Captain's Log

Rosedale Railway

I’d found a wildcamp pitch next to the defunct Rosedale Railway line, yesterday evening. It had turned out to be a perfect spot with only the grouse to keep me company. I was packed up and on my way by 7am. All of today’s route was already familiar to me from previous walks. I’d initially follow the old Rosedale Railway line, that snaked its way over the North York Moors plateau, avoiding the deep dales. At Round Hill, I would reach the highest point on the North York Moors. There would then follow an exciting rollercoaster of a route that would hug the edge of the northwest section of the North York Moors. The views from the edge would be spectacular over the flatlands of the north and west.  Eventually the C2C would drop down from the plateau for the last time and leave the North York Moors behind. My day would finish at the little village of Ingleby Cross where I hoped to camp at the Blue Bell Inn. 

I made fast progress along the Rosedale Railway line. The 20 mile line was used to transport iron ore deposits in the hills of the Rosedale valley down to a main line at Battersby Junction. In order to get the goods to the valley bottom a special railway track known as the Ingleby Incline was created. The gradient of this varied from 1-5 to 1-8. I’d see the diagonal line of this construction on a hillside, later in the morning. It was a grey start to the day. Yesterday’s violent wind had diminished somewhat, but a headwind still declared its presence. I’d walked along this route in the winter of 2023 when it was shrouded in thick mist (see Captain’s Log, Farndale Flyer). The path had seemed endless in the fog. At least I had a clear view today into Farndale. At the location of the old Blowith Crossing, the C2C and Cleveland Way merged again. The two National Trails had also merged at the start of the C2C (see Captain’s Log, Yorkshire Start To C2C). After 4 miles running together along the east coast, the C2C had headed westwards across the North York Moors, whereas the Cleveland Way had followed a route around its northern edge. Well, they were back together again now and would remain so for most of the day. 

Round Hill

As I approached the top of Round Hill, the highest point on the North York Moors (454 metres), I came across the Face Stone at the side of the track. The moors are littered with boundary stones, but this one is quite distinctive in having a face etched upon it. It is centuries old (known since 1642), but nothing definitive is known about its origins. I wondered who had been the model for the face.  The Hand Stone was nearby too. An etched hand on the top of the stone pointed east. The writing below it was illegible now, but it it was supposed to say, ‘This is the way to Kirby’ (i.e. Kirbymoreside). I guess these stones were the motorway signs of their day. I made my way over to Round Hill’s trig and used the modern concrete marker as wind protection for my stove as I brewed a coffee. As I drank it, I wandered nearer to the edge of the plateau and got a good view of the Ingleby Incline. 

The trail slowly started to decline to the col with Hasty Bank. I was surprised when a grouse started to approach me through the heather. It got within 2 metres of me. This one wouldn’t have provided much sport to the Tweed Trouser Brigade. Just before the path became much steeper to the col I stopped for a quick break on a bench. I heard some mechanical clunking behind me and was surprised to find the Terminator approaching. After greeting each other, the Terminator confirmed that he’d stayed at The Lion Inn last night. By the time he’d got there, somebody else had already pitched in the beer garden (probably the Swiss chap that I’d met) and so he did too.
‘I still had to bang in the pegs with a stone’ he told me. He hadn’t been impressed with the expensive burger that he’d been served at the inn. Our thoughts about the place pretty much concurred. I let the Terminator proceed ahead since I didn’t want him clipping my heels on the steep ascent to the top of Hasty Bank. 

Wain Stones

I’d not been looking forward to the ascent of Hasty Bank. Stone steps had been constructed to ease the passage, but these were quite steep. The day had also warmed up significantly and I was beginning to sweat. Halfway up the stone staircase I met an elderly couple of EaBos coming down. The woman was struggling so much that it made me wince with every step she made.
‘It’s my knees’ she wailed, ‘they’ve been bad since the Lake District.'
I advised them that the route got much flatter once they’d reached Round Hill's summit. I left them to struggle on. I reached the top of Hasty Bank and looked at that magnificent view northwards. I could see the distinctive outline of Roseberry Topping. Cook’s Monument was just visible too. Even further to the north I could see the urban conurbation of Middlesborough. Leading up to these was a patchwork of colourful fields.    

I was surprised to catch up with the Terminator at the top of the Wain Stones. These were a spectacular jumble of gigantic shards of rock on the west side of Hasty Bank. He wanted me to take a photo from the foot of the rocks with him waving at their top. I scrambled my way down to their base and took the photo. He’d told me that he was going to take a short diversion from the route to get his C2C passport book stamped at a nearby shop. I continued along the route westwards. I was sure that he’d catch me up later on. 

Rollercoaster Route

The next section of the C2C/Cleveland Way felt like a rollercoaster. It went up and down countless times. It was possibly my favourite part of the C2C, although to be fair, the Lake District sections take some beating. The constant ups and downs made the walking quite interesting. Meanwhile, the views across the flatlands to the north, and eventually the west, were stunning. The Alec Falconer viewpoint at Cringle End felt like the whole of the north of England was laid out before you; it was an amazing location. The exposed hillside caught the wind and so I didn’t linger to admire the view. I started dropping downhill yet again. 

Lordstones

The Lordstones campsite has a bit of a reputation with C2C backpackers due to its eye-watering prices for a pitch (£26/night - 2026). The price was well beyond my means and so I was rather dubious about visiting its bar/cafe/shop for a refuel. My legs were feeling the effects of the rollercoaster route though and cried out that I shouldn’t be a ‘stingy bugger.’ I gave in and went in search of some cake and coffee. In fact, I felt more thirsty than anything and so I ordered a pint of Diet Coke with ice and a slice of cake. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was presented with a huge wedge of cake at a price that didn’t leave me depressed. I sat outside at one of the patio tables to consume this immense spongy block whilst watching  the birds darting to and fro to nearby bird feeders. A couple of colourful Yellowhammers flew into the branches of a nearby tree. The place seemed too good to be true. The shop was reasonably priced too and I bought a few goodies to take with me on my journey. As I made my way out of the café to re-join the C2C I found the Terminator was just arriving. He’d taken the wrong path to get his C2C passport book stamped and ended up walking in the wrong direction. In the end he’d given up on the idea of finding the place and just continued along the trail. I left him to drown his sorrows over a burger at the café. I’d question him later about the meal and he thought the place was reasonable value too. 

Rollercoaster Route Part II

The rollercoaster route continued after Lordstones with a steep ascent to Carlton Bank. The views over the flatlands to the west were opening up now. I’d cross those fields tomorrow. On the descent I came across a collection of stones that were the visible part of a  Bronze Age burial mound dating from around 2,000 BC. The path actually meandered down to the valley floor near Huthwaite Green, before climbing back up the other side through woodland. At the top of an exhausting set of steps I came across a boulder that had been inscribed with 'Bill Cowley (1915-1994)'. Bill was the fellow that designed the infamous Lyke Wake Walk that links Osmotherley on the west side of the North York Moors, with Ravenscar on the east coast. The challenge is to complete the 40 miles (50 miles once you've avoided the bogs) within 24 hours. It took me 16 hours to complete the crossing and that was in my fitter days. The Lyke Wake Walk shares the route of the C2C and Cleveland Way on this particular section of the North York Moors and hence the memorial to Bill. The ups and downs now became less severe and the route started to maintain its height to a certain degree. After crossing Scarth Wood Moor, the path followed the edge of Arncliffe Wood before switching back through the trees to descend to the foot of the North York Moors for the very last time As I departed the forest near Arncliffe Hall I’d effectively completed the traverse of the North York Moors and the first major section of the C2C. 

Ingleby Cross

I crossed the busy A172 to the small village of Ingleby Cross. The Blue Bell Inn let me camp in the large grassy area at the side of the pub for the princely sum of £15 (2026). For this, I got access to an antiquated toilet and shower in an outhouse attached to the pub. It seemed an extortionate price to pay given that I’d be a captive customer for their beer and meal later in the evening. The Terminator clomped in an hour after my arrival. He told me that he’d found the rollercoaster route to be ‘tough.’ I guess he’d also had to complete 2 or 3 extra miles in addition to me from The Lion Inn this morning and also some more when he tried to find the shop to get his C2C passport book stamped. It was Friday night and the inn was packed when I went for my meal. A group of men and women stood at the bar literally shouting at each other so that they could be heard over the din from the rest of the customers. There was one period of my life where I used to visit such places for enjoyment; not any more. I ordered a Madras curry and thought it looked a bit thin when it arrived. It just looked like a sauce with a dozen or so cubes of paneer thrown in. That’s because it was just a sauce with a dozen or so cubes of paneer thrown in. The bar lady turned up 5 minutes after I started eating it with a bowl full of vegetables, explaining that the cook had ‘forgotten’ to put the vegetables in the curry. To be fair, the vegetables were cooked perfectly and once I’d added them to the curry it turned out to be a great meal. At £15, it was far better than the £22 TV dinner that I’d had at The Lion Inn, the previous day. The Terminator was less impressed with his burger though. I wondered whether he existed on burgers. It seemed an odd diet for a Personal Trainer. 

What a day on the C2C! The North York Moors were now behind me after that wonderful rollercoaster route around its northwestern edge. I couldn’t really say I was looking forward to tomorrow, although it would undoubtedly prove easier walking. I’d be field-hopping across the farming flatlands that connect the North York Moors and Dales. Sometimes routes can surprise you though and so you never know.