Yorkshire Walks

Start of the path opposite my parking spot

The Cleveland Way route heading for Cringle Moor

Family of greylag geese grazing a field by the path

I followed the Cleveland way route for about 1.2km up to the memorial seat to Alec Falconer on the ridge of Cringle Moor. On the way up there was a pair of greylag geese with their well grown brood all grazing in a field next to the path. At the memorial seat I took a breather to admire the amazing view from here looking out over the Tees valley with Roseberry Topping away to the east, all the industry of Teesside to the north and to the west the hazy outline of the Pennine hills. It was a lovely sight in the warm sunshine.

The weather forecast for today promises a fine clear warm settled day before a rainy spell tomorrow. My usual walking companion, Jim, is away on a cruise with his wife so I drove myself up to Lord Stones Cafe at the top of the road up Carlton Bank and parked on the roadside at map ref. NZ522031. From my parking spot I took a footpath through a pedestrian gate opposite to join the Cleveland Way route at the corner of the toilet block at the Lord Stones Cafe site about 200m away.

Starting out past Lord Stones Cafe

Cleveland Way just beginning to climb to Cringle Moor

Alec Falconer memorial seat on the ridge of Cringle Moor

Looking over Broughton to Roseberry Topping from the ridge of Cringle Moor

The Cleveland Way path along the ridge of Cringle Moor

Hairy caterpillar at the memorial seat (fox moth ?)

Looking back to the memorial seat on Cringle Moor

Steep descent at the east end of Cringle Moor

Almost at the bottom of the descent at map ref. NZ543033, I turned right to follow a path contouring round the hillside for about 200m to join a public footpath.

I continued along the Cleveland way following the ridge of Cringle Moor along the stone paved path. At the eastern end of the ridge the path dropped steeply down and I could see it continuing across the saddle below and up on to Cold Moor.

Looking east along the north side of Cringle Moor

Paved path along the ridge of Cringle Moor

Bluebells by the path

Looking across the saddle to Cold Moor from the start of my path around the eastern end of Cringle Moor

Path around the eastern end of Cringle Moor

Path around the eastern end of Cringle Moor

. . . but I continued straight ahead along this track

At the edge of the plantation the public footpath drops down through a field gate and continues around the hillside. However, I continued straight ahead along a wide forest access track for about a kilometer to map ref. NZ539023.

Here I joined a public footpath for another couple of hundred metres to reach the edge of a plantation (the plantation is much bigger on the ground than the one shown on my map).

Path around the eastern end of Cringle Moor

The public footpath goes through this gate & turns right . . .

Cones starting to develop on a larch tree

New growth on a lodge-pole pine by the track

Continuing along the forest access track

Continuing along the forest access track with a view across Raisdale

More bluebells, they're everywhere just now

Following the track around the western side of Cringle Moor

Here I kept straight on for about 100m to the edge of the plantation where there is a field gate ahead. I went through the gate and followed a narrow winding footpath across open ground for about 130m to rejoin the Cleveland Way route at map ref. NZ531031.

Here I rejoined the public footpath coming up a short steep climb from the left. I turned right and followed the public footpath up the slope for about 100m and then continued left along the path following a track through the plantation. After about 1km the track made a sharp left hand turn at map ref. NZ531030.

Following the track around the western side of Cringle Moor

New growth on a Sitka Spruce by the path

At the bend in the track just ahead I kept straight on to a gate at the edge of the plantation

Gate at the edge of the plantation

About to rejoin the Cleveland Way route

Heading back to Lord Stones Cafe

I walked up to a stone circle that looks to be fairly modern. It stands in an area called the 'Lord Stones Country Park'.

At the Cleveland Way path I turned left and followed the Cleveland Way back towards Lord Stones Cafe. About 100m before I reached the cafe I turned right across an open grassy area.

Path from the gate leading to the Cleveland Way route

Paved Cleveland Way path heading back to Lord Stones Cafe

Sign post on the Cleveland way

Modern stone circle near Lord Stones Cafe

Cringle Moor seen from the stone circle

The whole walk had been only 6km and it had taken me a little over 2 hours to walk on this lovely warm sunny day.

From the stone circle I walked down to the cafe for a coffee before returning home.

Path from the stone circle back to Lord Stones Cafe

Lord Stones Cafe - a welcome stop at the end of the walk