Liverton Mines in Cleveland

Most distinctive and rare is Cleveland Street, 50 small single-storey terraced houses each side, which were for the workers of the ironstone mines that were open from the late 19th to early 20th century.

We set off on our exploration, an adventure indeed. Within minutes we were in scrub, puzzling at a network of paths. We found the public right of way, but do not expect waymarks.

Hundreds of steep steps took us down. Then, as much by luck as judgement, a turn proved to be the correct path, one running above Kilton Beck.

This is Clarkson's Wood, where the trees are oak and ash, stretched up and elongated to the light for the valley is steep, scoured out by a "thunderous torrent" of glacial meltwater.

The beck was there more in sound than sight, but this will change with the fall of leaves, and fall they did. On a lovely still day they rained from the branches and the light filtered from a high, blue sky.

Occasionally we would get a GPS reading, but it was hard to know where to go, which path went where. The route requires concentration in places because there are some steep drops; after rain you would be slip-sliding away.

The sweet scent of autumn took on an acrid tang - Givenchy Tweed or Chanel No 12, shall we call it? For it was the start of the heather- burning season and we had driven past the source of the smoke. It was on the moors four miles away as the grouse flies.

Then we reached a waymark, the waymark. It's near the confluence of Hagg Beck and Liverton Beck. A bridge did for sandwiches. Liverton Beck beckoned. For a while it was enchanting. But then there was a landslide, great gobs of clay colonised by bramble overlaid the path. It took five minutes to do 50 yards, one wrong move and the only thing stopping one from cascading down would have been said brambles. We agreed that the walk would have to be classified as difficult.

We made the end of the wood, triumphant, torn and frayed but here there was a sign, in red on metal, reading 'Footpath Closed'. We sank on to a bench, cursed the council, drank tea, soaked up the sun and worked out how to rescue the day.

This involved shortening the route, for cattle pastures, sea views, distant steel works and spoil heap and two wooded gullies that again taxed our navigational skills.

Never have I been so pleased to see an empty lager can - it meant we were nearly back.

Apparently the closed footpath may well be closed for ever. The officer at Redcar and Cleveland Council was most concerned that I do not encourage you to do the shut bit, which is described as "impassable". So don't do it - don't get me into trouble, never mind yourself.

More than this, the whole woodland part of the walk is through territory that is "a problematic place to visit".

Directions

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1 Cleveland Street, track on left at sharp right-hand bend (sign), 100 yards, right-hand bend, ignore a track on left to parking area, few yards, fork left to path (metal post, playing field opposite) and rejoin track that dips, over stream with wooden post shoring, right-hand bend and uphill to crest, 50 yards.

2 Disused stile into steep wooded valley and many steps downhill.

3 Left at paths crossroads where three-yard gap in steps. Ignore a right fork after 100 yards, S-bend and steps, footbridge over side stream. Plank footbridge, 100 yards, duck under five trees, 100 yards.

4 Ford side stream, was dry, steps up bank, sedge knoll to right, path swings left to rejoin main valley.

5 The waymark post. Continue 50 yards to steps down to right to bridge and confluence. Return to waymark post and path uphill, becomes gully, ignore paths to right, at the top by fence to your left.

6 Fieldgate/metal gate to left out of wood to hedged grass track. Left at corner to fieldgate, right by hedge, gate.

7 Left to track into farmyard, gates by barn on right and right by barn (waymarked post), stile, by wood, downhill 11 o'clock.

8 Path in wood to left of stream for 150 yards, stile, railed footbridge, 50 yards, footbridge and steps on left, path angles up, left by field-edge path.

9 Just after right-hand bend, path on left into wood (knee-high waymarked post), 17 steps, right to plank footbridge, steps, path up, steps. Left at T-junction, two yards, ignore a right fork, 20 yards, two-plank footbridge. Right at T-Junction with steps down either side and ravine ahead, path near edge of wood. Right at T-junction with track to rejoin outward route.

fact file

Distance: Three miles.

General location: Cleveland.

Start: Liverton Mines.

Right of way: Public, as near as we could manage.

Map: Drawn from OS Explorer OL 26 North York Moors western area.

Dogs: Legal.

Date walked: October 2007.

Road route: Signed from the A171.

Car parking: Roadside in Liverton Mines.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Inn at Liverton.

Tourist and public transport information: Saltburn TIC 01287 633801.

Terrain: Wooded valley.

Points of interest: The ruined Kilton Castle in the 14th century was the residence of Lucia de Thweng, who was "famous for her amours". The castle is a "moudry ruin", its stone "wrenched from the cement? by barbarians in the neighbourhood".

Difficulty: Not easy.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly.

While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Map of the walk>>