North York Moors – Coastal Path & Roseberry Topping

It is currently the school holidays here in the UK so my daughter and I decided to head out on a spare of the moment camping trip. We only had 3 Days / 2 Nights and I thought I’d not be selfish (this time) and let her choose…. The seaside always wins. I immediately thought of somewhere I’d not been for many years and I knew she’d love it. Robin Hood’s Bay in the North York Moors National Park.

I quickly googled campsites in the Robin Hood’s Bay area and the first one that appeared was Hooks House Farm, It looked ideal for what we wanted. It has great views across the bay, cheap, cheerful and with good facilities. I chucked all the camping gear in the boot, grabbed snacks and we set off northeastward.

The drive took about 2 & 1/2 hours and we managed to find the campsite, pitch the tent and wander down the hill to the beach within another 30 minutes or so. The last time I’d visited Robin Hood’s Bay was with school when I was around 10 years old, we had been on an adventure holiday in the North York Moors and had come to find some fossils. Amy and I hunted for some ourselves today but due to the fact I was armed with no real knowledge of what the heck I was looking for we found nothing of real significance

After a wander along the beach we headed to the old town and I spotted the official end / start of the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk. I’d love to have a go at that myself one day but for now I’ll stick to day dreaming and try and dedicate some time to do it in the next few years.

We then slogged back up the hill to the campsite where I then sat and soaked up the views. The sun set behind me as I watched the colours change on the hills at the opposite side of the bay. 

The following morning we had a very leisurely start, I really do mean a leisurely start, by the time we had got on our way it was 12pm. We walked down the hill and picked up the beginning of the walk we had planned for the day, 7-8 miles along the Cleveland Way to Whitby. 

The views along the coastal path were absolutely stunning and we had managed to bag some perfect weather too. The path meanders up and down and side to side as the cliff edge weaves all the way to Whitby. 

Once we had arrived in Whitby we had to do what every one must do when visiting a seaside town I guess, go and get some Fish & Chips. I had also promised / bribed Amy with ice cream too which I’m sure was the thing that kept her going as we climbed some of the inclines on the way there.  

Thankfully we had done all we wanted to do in Whitby as the rain arrived, so it was a quick dash for the bus to take us back to the campsite. The evening was then spent listening to the sound of the rain hammer on the tent.

The following day we managed to get up and away in record time, 9am. Not much of a record really but considering it took us until 12pm the day before I’d consider that a win

We went for a drive up on to the moors and then down in to Goathland, to see if we could catch a glimpse of the steam train passing through. Sadly, it had just began to leave the station as we rounded the corner so we’ll just have to return again for another holiday again soon.

After a very scenic drive through Esk Dale (not the Cumbrian one that I know and love but Yorkshires version) we made our way around to Newton under Roseberry for a walk up Roseberry Topping. Amy took one look at it from the road and decided that reading a book in the car was more appealing than a slog up to the top. I decided to travel light and went for a quick dash up to the top as quickly as my fitness would allow. 

From memory I think the first time I remember hearing about Roseberry Topping was in Trail Magazine many moons ago. They had an interview with the legendary British Mountaineer Alan Hinkes who became a bit of a hero of mine when we first got into walking hills / mountains. I’m sure he needs no formal introduction but here goes. Alan Hinkes OBE is the first British mountaineer to have claimed all 14 mountains with elevations greater than 8000 metres… Everest… K2… Kanchenjunga… Etc etc. in that trail magazine interview I remember him saying that his favourite hill was Roseberry Topping so since then it has been on my bagging list as and when I had the time…. That time was now  

Roseberry Topping is a great looking hill that stands at a lofty 320 metres and is affectionately known as Yorkshire’s Matterhorn. The route up from the road at Newton under Roseberry begins gradually along a farm track and then rises sharply once you reach the forest. A short sharp slog upwards and you come back out in to the open again and I then took the path directly up towards the top.

The views from the the top today were absolutely fantastic, the moors to the south and to the east were looking very inviting but sadly we had limited time today. Just as I was admiring the views a plane swooped down and flew past just at the perfect moment so I could catch it on video (see the movie of this trip at YouTube.com/DeanRead). I only stayed a short while at the summit before making my way back down so we could continue our journey home. 

I really enjoyed the short, last minute trip to the North York Moors. It’s somewhere I haven’t visited as much as I’d like to and this trip has certainly wet my appetite for more. Our wander along the Cleveland Way has got me hatching plans with my partner about a possible trek next year… As always, thanks for visiting, reading, looking, listening and or watching. Drop me a comment on this post if you have any must do route suggestions for the North York Moors. 

from Dean Read dot net http://www.deanread.net/blog/2015/05/28/north-york-moors-coastal-path-roseberry-topping/
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