This was a continuation of the walk from Creswell to Clowne on the Clowne Greenway, a former railway line. It was a lucky day, with sunny big blue skies and clouds formations, walking from Clowne to Markham Vale.
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You can park in the free car park next to the Nag’s Head pub in Clowne and you’re right next to the Greenway:
Unlike the Creswell to Clowne section of the Greenway, this part does gradually open out onto countryside which makes it a little more interesting.
Then it’s onwards to the joy of the the countryside but the gradual roar of traffic on the M1 motorway:
Until it really is loud!
And finally to Markham Vale where I turned back. The whole area has been transformed into storage units because of its proximity to the motorway. I’m not so keen on pavement walking with cars and lorries roaring by.
There are lots of other walks west of Markham Vale, heading south to Chesterfield and north to the outskirts of Sheffield and it’s also close to the Trans-Pennine Way, which I’ll explore at a later date.
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a walk! I’ll try hard to catch up where I’ve been (or not been) over the next few whiles… unfortunately knee problems have limited some of my trips to more local and shorter hobbles.
So this is Staithes, which I visited in November 2022 but the weather was windy and I’m a chicken when it comes to gales and cliff walks so I didn’t get far. I also made a brief trip in the car to Runswick Bay on the same day and the pictures are here.
I’d been itching since then to get back there and this is a walk between the two seaside towns. The weather started off rather grey and forbidding but soon changed to sun, blue skies and beautiful cloud formations and made for a delightful walk.
Just a warning: don’t try this walk in trainers as it’s quite muddy and slippy. I came across two walkers, one with walking boots, the other wearing trainers. You can probably guess which one didn’t enjoy the walk at all?
I parked in Bank Top Car Park in Staithes: it’s worth it to pay for 12 hours parking as that gives time to get to your destination, avoid mishaps and find places you didn’t know existed and enjoy them without worrying about time.
Up the hill to the cliffs…
An example of how muddy it can be!
Once up on the cliffs you get a lovely view of Staithes and its harbour:
And then it’s off down south along the coast. The weather was cold and gusty and bleak but in my eye still beautiful:
Fortunately a bit of blue sky appeared and the day started to brighten up:
And it continued to improve becoming very pleasant:
A view of Port Mulgrave. As you might guess, there used to be a port here, where iron ore was exported around the world. There’s not much left of the port but it would be worth exploring the area more?
Whoever put the bench here deserves a medal. And I did sit a while and enjoy the view:
Some more steps to test the knees but the view distracts…
Along the coast. It was one of those ‘bog skies’ days that I love so much and the clouds did not disappoint!
Then down the very steep hill to Runswick Bay. This is not good on knees but it’s worth it. Eventually.
Runswick Bay really is a beautiful spot.
The beach stroll was followed by strawberry and chocolate ice cream from the cafe and very nice it was too.
Then it was back up that hill! Fortunately there are a few benches to rest on. I’ll adnit to gasping a bit and hanging on to the rail for dear life. Looking back, the view still makes the incline worthwhile.
There is a car park down near the beach if such hills present too much of a challenge…
A great walk and a mix of changeable weather that reveals the beauty of the area. Start off early to avoid the crowds, especially when the weather is fine early on.
We’re delighted to be back at The Garage Chilwell on Sunday 18th February 2024 for our first visit as Up Hill Down Dale Art with unique art, prints, greeting cards and notebooks inspired by the natural world.
