Walton on the Wolds, Prestwold Park, Hoton and Burton on the Wolds, 29th September 2024

Paul's 8.6 mile walk started in Walton on the Wolds and took twelve members along tracks and across fields through Prestwold Park to St Andrew's Church for coffee.  Then it was across the A60 towards Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Centre, through Hoton and back to St Andrew's for lunch, before returning to the start via Burton on the wolds.

Incidentally, the village sign features a sheep, for the traditional local agriculture, the timber framed house known as Kings Cote and a winged man. The latter is the Rev. Bertie Bird, incumbent of the parish between 1894 and 1942, who was an amateur photographer, and created trick pictures of himself flying.

Start, outside The Anchor Inn, Walton

Prestwold Park, approaching St Andrew's

Prestwold Hall, for many years the seat of the Packe family and now a wedding venue

Coffee stop at St Andrew's, a Grade II medieval parish church near Prestwold Hall

Distant view of Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Centre

Vinetree Terrace, Hoton

After lunch, Prestwold Park again, heading towards Burton

The Old Manor House, Walton

Grosmont, Beck Hole and Goathland, 22nd September 2024

Scott's 7.8 mile walk took us from Grosmont Station up through woods and across moors  to the village of Beck Hole and then to the spectacular waterfall of Mallyan Spout.  A sharp climb up to Goatland for lunch followed.  After lunch, we descended an old railway incline back to Beck Hole then took a level track along the Rail Trail past the Esk Valley Mine back to Grosmont.

 Grosmont is on National Rail's Esk Valley Line served by Grosmont railway station, which is also used by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR), forming the northern terminus of its heritage railway to Pickering

Grosmont Station

Scott briefs us in the station car park

Our eventual route back from Beck Hole

Moorland above the Esk Valley

Coffee at Beck Hole

Mallyan Spout, at 23m the highest waterfall in the North York Moors National Park

Mallyan Spout Hotel

St Mary's Church, Goathland - look out for the stained glass Millennium Windows inside

Heartbeat's Aidensfield Stores in Goathland

Ford Anglia Police car as seen in Heartbeat

Ironstone plaque celebrating the first iron made in the Esk Valley in 1857.  W J Armitage was the owner of Cragside

Twin Arch Bridge, built in 1847 at the heyday of iron production in the Esk Valley

Miners' cottages in village of Esk Valley with retro Heartbeat car this year under wraps

Shafts at Esk Valley mine

Looking over Grosmont.  Display board shows how the village looked when iron was made here

Back at Grosmont Station - vintage steam engine shunting Pullman carriages

Robin Hood's Bay to Whitby, 21st September 2024

The annual VBR Weekend Away, organised by Scott, aided by Barbara, was based at HF's Larpool Hall in Whitby. Twenty one members attended with most participating in walks on Saturday and Sunday.  We were entertained with a quiz on Saturday night and Sue organised one for Sunday night (with prizes!).  The planned Monday walk based at Ravenscar was cancelled due to poor weather and likely heavy going along the cliff edges near Ravenscar.

Thanks to everyone for making it an enjoyable event.

Robin Hood's Bay to Whitby

One misty moisty morning when cloudy was the weather, I met with ... 

... the Vale of Belvoir Ramblers seen here near Robin Hood's Bay at the start of their first walk

They said it was going to be misty - view overlooking Robin Hood's Bay

The 7-mile walk followed the Cleveland Way and the Coast to Coast Path along the edge of the cliffs before the latter left us and headed West

An undulating walk with some tricky ups and downs

Whitby Fog Signal (operational from 1903 until 1987). Note the twin roof-mounted 20-ft trumpets

Whitby High Lighthouse (1857) ...

... lunch stop

Outcropping ironstone beds at Saltwick Bay.
Ironstone mining in Cleveland and eastern parts of North Yorkshire occurred on a sizeable scale from the 1830s to 1964 peaking at over 6¾ million tonnes of ore in 1883.  Records exist of over 80 mines, some deep mines and some drift mines covering over 1000 square kilometres of the Cleveland Orefield including those near Grosmont where we will be walking on Sunday.  More information can be found at the excellent Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum 15 miles north of Whitby

First view of Whitby piers with clearing views out to sea

The formal end of Scott's walk outside Whitby Abbey

St Mary's Church, overlooking the harbour

Descending the 199 Whitby Abbey steps

Looking over Whitby Harbour and up the River Esk 

Whitby's Swing Bridge

The Cinder Track back to Larpool Hall along the bed of the old Scarborough & Whitby Railway (1885 to 1965) - now a walking and cycling route

Larpool Viaduct Bridge taking the Cinder Track over the River Esk

View from the Larpool Viaduct of the North Yorks Moors Heritage Railway to Grosmont

And back to Larpool Hall from where we had been transported by taxi to Robin Hood's Bay on Saturday morning

Route from Robin Hood's Bay to Whitby and on to Larpool Hall