Down Whitby way

HINDERWELL huddled against the spitting rain and chilly wind. The coastal village lies Whitby way, but sits half a mile back from the waves, doesn't have its neighbour's pretty bays, but does have a good hinterland.

So we turned our backs on the sea, did a track, a field or two and dipped into our first wooded valley. Honeysuckle was leafing up, there were catkins galore on the pussy willows, dogs mercury was flowering green, oaks slept on, primroses prettied sheltered nooks, and the ground was bursting with the shoots of spring. In a month there will be more and the paths might be less muddy.

A pasture brought a splash of sea view, cleaned the boots, but another and similar wooded valley clagged them up again. Despite rain the becks were nearly dry.

Then we made good time up Borrowby Dale, crossed it again on back lane, the traffic was but one fine horse.

Then the climb, farm track to America House, which sounds like a bourbon palace but is an old farmhouse with a clean frontage (mucky yard) and a fabulous view.

Older inhabitants have an even better vantage point, for, at the top of our trail, one hundred yards from the 735 feet trig point, at almost the same altitude, is a Long Barrow. Stand by the trig point and the eye circles 360 degrees, and inland to the moors. However the ancients in their barrow chose their eternity with a determined sea view, a ninety-degree sweep including Staithes and Runswick Bay.

A short wander by the moor brought us to the track down Newton Bank, an open almost perfect way down by grassed over sunken track. The tide was out, the rocks of Kettleness Point exposed, a potash mine chimney sent a white plume over the sea and a browned off giant puffball was encouraged to send a puff of spores the same way, to northern Europe.

Half way down the old track was blocked by fence and scrub, so we took the newer version, passed an acreage of rubbish, in which rusted a 'Best Way Travel' bus. Our way, the way, was another small valley, a last ford, a last track, and time left for a wander round Whitby.

Fact file:

Distance: Five and a half miles.

Time: Three hours plus.

General location: Near Whitby.

Start: Village of Hinderwell.

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way, and a usage route.

Date walked: Saturday 8 March 2003.

Road route: A174 coast road north from Whitby.

Car parking: Roadside.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Inn at Hinderwell, all sorts at Whitby.

Tourist & public transport information: Whitby TIC 01947 602674.

Map: Based on OS Explorer OL27 North York Moors eastern area.

Terrain: Valleys and hillside.

Points of interest: Long Barrow, unusual in round barrow zone, and with spectacular sea view.

Difficulty: About 500 feet of climbing, a handful of valley crossings, some muddy. Two fords. So moderate if reasonably dry weather.

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.

Directions:

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

1. Tarmac track between house numbers 98 and 102 near Post Office (footpath sign on wall). Ignore bend, straight on to track/path. Stile into field.

2. Right to track. At right-hand bend, stile/fieldgate to track on left. Fieldgate, path to wood, steps down, footbridge, steps up, cross field, centre of 3 paths down into wood, bridge, 11 o'clock steep uphill on muddy path to stile.

3. Uphill straight across field, left to track (immediately before stile), 50 yards, stile/fieldgate and contour valley. Stile/fieldgate, stream, fieldgate, 100 yards, path switches at stile to left of hedge then re-enters field at stile/fieldgate.

4. Stile and left to road.

5. Track on right uphill (signed bridleway). Fieldgate into farmyard, track at 11 o'clock and pass barns to your left. Fieldgate into field, track by fence to right for 100 yards, grassy track 11 o'clock, fieldgate in wall.

6. Track on open moor, 50 yards, fork left, 50 yards, fork left, (trig point to right), track.

7. Fieldgate (rickety) in wall to left, downhill (part sunken grassy track), keep by fence to right (watch out for fallen wire), fieldgate, wide grassy track. At fence, fieldgate to track downhill, fieldgates into farmyard and right.

8. Left to road, stile by fence on right (signed and bridge washed away notice), 1 o'clock across field, stile into wood, cross stream, steps up, stile to field-edge path.

9. Right to track which swings left and back into Hinderwell.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:28 Saturday, March 15, 2003