Watch: Walking the Cleveland Way in England

Hikers on the Cleveland Way | John Millen

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Watch: Walking the Cleveland Way in England

The Cleveland Way follows the north-eastern coast of England and was the second trail to be designated a 'Great Trail'. After watching this short video, it's easy to see why.

Read about the highlights of the Cleveland Way and consider walking this dramatic trail that takes in some of England's most famous heritage sites along the way.

About the Cleveland Way Trail

Walkers familiar with Wainwright’s Coast to Coast path will already be well acquainted with a couple of spots along the rolling Cleveland Way such as The Wainstones, Urra Moor and Robin Hood Bay. In fact it shares about 10 miles of routing with the Coast to Coast. Maybe they will be intrigued enough by their flirtation with the trail to don their boots once again and take up the challenge of the 110 mile Cleveland Way route from Helmsley to Filey in its entirety!

Happy hikers on the Cleveland Way | <i>John Millen</i>

What stands out is the experience of half a walk over hill and scarp edges and half along the hilly coastline of the Yorkshire seaside. There is much to enjoy for those interested in history, those ‘collecting’ National Trails and for aficionados who wish to enjoy arguably the best Fish ‘n’ Chips in England at Whitby Bay!

This is the second of the ‘National Trails’, dating from 1969 and is rooted in the North York Moors National Park / Yorkshire Heritage Coast. Along its length there are contrasts in walking between field - quilted farmlands, forest patches, dramatic sandstone rock scarps, bleak moorlands and the highly eroded coastline, punctuated by beautiful little fishing villages, clinging to the cliffs.

On the coastal path between Whitby and Filey | <i>John Millen</i>

It is an area that has been threatened by the expansion of the Tyne – Tees Conurbation on the one side and by the encroaching North Sea on the other. However apart from busy coastal towns such as Scarborough, it remains a tranquil area, bolstered and protected by the presence of the National Park of which about 80% of the walk occupies.

Highlights of the Cleveland Way include, the remains of the Norman Rievaulx Abbey, and 13th century Whitby Abbey (but dating from the 7th century!), the Captain Cook Monument and Robin Hoods Bay with it's cliff-hanging cottages. Most of the route follows well sign-posted footpaths, which generally have good surfaces and are easy to follow. The exception to this is along the coastal path, which, in some places, is overgrown and uneven underfoot.

Abbey Lane and the ruins of the stunning Whitby Abbey | <i>iSaw</i>

Stone seat near Filey | <i>John Millen</i>

York Minster from the bus stop | <i>John Millen</i>

The amount of daily ascent and descent is moderate, with much of the walk being on level or gently sloping ground. There are a number of steep ascents along the section from Osmotherley to Urra Moor and at some places along the coast, but these are generally of no more than one or two hundred metres at a time.

>> View the Cleveland Way self-guided walk

Would you walk the Cleveland Way? Let us know in the comment section.

England, England Walking Tours, Cleveland Way, Cleveland Way Walking Tours, UK Walking Tours

Comments (2)

William from UTracks

Hi Laura,
It is a fantastic route - well deserving of a 'National Trail' title! The Cleveland Way is best walked in the warmer months between April and September, when the weather is generally more pleasant. The moorland heather blooms in late August, so if you're interested in seeing this you should time your hike for then.
Feel free to reach out to our team and start planning your active holiday in Europe.
Cheers,
William from UTracks.

8 months ago

Laura

This looks perfect, what is the best time of year to walk the Cleveland trail

8 months ago

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