B-Walking: Clay Bank to Guisborough

It was a lovely sunny morning on Sunday, 1st March when twenty-three of us (the B-Walkers) set off at 10.30 am from Clay Bank car park {NZ 572 035} - see details below.




Our destination was Guisborough - in under 14 miles - and taking in Battersby and Kildale; PB led the walk.

We set off in an easterly direction along a well-defined forest track (passing through Greenhow Plantation) to reach Clogger's Hall {NZ 589 029}.


From here we headed north to reach Ingleby Manor {NZ 586 056} and then followed a north-easterly bearing to arrive at Bank Foot {NZ 593 016} where some people had to queue to use the stile.


Just beyond Bank Foot we found a useful hedge-row {NZ 596 067} beside which we sat for our well-earned lunch stop.


After lunch we pushed on to reach the small villages of Battersby {NZ 597 076} and Kildale {NZ 608 094} where we joined the Cleveland Way (CW). After Kildale we had our first (of three) major ascents (322 feet) from the railway bridge (near Kildale station) through Bankside Farm up onto the eastern edge of Coate Moor {NZ 605 105} where we left the CW.


Now we had an easy, pleasant and picturesque descent to Lonsdale Beck. The following photograph shows the view looking north to Oak Tree Farm.


Now we had our second major climb of the day (381 feet) up onto Percy Cross Rigg {NZ 607 118}. We had a short tea stop at the old military 'pill box' at NZ 602 124.

At Hutton Moor we re-joined the CW and followed its route to Highcliff Nab (our third climb - 220 feet) and onwards in an easterly direction through Highcliff Woods and Guisborough Woods. We left the CW at {NZ 621 144} - heading north to drop down to Belman Bank where we followed a good track and then a road into Guisborough where our coach was waiting.

A lovely day was had by all of us.

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