Introduction
The route follows the Cleveland Way from Sutton Bank to near Swainby, before returning over a series of hills and valleys. Much of the way is on a gravel track, with occasional technical sections and the some single track. The Cleveland Way portion of the route will often be busy with walkers, but the second half of the route is very remote.
Conditions
By moorland standards this route is pretty close to an ‘all weather’ route. The first part of the route will stay relatively mud-free even in winter, although the second, homeward leg will be muddier in places. Because of the fairly good condition, this is one of the few really big, ‘all weather’ routes on the moors. If you do attempt this in winter, the Hawnby Moor section can be missed to avoid some of the worst of the bogginess.
Hazards
This is a long and arduous ride. As you’ll be spending the best part of a day in the hills, far away from habitation, make sure you have the right equipment, and sufficient supplies of food and drink. The Cleveland Way can be very busy with walkers at weekends, particularly when descending from Black Hambleton.
Alternatives
You could shortening the route by missing out the northern most section by turning right at either SE 419 959 or SE 489 915 and rejoining the homeward leg of the route. You could also miss out the Hawnby Moor section by staying on the road. If time was short on the way back, you could stay on the road at Murton Grange, which would be considerably faster than the viscous off-road bit that would otherwise follow-on. As the route is long, you are unlikely to want to add more any more distance, but if you did, the Sutton Bank Loop could be added on. In event of very poor weather, an ‘escape route’ would be to drop down from the moors, and return to Sutton Bank via a low level road.
The route
Park at the ‘Pay and Display’ car park at the National Park Centre at the top of Sutton Bank.
The Cleveland Way from the visitor centre is a footpath, so you will have to avoid the obvious, but sadly illegal path from the visitor centre. Instead, follow the minor road north and continue until you reach Dialstone farm. Once at the farm, turn left to on a farm track and head west along the edge of a field until you arrive at the edge of the hill.
You are now back on the Cleveland way. You will be following this for a long time, which greatly simplifies navigation. Follow the BW northwards along the top of the slope. The first section is fine rolling single track, but the high cliff on the left might curb your speed. Eventually, after 2.5 miles of following the edge of the hill, you will arrive at a minor road which climbs up the hill.
Cross the minor road onto a woodland path. Follow the path as it descends slightly before arriving at a tarmac road. Turn right onto the tarred road and go up the hill to the High Paradise farm. Then, keep following the track past the farm, before arriving at a crossroads with a north-south track.
Go north on the track (marked on the map as Hambleton Road) passing through the edge of Boltby Forest and out onto open moorlands. Most of the time the surface is well drained gravel, but there can be muddy patches. You will eventually climb to the low, flat summit of Black Hambleton Hill. The initial part of the descent is rocky, but it soon smoothes out and you can get up considerable speed. Just remember to watch out for the gate at the bottom of the hill.
After the gate, join the minor road and continue north past one of only two pubs on the route, the Chequers Inn. The road then forks to the left, but you will need to carry straight on, following the signs for NCN Route 68. The road turns to a track, which gets progressively rougher as it heads downhill, before finishing with a very steep and rocky section before the small bridge over a stream and a junction with a minor road.
Join the road, and follow it north, climbing slightly towards a pass in the hills. Descend the road towards a forest on the right. Just before a cattle grid, look for a track on the right, sign posted for the Cleveland Way. Turn onto this and pass through a gate and into the forest.
Follow the level forest track through the forest for ½ mile until a steep path descends to the left. To confirm you have found the correct turn, look for a stone with ‘CW’ carved on it, by a small clearing with a bench and a view point. The path descends through the woods via a series of small steps. Be careful of walkers on this popular section of the Cleveland way. At the bottom of the hill, you will see a small gate, where the Cleveland Way turns right.
Turn right and follow the rolling woodland path until a junction where the Cleveland Way drops down to the left. This point you will leave the Cleveland Way, by carrying straight on. The path is not nearly so well surfaced after the junction. You will shortly pass out of the woods, and in a field. The BW then carries on through fields before meeting a north west-south east trending farm track. Turn right onto the track and climb up to Harfa Bank Farm.
At the farm turn left, and follow the rough track down towards a small farm. The track gets a little lost in the farm yard as the correct route is not very obvious. You need stay south of the farm and follow the muddy track west. After crossing several gates and a small ford, you will reach a minor road. Turn right, and go along the road, which briefly parallels the stream, before climbing steeply in a zigzag to Raikes Farm. Then continue on the road, along the side of the valley, to a small farm at Scugdale Hall. Shortly after the farm is a gate at the end of the road. Go through the gate, but don’t take the BW on the left after the gate, instead follow the track for a further 200 yards. You will then see a sign warning you not to carry on along the track. At this point you must leave the track, and climb the rough moorland track on the left. A lot of the climb is rideable, although you’ll probably end up walking before the top.
Once at the top and on the moors, you will come to a junction with a gravel track and several minor tracks. The actual BW starts 200 yards further north west from the junction, so you’ll need to pass north west across the junction before heading right, and due south, to stay 100% legal, although it’s unlikely anybody will notice you using the gravel track.
After a few hundred yards, the BW rejoins the gravel track which climbs to the south west, up Barker’s Ridge. One mile from the junction, at SE 538 988, look for a track which forks to the right. Turn right onto this track and head downhill over the moors, along Arnsgill Ridge. After 2 ½ miles of glorious downhill, you will reach a gate in the wall at the edge of the moorland. Pass the gate, and carry on down the track past Hill End Farm, and down a steep concrete track. 200 yards after the bridge at the bottom of the hill, look for a gate on the left and a BW metal sign post.
Go through the gate and either ford the river, or ride over the narrow bridge. Climb through the trees and go towards the cottage on the hillside. Just before the cottage, look for a gate to the right. Go though the gate, then carry on south, through a series of fields. The BW will eventually end at the road by Plane Tree Farm. Turn left on the road, then proceed east for 0.9 of a mile until the road starts to descend in a series of ‘z’ bends. Opposite Lane House, look for a BW on the left. It’s easy to miss the turn, so slow down once the road starts to descend.
Turn left onto the BW. Then descend across the fields and cross the stream at the bottom of the valley. Then climb across the moor in a north westerly direction. A compass will help ensure you are heading in the right direction. After the crossing the stream, the path is very faint and hard to follow. You will have to push, and even carry, your bike through the heather.
Near the top of the ridge, you will find a north-south gravel track next to a wall. Turn right on the track and continue until the junction shortly after the gravel track heads away from the wall. You can then either head due south along the gravel track (your best option in wet weather) or follow the BW which parallels the wall before rejoining the gravel track at SE 541 930.
Head down the fast gravel track until you reach the road. Cross the road and head over the moors in a southerly direction, avoiding the temptation to take the obvious track which leads straight down to the west. The less obvious track goes across the moor, then along the fence line, before turning right at a gate near Hill End House. Go through the gate, and head downhill across the fields and into the woods. A short but technical descent takes you to a footbridge over a small stream. Head along the river-side path to a further footbridge over a small beck. Cross the beck and go through the gate onto a muddy farm track. Turn left onto this track and follow the track up to New Hall farm and the road.
Turn left onto the road, then follow it down into the valley, passing over a bridge and up a short hill until you reach a junction. Turn right at the junction and go down the road, past the old church, then alongside the river, until you reach the small hamlet of Hawnby Bridge. There is a Post Office and shop here, but opening hours are limited. At the junction, turn right and cross the bridge. Then follow the road up the steep climb of Murton Bank.
After nearly a mile of continuous climbing, the gradient will ease off, and you’ll see a turn to the left before the farm at Murton Grange.
Turn left and follow the road south downhill for 1/3 of a mile. Where the road curves left, there is a junction with a track going straight on. Head south along this track. After a short flat section, the track starts to drop steeply into a wooded valley. The BW diverts off the track in places so you have to look out for signs directing you. Cross the small bridge and complete the brutal climb back out of the valley. Once at the top, follow the BW along the edge of the fields, before crossing a minor road and carrying on across the fields again. You then will meet a second minor road, on which you need to turn right for a few yards, before picking up a track to the left which heads towards the village of Cold Kirby.
After a climb up into the village, you’ll pass a pub before reaching the road. Turn right on to the road which passes uphill through the village. Follow the road until you reach a junction at Dailstone Farm. Then continue south, back to the visitor centre at Sutton Bank.