Cleveland Way (Part 7) - Runswick Bay to Robin Hood's Bay: 21 August 2010
- Distance
- 15½ miles
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Location
- Runswick Bay … Map of start point
- Leader
- Andy
Meeting at Robin Hood's Bay, we set off in cars to Runswick, with Andy trying to (ahem) impress his passengers, and everyone else being sensible… We set off for the longest section of the Cleveland Way, and the one that would pose the biggest challenge we had yet encountered – battling through the crowds in Whitby. On a Saturday. In the middle of the summer. On the day of the Whitby Regatta festival.
The path snaked down the hillside to the pretty village of Runswick Bay, nestling at the foot of the cliffs and looking out over a stunning sandy beach. Our route took us along the beach, and fortunately it was low tide so there was plenty of beach to walk on. After about half a mile, the path turned up the narrow gorge of Hob Holes, then climbed steeply to the top of the cliffs – the map says it was only 100m but it felt like a lot more! We then followed the clifftops past Kettleness, and the alum spoil heaps along the shoreline that gave some indication of the area's industrial heritage. After a few miles, we carefully descended a steep flight of steps (with wobbly handrail) to join the old railway line, giving us an easy, flat route on to Sandsend.
At Sandsend, we again dropped down onto the beach, and after a stop for lunch, carried on to Whitby. The path took us up the hillside to the Whalebones, where we found morris dancers and a crowd of about a bazillion people. We fought our way through, carried on down the Khyber and along the front. Or at least, tried, to, as it was more crowded than it had been at the top. On Emma's recommendation, we stopped for ice creams at the Beacon Farm stall (and I think we would all back that recommendation!), then crossed the bridge to the east bank. Unbelievably, it was even more crowded again. Feeling like we'd taken a wrong turning and found ourselves on the London Underground, we battled through, and climbed the 199 steps to rest and re-group by the abbey.
After a short detour around the graveyard, aiming for a bit of the path that fell into the sea several years ago, we were back on track, following the path along the clifftops for the remaining miles to Robin Hood's Bay. While those of us who had left cars at Runswick went to fetch them, the rest of the group joined the queue for fish and chips … and when we returned an hour later, they were nearly at the front of the queue! And there is no better way to finish a walk than sitting on the beach at Robin Hood's Bay eating fish and chips!
Photos by Stevie