castle wall, with an excellent view down to South Scarborough,

and west looking down to the castle’s approach road and to the north shore beach.

The castle grounds cover over 16 acres, almost all of it a grassy meadow that is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. More than one hundred different species of grass grow here, as well as many wildflowers including some rare orchids. It must be amazing in the Spring! Mowed paths led through the grass to far-off corners of the site.

Here I am at the end of the headland where a 4th century Roman signal station once stood. The site and size of the tower and its surrounding defensive wall are marked by the raised levels of ground, and the stone foundations you see are the remains of a 16th century church, which itself was built on the site of a previous small chapel from about the year 1000.

I realize now that I was historically inaccurate when I wrote, “Light the fires I see a ship!” in an earlier post. I learned from the English Heritage audio guide that the fires in the Roman signal stations were always kept burning but that the windows were covered and then uncovered – messages were sent in a coded pattern of flashes of light. Amazing!

I walked the long length of the castle’s only surviving curtain wall and through the ruined remains of King John’s 13th century Royal Chamber Block which later became a barracks in the 18th century when the Jacobite Rebellion stoked fears of a possible invasion from Scotland.

Nearby were the foundations of King John’s Great Hall where business would have been conducted and where members of the court, honoured guests, merchants and pilgrims would have been welcomed, fed, and entertained.

Although very little of the castle’s buildings, towers, and walls remain, the audio guide brought episodes from the long and dramatic history of this place to life through stories and accounts. Part of that history is relatively recent and includes the morning of December 16, 1914, when three German warships fired upon the town of Scarborough and the castle. The castle walls and barracks suffered damage, and seventeen civilians died from the assault, including eight women and four children, and eighty were seriously injured. After that attack, “Remember Scarborough” became a rallying cry for recruitment.

The history here though goes back much farther than the history of the castle itself as this headland has been used for over 3000 years as a place of settlement and defence. A small museum displayed a collection of artefacts found here from the Neolithic (a flint scraper and flint flakes), the Iron Age (spindle whorls, glass beads, crucibles for melting metal), and the Bronze Age (mill stone, Axe head, pottery shards and a beautiful sword), as well as from the time of the Romans, the Vikings, and the Middle Ages.

After my visit to the castle, I spent the afternoon and evening in my studio suite and its local neighbourhood (cafe, groceries, launderette, blogging). I was happy and felt replete – I had completed my walk and had seen, learned, and appreciated so much. Thank you to the beautiful North York moors and coast, and to the Cleveland Way for gifting me with this marvellous adventure. Next stop, London!

Cleveland Way Walk, Fall 2022 – From Staithes to Sandsend and on into Fabulous Whitby

September 18, 2022 – 13.6 km from Staithes to Sandsend

I took the bus from Saltburn to Staithes and enjoyed the steep walk down into the village in the quiet of the morning.

I was tempted to spend a bit more time in this characterful place with its tightly packed and colourful cottages, but I was also ready to get going on the trail so I stoppped only for one quick photo of the harbour which today was full with the tide.

I found Church Street (Captain James Cook once lived here), began to climb, and was soon rewarded for my efforts by views down into the village and harbour.

I was so happy to be once again walking in the blustery wind on the clifftop.

This camper must really enjoy being close to the elements! The wind was howling and the sea was roaring as waves pummelled the base of the cliffs.

As for me, I kept to the relative safety of the path as I had miles to go, headlands to conquer, and hills to climb.

The trail stayed high up on the cliffs for several miles until it made a descent into Runswick Bay, another small fishing village, where someone kindly took my photo.

From here, the Cleveland Way continued along on the Runswick Bay beach and past some Hob holes which are natural caves that have been deepened by jet miners. In the old local folklore, Hobs are characters who live in the caves, some of whom are mischievous and some of whom are helpful. Apparently, if called upon correctly by a distraught mother, they can cure a baby of whooping cough!

My guidebook stated that “it is possible to walk across the beach safely at high tide” but, 90 minutes after the high tide, I definitely had to wait for a lull between the rollers in order to scamper quickly past the base of the cliff without getting my feet wet.

Just around the corner, the trail turned into a narrow ravine and climbed steeply back up and onto the clifftop, with views back down to Runswick Bay.

The trail then continued to stay high up on the cliff tops for most of the rest of the day’s walk. It was a quiet day, with few walkers, and I enjoyed the peace and solitude.

Though there were a few new friends to say hello to.

Gradually, the trail curved around a headland and down through a wood to reach the small village of Sandsend,

and from the beach there I had a misty view of Whitby in the distance with its abbey and St. Mary’s Church prominent on the headland.

I returned to Saltburn on the bus tired (in a good way), happy, and excited about the next day’s walk into Whitby.

September 19, 2022, 4.5 km from Sandsend to Whitby

I awoke to another cold, windy and overcast morning but by the time the bus had whisked me from Saltburn to Sandsend the sky was clearing and it looked to be another beautiful day on the Yorkshire Coast. From Sandsend, it was only a 4.5 km walk into Whitby.

I had planned for this short walk into Whitby in order to spend the rest of the day visiting the town and abbey. The abbey however was closed due to the National Day of Mourning to mark the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. I was able to check into my accommodation early at 11:30 a.m., and I considered staying in to watch the rest of the service for the Queen being held at Westminster Abbey, but the day was just too beautiful and so I decided to head out and return later to watch the procession to Windsor Castle and the service at Saint George’s Chapel.

Whitby is a marvellous place! Attractively set along and above the River Esk, it has a magnificent harbour, a famous abbey, many museums and churches, and associations with fishing, whaling, Captain James Cook, the crafting of jewellery from jet, important religious events and figures such as Saint Hilda, and literary associations the most famous of which is Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

From the top of the West Terrace I had a splendid view down to the harbour and across to the silhouettes of the abbey and Saint Mary’s Church on the opposite hill.

After descending several staircases I came upon the statue commemorating Captain James Cook who came to Whitby at the age of 18 to apprentice as a seaman. Cook’s three major voyages of exploration were made in the HMS Bark Endeavour and HMS Resolution ships, both of which were built in Whitby shipyards. Very near to his statue was a set of whale bones to represent the whaling industry which flourished here from 1753 to 1837. At its height, there were more than 55 whaling ships working from the harbour. Today, whale watching ships (a much kinder endeavour) take visitors out to spy Minke, Fin, Sei and Humpback Whales as well as dolphins, porpoise, and seals.

From there, more staircases took me down to Pier Road where I walked upriver past a series of fish and chip shops and arcades with names like “Pleasureland” and “Funland” towards the Whitby Swing Bridge over the River Esk.

Here is a view from the centre of the bridge looking downriver toward the harbour and the sea.

The bridge led me to the historic centre of Whitby with its cobbled streets, old buildings, and intriguing little alleyways and corners. All of the shops, and almost all of the cafes, restaurants, and pubs were closed for the National Day of Mourning but there were still many people strolling about and enjoying the exceptionally fine weather (although I managed to take my photos with few people in them!).

An uphill climb took me to the base of the famous 199 steps,

and from about a third of the way up there were these fine views towards the harbour and across the river to the West Terrace.

At the top of the stairs was Saint Mary’s Parish Church of Whitby, with the Caedmon Cross in its graveyard, and beyond that the abbey. Saint Mary’s Church is a setting in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” when the title character, in the guise of a large black dog, leaves a ship that has blown into Whitby Harbour (with its captain dead and its crew missing) and spends some time in a grave in the church yard. Twice a year, in the Spring and in October (near Halloween), Whitby hosts a very popular Goth festival.

Next, I descended the 199 steps and turned right at the bottom to head towards the east arm of the harbour pier.

It was so long! The first section was wide and made of large stone blocks. Here’s a view from about half way along its length.

And here’s a view down the coast. I’ll be walking on that headland on the way to Robin Hoods Bay. The waves were mesmerizing!

Next, I crossed over a bridge that led to the next, curving section of pier.

I walked out to the very end, and the walk back was just as exciting as the walk out with the wind and the waves and the views.

What fun! I returned to historic centre of town, crossed the Swing Bridge over the Esk, and walked upriver a short distance before deciding to save the rest of my energy for a walk out to the end of the west pier. This side of the harbour was busier with people, and there was a long line up at the one fish and chip shop that seemed to be open today.

I went to the very end again, and then as I made my return the beach to my right called to me. I found my way down onto the sand and walked along the beach until it was time to rise up to the West Terrace and my accommodation.

I felt good after my exploration of Whitby and its harbour, and back at my apartment I settled in to watch the procession of the Queen’s coffin to Windsor Castle as well as the ceremony in Saint George’s Chapel. BBC One Live had excellent coverage which included exceptional camera work and very informative, respectful, and minimal commentary. It was an inspiring and impressive procession and a very moving service and I was very glad to have watched them while here in Britain.

Cleveland Way Walk, Fall 2022 – I’m at the sea!

September 16, 2022

Hello friends and family. As many of you know, I am in the U.K. in order to walk the Cleveland Way which is a 175 kilometre National Trail that begins in Helmsley, North Yorkshire, crosses the North York moors, and then continues down the North York coast from Saltburn to Filey, passing through Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay and Scarborough. I have booked and had to cancel this walk twice before, once because of Covid and then again last Fall because of foot pain, but I am finally here! Actually, I’m more than here and am already halfway done having passed the midpoint of the walk sometime this morning!

I have made several attempts in the past week to get started on my posts but was hampered at various points by a somewhat foggy brain (from extended jet lag), and a lack of either energy or internet (it seemed to be that when I had one I did not have the other!). But today, having arrived at the blustery seaside town of Saltburn, I am determined to make a start even if it means that I am “starting in the middle”. I’m sorry but you will just have to wait for photos of the glorious North York moors – what a week of walking I have had!

Here, I’m on the clifftop at the Victorian-era seaside resort town of Saltburn on a bright sunny day with strong (and cold), wake-you-up winds coming from the northwest and gusting up to 50 km per hour! This is the view looking north of the wide sandy beach which stretches towards Redcar.

And here is the view looking south. I will be walking along those cliffs in the distance tomorrow as I continue my Cleveland Way walk south down the coast.

This is a zoomed in view of Saltburn’s pier which was 1500 feet long when it was first built between 1867 and 1869. Today the pier is 681 feet in length, having been damaged multiple times over the years by storms. It is the last remaining pleasure pier on the North East and Yorkshire coasts.

I descended part of the way down the cliff on a zigzag of stairs and stopped to take these photos of the colourful beach huts arranged in a cheerful line facing the sea.

A few brave souls had rented two of the first three cabins and were sitting rigidly in their camp chairs, all bundled up against the wind, determined to have their day at the seaside.

I stepped onto the lovely beach of golden sand and walked north for a good distance.

I stopped often to look out at the waves and at the puffs of sea foam that were being hurtled across the water and sand by the wind.

Then I turned south and walked back towards the pier.

What a beautiful structure!

I walked beneath the pier,

and then up and around to its entrance building which was filled with arcade games (there were a surprising number of adults trying to win small teddy bears and other toys with grapple hooks).

It was so exciting to step out onto the pier!

And as I approached the end…

a young couple were sharing kisses.

This was the exhilarating view to the south,

then out to sea,

and then to the north. What a day!

Brrrr! I made my way back down the pier and decided that the perfect finale to my afternoon would be to ride the funicular up the cliff to the town. After all, “fun” is in its name!

Opened in 1884, this “Lift to Town” is the oldest operating water-balanced funicular in Britain, and one of only three that remain in the country.

Here is the view looking down from the tram window as we rose up (while the second tram descended), and the ride was indeed fun.

Back on the clifftop, I explored Saltburn which was developed as a resort town in the late 1800s by an entrepreneur, Henry Pease, who was involved in the local ironstone mining industry and associated railways. The town still retains its Victorian-era character and charm with grand homes and buildings such as the Queen Hotel which was built in 1875 (top left).

My accommodation, however, is much more modest – a small studio suite that will be my cozy home-out-of-the-wind for three nights (yes, that’s a silhouette of a backpacker painted on the window). I will use Saltburn as a base from which to walk down the coast on the Cleveland Way and return each day by bus.

Well, it’s almost time for bed here in the U.K. so I’ll say goodnight. Thank you very much for joining me on the Yorkshire coast on this windy, blustery, fabulous day!