Sunday 10 January. Bob Clutson & Phil Trafford.West Ayton 7.5 miles
GPX File

Start in West Ayton near Ye Olde Forge Valley pub. Plenty of parking on the R Derwent bridge

.
1. Walk NW on Cochrah Road, opposite the pub. When you've passed all the houses, keep left on Yedmendale Road until you see a bridle way sign on your left after about half a mile.

2. Turn left onto the bridle way and follow it for about a quarter of a mile, when it ends at a track. Turn left and you will come to the east end of Hutton Buscel village at Mount Pleasant Farm.

3 Turn right and walk through the village until you come to Church Lane on your left.

4. Walk SE down Church Lane. Cross the A170 and walk  SE down the lane opposite, which is signposted "Yorkshire Water Park"

5 After about three quarters of a mile you will come to a right-angled bend to the right. Turn right then immediately left to the water park.

6. Enter the park and follow the signs to the aqua park and boating lake. When you pass through the gate to the large lake, you will see the changing rooms and boat park ahead. Turn right through  a latched gate onto the permitted perimeter path. Follow this all the way round the lake until you return to the  boat park.

7. Retrace your steps back towards the A170. After you  leave the park and have gone back around the right-angled bend and walked about 200 yards, turn right on a track.

8. Follow this track which eventually joins Garth End Road in West Ayton at its southern end.

9.Turn right down the lane. After about 300 yards turn left onto a way-marked footpath. Follow this path, which eventually crosses the river and joins Long Lane in East Ayton.

10. Turn left (NW) along Long Lane and walk to the junction with Carr Lane. Turn Left. After 100 yards turn right on a way-marked footpath which follows the river bank to the village hall car park. Walk along Wilsons Lane to the A170, turn left and back over the bridge to the start.

Starting from Scalby we followed the Sea Cut on its North bank, accessing the path from the bridge on Scalby Rd. Then following it  as far as Mowthorpe Farm. Then turning sharp right to climb up and through the gate into Holly Wood and along the always muddy path on to Keld Runnels Rd., Leading us back past Swanbeck Farm and Scalby Nabs, to Hay Lane, through Scalby to our start at the bridge on Scalby Rd., A Fine morning's walk in the beautiful winter sunshine.

1. Just past this turn right on a footpath alongside the caravan site. At this point the path is a track. Turn left at the end of the site, then follow the footpath to the western edge of the woods above forge valley, past Spikers Hill Farm, then descend down a track. Leave the track, where the waymark indicates on the right, then follow the footpath through the field to North Stile Cottage. The path is well waymarked around the cottage, after which follow the access track to Cockrah Foot .

2.Turn left through a gate back on yourself and follow the track up to the top. This route is actually a "green lane" or unclassified road, and has been ploughed up by trail bikes. However it is possible to avoid the worst of the mud, by walking in the field above the track.

3 Turn right (north) and follow the bridle way for a few hundred yards.

4. Turn left and follow a pleasant footpath for about 300 yards until you come to a crossroads.

5. Turn left (south) and follow the track, initially with woodland on your right, then along field edges, until you pass through a gate and descend into Kimli9n Slack. Bear right at the bottom and climb up to a small caravan site and pass through High Yedmandale Farm. Now follow the tarmaced lane south. until you have passed Low Yedmandale Farm on your right. About 200 yards past you will see a bridleway sign on the right.

6. Follow the bridleway for a quarter of a mile, where it ends at a lane.

7 Turn left and you will come to Mount Pleasant Farm at the Eastern end of Hutton Buscel. Walk straight on to the A170. Turn left and walk back to the start.

Bob's walk description;

Leave Newby bridge, cross the road Burniston direction, and take the path signposted up the steps.

Emerging from the path, turn R and at the pub, turn left towards the church, taking the road  on the right walking alongside the beck for 300 yards, taking the path through the metal gate across the sports field.

Skirt the edge of the football field on your R, emerging on to the road with Wrea Head hotel on the L.

At the end of Wrea Head hotel drive turn L walking up the road for half a mile to the signed FP on the R. Turn L, avoiding the water and mud, turn R at the hedge, down the slope, R at the bottom then a L through the hedge, down the slope again to the hedge where you turn R keeping a rather nice bungalow and garden on the L.

Through the gate here, continue down the slope to the L turn to Swarthlands Farm. continue north to join the Cloughton road, turn L after the garage through houses taking the R fork, up the slope on the Lindhead Road. There is a seat by the old lime kiln for a coffee stop, down the slope ignore the road on the R but continue L. A few hundred yards on the L is a footpath I(which we missed but likely wet & muddy) and at the Lindhead junction at the bottom of the hill, take the road L back on yourself. ( If you wish to extend the walk , take the farm track opposite to Kirkless Farm and go to Silpho).

I is now less than 2 miles SE on a mud free road, with not a great deal of traffic to Foulsyke farm, taking the access road on the R to Wrea Head hotel, taking the L fork leaving the drive, marked no motor vehicles, through the gate on to the sports field, reversing your track back to Scalby,

Total just under 8 wet miles

From East Ayton Church, walk northerly up Moor lane. After about a mile, the metalled  road turns right. Keep straight on, on the track across Irton Moor. After about three quarters of a mile you will reach a huge telecommunications mast on the edge of Raincliffe Brow. Carry straight on down the steep path into the woodland. This path is known locally as "the muddy rut". The reason for this name becomes obvious, although you can avoid the mud by walking on top of the bank on the right most of the way down. At the road at the bottom, turn left and you will see Throxenby Mere. Walk on the board walk on the western edge of the mere. At the end of the mere turn left on a footpath, which climbs into the woods, Eventually it swings right and merges with a well defined path. Follow this for about 2 miles when you will join Lady Ediths Drive at Green Gates car park near the road junction with Forge Valley. Turn left along the Forge Valley road. After half a mile you will reach the Old Man's Mouth car park where you can cross the river Derwent and then turn left along the board walk. The board walk lasts for nearly a mile, after which you follow the path through fields and bear right away from the river, past Ayton Castle and onto the road. At the end of a short terrace, turn left on Yedmendale road and then left again on Mill Lane, which brings you back  to the river at the old mill. Turn right and join the A170 on the western end of the road bridge . Turn left over the bridge, and walk along East Ayton Main Street back to the start.

A seven –mile walk from Cloughton;

Park on the Ravenscar road by Cober Hill and follow the Whitby road to the last bungalow, cross the road for the track and walk up the gully (streamed in present winter conditions). Follow the field edge, stone wall on R, to the farm track to the Hulleys.

Turn left, then between the farmhouse and the barn, continue straight, ignore vehicle access on R, good path is ahead and down through gorse, at bottom, sharp left, cross FB, through kissing gate, then sharp R up the hill , through bracken in summer, into the woodland, the track is waymarked, your route is NW then N to a T-junction.
R is back to the Ravenscar road, our route is L along a good track to Cloughton Moor House. R, between barn and farmhouse, through 5-bar gate and down the slope to a stile. The field is always wet. Up the slope with hedge on R to Calthwaite Farm, straight ahead through saplings to a stile then R for 10 yards, before sharp L down the slope (care necessary) to the FB, up over the stile then a steep climb to a stile, field has docile highland cattle. You will be met by a boisterous friendly dog, which has a liking to share your coffee break cake (it had my ginger cake). Farm/holiday lettings owners are friendly and chatty.

Down their drive, past old Shepherds Rest pub to Ravenscar Road. L for 300yards to Bees Nest Farm R down waymarked track, to cross old railway track. Ahead then bear R, sharp turn L down slope to narrow FB then up slope to 5 –bar gate and ahead to White Hall Fm. R down road (ORPA), Plane Tree Fm, Plane Tree Cottages, Whitehouse Fm  then L on the Red House Fm track.

Look carefully for the route on the R into the woods, about 100 yards, a large tree marks the start of the track, you cross a short 20 metre piece of field, and the track descends immediately, but is not well marked . One of the finest pieces of woodland walks beside Hayburn Beck  is your reward, but care is necessary, do not try the admire ahe scenery and walk at the same time. Follow the stream on your R to the FB, up the track bear R at the top, it is paved with stone, emerge at a gate on to a field where you bear L to the hotel/pub.

Follow the drive and L on the railway to Cloughton for one mile, then descend the steps on the R to the road, which brings you to the Ravenscar Road, R to Cober Hill.

Saturday 13th February. Gary Malcolm. West Ayton. 14 miles GPX File

Starting from Ayton, walking through Hutton Buscel and forest to raptor viewpoint  above Troutsdale. Paths fairly treacherous with ice, about 10 inches of snow in places.Return via Sawdon, remarkable icicles  above stream. 14.2 miles, a bit long for a Ramblers walk but potential to start from either Hutton Buscel or Sawdon to keep mileage to reasonable length.

1. Leave the Cleveland Way on a footpath going NW at Crook Ness to link with Field Lane. Walk SW on Field lane for about three quarters of a mile, when you will reach Burniston village and come to the main Whitby Road at the Three Jolly Sailors pub.
2 Cross the road and carry on SW next to the Coast Guard hut. After the houses, this becomes a field edge path. At the end of the field turn right, then left just before the 3rd hedge. At the end of the long field turn left for a few yards, when you can cross the ditch over a bridge. Turn left after the bridge, then right at the next hedge, right again at the next, then left to join Barmoor Lane.

3. Turn left down Barmoor Lane and walk for about a mile until you reach the A171 Scalby Road. Turn left for 20 yards befor crossing the road and walking through the entrance to Scarborough Rugby Club. Follow the permitted path along the southern perimeter of the club grounds until you reach the "cinder track". Turn right and walk until you join Lancaster Way, a residential road.

4.At the end of Lancaster Way, turn left on Field Close Rd. When you reach Station Road, turn left. You are now on the route of the tabular hills walk. After about half a mile, you will reach Burniston Road at a T-junction next to a caravan site. Turn right for 50 yards then left on footpath, which eventually rejoins the Cleveland Way, where you turn right and carry on back to the start. 

1. Turn right off the road at the second footpath sign going south, climbing through Greengate Wood. At the top of the climb, you will see an old lime kiln on the right. Shortly after this, you will join a tarmaced lane. Carry straight along the lane to Suffield Ings farm. Follow the footpath signs past the buildings, then follow a field edge path for about 200 yards. Then turn right and descend through Hawthorn Wood. At the end of a wood pass through a gate, cross a filed and then descend to Mowthorpe Farm.

2. Turn left behind the farm and eventually join the footpath on the northern side of Scalby Cut. Follow this for about 2 miles until you get to a road bridge. Leave the bank here and turn left on Hackness Road and walk to Scalby village. Turn left opposite the church rooms  on Hay Lane.

3.  After about half a mile, as you are leaving the village, turn left onto Keld Runnels Road. There is a "Private Road" sign at this point. The road starts to climb and you will pass a Yorkshire Water reservoir on your right and then some cottages.

4. Turn right on a footpath, the sign for which is on the left hand side of the road. There is a choice of routes after this. We turned right off the path after a short climb and followed the path around the east brow of a hill until it links with another path coming from Mowthorp Road. This route gives you a wonderful view over Scarborough and is is an ideal place for a rest. There are a couple of different routes you can follow, once you have climbed the hill through a lovely bit of woodland. As long as you end up at Northfield Cottages on Suffield Hill, the way you get there is matterless.

5. Follow a very muddy field edge path going NW. Once you've negotiated the first field, it improves. After the next long field, veer left, cross the gulley, and head across the field towards Thirsley cottages. Turn left at the cottages, pass Thirsley Farm on your right and follow the path down through mature woodland to the road at point 1. Turn right on the road back to the start.