Thursday 18 October 2012

C2C Stage 11: Ingleby Cross to Blakey Ridge

This is day 12 of our walking trip.

Ingleby Cross (100m) to Blakey Ridge (400m)
Distance 20 miles/32km - Strenuous - Height Gain 970m/3190ft - 8.5 hours


This looks like being a long day with 32km and 970m height gain. One comment is that we will need to be in good shape to reach Blakey Ridge without looking like an extra from a George Romero zombie movie on arrival.

This stage takes us through the North York Moors National Park, the third national park on the route with, it is said, the worlds largest expanse of heather. Depending on the weather, this could be a pleasant stage while we tramp up and down the moors with great views or a miserable, muddy, rain-soaked trudge with all views obscured by bone-chilling mist. I hope the weather is fine!


A rollercoaster day.

Today we set out from mile 137:

and finish at the 161 mile mark:

Setting out from Ingleby Cross at 8:30am, yes an early start, the walk begins with a climb up past the church (with its tripple-decker pulpit  and purple pews). 

The path will take us past Mount Grace Priory which was built in 1398 by the Carthusian order. The priory today, though definitely a ruin, is an absorbing one, and one that clearly shows in its foundations to the basic layout of the place. The restoration of cell number 8 (in the early 20th century) also makes clear that, for their time, these cells were remarkably comfortable, built on two floors with cabinets, a loom, a small bed, water closet and a small garden. With latrines fitted and clean water piped into every cell, the plumbing was ahead of its time. Unfortunately, little of the system remains today save for channels in which the water flowed around the priory. The Priory is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 6pm. Cost: £4.50.

Wainwright's climbing trail meets the Cleveland Way which we will then follow for most of the way to Blakey Moor.

The trail continues steeply up through Arncliffe Wood (and there is plenty more ups on this stage!) with cleared forestry providing views back to the Vale of Mowbray. Next comes the heather-clad Scarth Wood Moor followed by Clain Wood before hauling ourselves up a steep, wooded climb onto Live Moor


[Here is another description of the route: The route descends into Scugdale (100m). Not keen to stay low the path climbs steadily at first then steeply onto Gold Hill (315m).]

It continues onto Carlton Moor (408m). At the far end of the moor is a trig point and a boundary maker, from where the North Sea should be visable beyond the industrial installations of Teeside.

The path then descends to Green Bank (300m). Once again it climbs going over Cringle Moor (430m), descends to 280m then back up to 400m, down again to 300m and then a final climb through the Wainstones onto Hasty Bank (398m) before descending to the road at Clay Bank Top (250m). If all the up and down seems like too much hard work there is a path that contours round the hills from Green Bank to Clay Bank.

A final steep ascent to Carr Ridge (390m) is followed by a gradual rise to the summit of Round Hill (454m), the highest point on the North York Moors. The path descends to Bloworth Crossing (400m) were it leaves the Cleveland Way and continues on an almost level disused railway line across the desolate moors to the remote Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge.

The North York Moors are covered in purple heather during late summer months.

Iron Ore has been mined for centuries from the Cleveland Hills. In 1861 rail tracks were laid across the moors to increase mining capacity. In the early 1900’s demand dropped and the railway was dismantled in 1929.

We expect to arrive at Lion Inn around 5pm.

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