Up and under

The Lord Stones Caf is secluded and isolated and ever so interesting. Miles from anywhere, nearly 1,000 feet up on the Cleveland Hills, it is also literally half buried in the ground, semi subterranean.

On a sunny Sunday there was a hub of activity as cyclists assembled metal, the downhill riders strapped on plastic body armour, walkers stripped to shorts and pulled out trekking poles, had a shot of caffeine, a slug of energy juice then were off.

Wispy clouds scudded across a hot blue sky and we took a track, a quarter hour's climb, with the morning mist on Bilsdale and beyond.

On Whorlton Moor, the gliders were sleeping in their hangers but there was "good morning" a plenty from walkers and cyclists and an inevitable chat at Brian's Pond which is a beauty - a dark disk in the heather, fringed with rushes and seasonally illuminated with dragonflies.

A little further on, all changed at Scugdale. We stopped at Barker's Crags with its abrupt sandstone edge and looked out half a mile to its rough far flank, further to the valley head, and miles down its length to a hint of the lowlands.

On the crags, two rock climbers were frozen on a 20-foot pitch. Our descent was rapid and direct, halfway down to a lane that is an effective dead-end for cars, of which there were only three and a parked Mountain Rescue Landrover.

Apart from a pasture interlude with a stream and Dales-style squeezer it was semi-shaded Tarmac down Scugdale. A big oak had just lost a main branch, the leaves hung dead.

Next we climbed out of Scugdale on the Cleveland Way and on to Live Moor, where couples were lying in the grass on the edge of the escarpment gazing out over the Cleveland Plain, taking in the bird's-eye view of the villages of Swainby and Faceby, the round symmetry of Whorl Hill interrupting the otherwise immense flatness of the plain.

Not that you have to stop to enjoy the sight, mile by mile the flagstones are sound on the level, the irregular stepwork most ergonomic on the steep bits, you can keep a head up rhythm.

We undulated, up to Carlton Moor where a glider was winched by wire into the sky to tack into the updraught for a half an hour. A bit more climbing and we reached the trig point at 1,339 feet. The village of Carlton is below now, Roseberry Topping stands sharp in profile to one side and in the distance, beyond the patchwork of fields green, gold and brown shimmered the energy of Teesside, the forests of chimneys and chequer boards of storage tanks, and a ship on the sea.

A quick descent brought us back to the Lord Stones Caf. The champions of the hills were feeding back in, feeding up, supping their tea and telling their tales.

Directions

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

1. Right from caf car park, 100 yards, paved path on left (signed Cleveland Way), 100 yards, left to track at junction, uphill (gate).

2. At right-hand bend, fork left to path through heather (signed bridleway), feeds left into wider track at signpost, and joins track on bend by cairns.

3. Pass pond, 20 yards, right-hand of three paths (signed bridleway).

4. About 50 yards before crag viewpoint, fork left, 100 yards, path on right downhill through bracken (steep), gate, path, pass wall end, 100 yards, gate (so fence to right).

5. Gate and right to road. At left-hand bend, over grass for 10 yards to left of barn, stile (sign), cross field, stile/fieldgate, 11 o'clock, twin stiles and right, stile into trees, footbridge, squeezer in hedge.

6. Right to road.

7. Near phone box, gate (signed Cleveland Way) on right to gravel path, gate then engineered path uphill. Bends left uphill across moor. Ignore side turns. Straight on downhill from trig point then retrace outward route.

Fact file

Distance: Seven miles.

Time: Four hours.

General location: The Cleveland Hills.

Start: Lord Stones Caf, GR. 524030.

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.

Date walked: Sunday, September 14, 2003.

Road route: From the A172 via Carlton in Cleveland.

Car parking: At caf, free for patrons, or roadside.

Lavatories: At caf.

Refreshments: The Lord Stones Caf . Inn at Carlton.

Tourist and public transport information: Sutton Bank 01845 597426.

Map: Based on OS Explorer OL26 North York Moors Western area.

Terrain: Moorland, valley and escarpment.

Points of interest: Fabulous views.

Difficulty: A total 1,000 feet of ascent.

Dogs: Suitable.

Weather forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:45 Saturday, September 20, 2003