Category: Yorkshire

Sewerby, Bridlington to (not quite) Flamborough Head – November 2023

This was fantastic walk from Sewerby around the coast and heading to Flamborough Head by the England Coastal Path. I was lucky with the weather but the going was hard work as you head north and the trail turns to heavy, wet mud. The path is mainly turf, or quagmire, dependent on the local drainage.

A spell of dry weather and no more rain from storms like Storm Ciarán (around the time of the walk) would help!

I parked next to the Methodist Church in Sewerby. Foolishly, the council close the public car park in the winter and it isn’t accessible until March next year. Expect to be sniffed at by lots of well-behaved dogs but they, and their owners soon fall behind as you head north.

As seems to be typical walking off the North Sea, thye day started grim and obvercast. It still looks beautiful in my eyes, but it was pleasant to see blue skies gradually appear, miraculously as forecast…

The approach to Danes Dyke Beach:

It’s an beach full of chalk cliffs and the sea has rounded the chalk stones into many different sized ‘egg’ shapes.

Then it’s up and steps (yet again…) but the day was distinctly improving with blue skies and white clouds slowly appearing:

And just about to spot South Landing Beach in the distance:

It’s another beautiful spot with large limestone rocks rounded by the sea.

Ascending again:

At this point it has become a beautiful day with big blue skies and clouds (my favourite)…

Unfortunately the path starts to turn into mud at this stage and walking is hard work!

I battled on, enjoying scenery but not the footing:

This is where I stopped and turned back. The ground was seriously muddy and claggy which saps energy. Ahead was a sharp incline that I would have had to slither down on my backside with little chance of getting back up it!

The last picture picture before turning back:

I walked to Flamborough village and caught the bus back to Sewerby. Timetable here.

It’s a beautiful place but the path is walkable dependent on the weather. November 2023 had a shocking amnount of rain and named storms, so it’s no surprise the ground was in such a state. It woulkd be nice to go back in drier conditions.

And lastly, some videos of the walk:

Lakeside Village Outlet Shopping – Doncaster – Saturday 4th May 2024

We’re at Lakeside Village Outlet Shopping – Doncaster on Saturday 4th May 2024. It’s accessible through Doncaster or from the M18.

9am to 5pm. We’ll be outside the ‘Baggage Factory’.

We’ll have art, photography, prints and greeting cards. Plus a couple of books…

Staithes to Runswick Bay – March 2024

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…

I caught the X4 bus opposite Runswick Bay Hotel back to Staithes. At the moment, fares are only £2 so cheap and quick!

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.

A Little Bit of Runswick Bay, North Yorkshire Coast – November 2022

These are a few pictures of Runswick Bay on the North Yorkshire Coast taken in November 2022. It’s about 2.5 miles by car from Staithes and a 3 mile walk on the Cleveland Way.

You can get a bus back to Staithes or down the coast south to Scarborough and beyond. Check the timetables – be aware they might change!

It’s a very beautiful spot but I imagine it would be very busy in the summer. It being November and a windy day, there were hardly any people about – which is nice!

And lastly, a video of the bay…

A Little Bit of Staithes, North Yorkshire Coast – November 2022

This was a feeble attempt to carry on walking part of the Cleveland Way, which runs down the North Yorkshire Coast from Filey in the south to Saltburn-by-the Sea and then inland to the North York Moors National Park.

Have a look here for more information.

I’d already walked Saltburn-by-the Sea to Skinningrove and then Skinningrove to Staithes, so I wanted to walk the next stage, from Staithes to Sandsend, just north of Whitby. I’d already walked north from Robin Hoods Bay to Whitby previously.

Unfortunately I’d caught Covid about four weeks before but with everything booked and I still went to ‘try’. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak, so I ended up pootling around Staithes, tea and cake and then up the hill to think about walking some of the Cleveland Way south.

You’ll see from the last video at the end of this post how windy it was and how unwise it would have been to try, so close to the cliff edge.

So, here’s a little bit of Staithes instead…

And up and up that hill…

Once up on the cliff, I ended up hanging on to fence posts as the gusts were so intense and then chickened out. It’s a fabulous view and a proper walk for another day.

So it was back to the car and across Staithes by back alleys…

And the only clue that trains once used to run to Staithes: the remains of a railway bridge…

Here’s the videos including the wild winds!

Skinningrove to Staithes, North Yorkshire – June 2022

This was the next stage of a walk from Saltburn-by-the-Sea to Skinningrove – the last post.

There’s a free car park right next to the sea in Skinningrove, so take your pick of the lovely beach (to the north) or walk along the cliffs to Staithes, which is what I did.

It’s up a steep set of steps but the view on the way up and at the top is more than worth it…

In the distance, there’s Hummersea House…

But first, it’s nice to make a new friend:

It turns out that Hummersea House has an interesting history linked to its inhabitants, the development of geology and the geology of the area in particular, which is rich in metals:

Besides that, the view is spectacular (if a bit steep)!

I spotted the sign for the Alum Quarries, now owned by National Trust, so I diverted off the Cleveland Way and into a blasted landscape.

It’s a very alien landscape and I half expected to see some monster out of ‘Doctor Who’ appear around the corner. But even here, a bleak and alien place, has examples of love:

Then it’s a scramble to get back up to the Cleveland Way.

Back on to the cliff top…

A little further on, there’s a poem by ‘Ted’, written for his lost love:

Pauline

In Spring I saw you

Your eyes shone like dew

In summer we shared

A love we had so true

In Autumn they told us

There’s nothing we can do

It became winter when you left

Ted

There’s an article from the local newspaper about the poem.

Then it’s onwards to Staithes.

Towards the end, there’s a tribute to the miners whose hard work has reshaped the landscape. Apparently some of the mines are still used for Dark Matter Research:

And another friend made… too quick for the camera!

I haven’t really done Staithes justice in the last few pictures. By that stage I admit to being ‘knackered’ but it’s a beautiful place which I will return to.

Then it was the bus back near to Skinningrove. You’ll notice how some of the streams run orange because of the mining of iron ore in the past:

Saltburn to Skinningrove, North Yorkshire – June 2022

This was a short break away for a few days and the walk started near The Ship pub in Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Park in the Saltburn Miniature Railway car park – you’ll have to pay!

Climbing up and then along the cliffs… it’s great to see wildflowers in bloom.

It was a day for dramatic clouds and blue skies with seagulls wheeling above:

There’s a fascinating tribute to the industries, interests and trades of the area – mining, fishing and pigeon racing being some of them.

You’ll also see the train line which once linked Saltburn to Skinningrove, but now re-purposed to serve the nearby British Steel plant:

Then the descent to Skinningrove Bay…

Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby – November 2021

This was a walk in north Yorkshire from Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby via the Cleveland Way on an unusually sunny and warm day in November 2021. It’s got to be one of my favourite walks with blue sky full of many different sorts of clouds and dark seas below. At times, it was very blustery but remained warm.

It’s hard to get very good pictures with the sun so low in the sky and I struggled to take them without my shadow appearing! My camera, an antique Canon 30D takes good pictures but it does benefit from stronger sunlight. I’m still pleased with many of the pictures but it doesn’t quite capture the glory of the day.

It was at this point I did think about turning back. The streams (know locally as becks) means many descents and ascents on the Cleveland Way. There was a bit of a bit of muttering about ‘the joy of becks’ at this stage. The steps can be very slippery, especially the sections that are smoothed stone covered in mud.

I thought I’d walked further but I’d only done less than half way. Fortunately I’m stubborn, so I carried on and hoped for more level walking. Silly me!

God bless Colin Thompson and his bench!

I’m not sure it’s wise to obstruct the first view of Whitby Abbey from the south with a caravan park:

After that, it’s the descent via the 199 Steps to Whitby.

To be honest, I didn’t find Whitby very inspiring, hence no pictures. If you like places full of older, aimless and bored tourists looking in shop windows, it will suit you well. The lack of friendliness and engagement is a complete contrast to that of walkers I met on the way.

The bus back to Robin Hood’s Bay was welcome!

It’s the most wonderful walk along the coast with beautiful views and big skies but it is a challenge if you aren’t very fit (like me). However, I’d do it again like a shot!

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

Ravenscar to Robin Hood’s Bay and Back Again – November 2021

This was a walk in north Yorkshire from the hamlet of Ravenscar along the cinder track of the former Scarborough to Whitby railway line to Bay itself and then back via a section of the Cleveland Way.

The day started misty and dark but ended up as a glorious day with sun and blue sky – very unusual for November.

The cinder track mostly stays in shade this time of year so it’s a good deal cooler and damper than on the seafront cliff edge which catches the low winter sun. However, it’s a relatively easy walk, about 5.5 miles gently sloping down to Robin Hood’s Bay and into Bay itself.

Be warned that if you’re thinking of eating in Bay, many places are closed for the season or opening times are later. Both fish and chip shops don’t open until 4.30pm, so no treat for me!

I walked back by the Cleveland Way to Ravenscar. I found it very challenge as the trail descends down to where local streams (known locally as ‘becks’) run into the sea. The trail is well looked after and has steps but it is hard work getting up and down these inclines. It’s probably not for the faint-hearted or if you have dodgy knees or a bad back!

On a positive note, the views are spectacular. Spot the pillbox falling into the sea and the myserious standing stones, if you can!

The sunset was what you might call ‘unusual’.

I was out walking for over eight hours and returned to my car completely shattered but very happy. If I’d known, I’d had probably walked the Cleveland Way section first and then come back via the cinder track.

C’est la vie!

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

The Rest of Spurn Head, East Riding – August 2021

I really enjoyed going to Spurn Point a couple of weeks ago. The post and pictures are here.

I didn’t get to walk much of it because of problems with my foot and I was unprepared for the walk! The herculean task awaited and I couldn’t resist the challenge. Seven hours and 8.5 miles later I got back to the car with sunburn, a sore back, knees and foot but happier than I’ve been in ages.

It’s a peculiar place. The further south you walk, the more lonely it feels. The washed away road lies in huge rafts of concrete scattered around like toys for giants. The remnants of Spurn Head’s history are also scattered about: the ruins of fortresses and the worn remains of anti-Tank blocks from the Second World War litter the beaches at low tide.

There’s eroded brickwork and mysterious concrete shapes everywhere.

Nearly everything made by human hand is in ruin leading to more impression of desolation, the exception being the RNLI station and housing for their staff. It leads to some reflection on the futility of battling the sea and how we tend to think we have mastery of nature.

On a more positive note, nature bursts forth everywhere and it is overwhelming Spurn Head’s history, good and bad.

Happily the walk back north on the beach on the eastern side was much more wild and empty. As you head north, though, there’s more remnants of man’s broken constructions.

That’s enough deep thought for now… thankfully!

There’s far too many pictures as the sky was beautiful and the coastal features were incredibly photogenic.

I’ve split the pictures:

Birds:

Flowers:

Sea, sky and ruin:

Check the high tides as Spurn Head can be cut off at it’s narrowest point, a mere 50 metres wide. Do also look at the signs at the car park about safety if there is a high tide.

Go to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust website for more information about the area and better photos…

I recommend the fry up in the cafe at the Spurn National Nature Reserve.

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!