England - North York Moors - Saltburn Boulby Rollercoaster (V)

Venture

Walk Summary

A preamble to the walk is watching the surfers from the Saltburn-on-Sea pier. Gradual ascent to Hunt Cliff and then and education in industrial heritage as you descend down to Skinningrove. Climb again to one of the highest sea cliffs in England near Boulby. Out and back route.

Date: 09/10/2021

Length: 10.93 miles

Height Gain: 658 m

Terrain: National Coastal Path, rocky paths, grass paths, steps

Navigation: Good. Signage is good.

Start: Cat Nab Car Park on the Saltburn Bank Road, Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Route: Cat Nab Car Park, Hunt Cliff, Skinningrove, Boulby Cliffs, Return (out and back route)

Map: OL26 North York Moors Western Area, OL27 North York Moors Eastern Area

Weather: Cloudy, hazy sun

Walkers: Nun

Gallery

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Hasty Bank - Sunrise

Captain's Log

Early Surfers

It was an early 07:30 start from the Cat Nab car park. I was surprised to see a lot of camper vans there. This was explained when I walked on to the promenade and saw the sea full of surfers. They are a hardy lot these surfers. I took a walk along the pier to get a closer look.

The route follows the Cleveland Way southwards to Boulby Cliffs. There is a short initial steep section out of Saltburn, but then it is all easy walking to the top of Hunt Cliff. At points along the cliff there are slate plates on the grass next to the cliff inscribed with messages of hope and help.

It was a hazy start to the day but looking back towards Saltburn I could see the large windfarm just off the mouth of the Tees.

Skinningrove

Just over Hunt Cliff there is a rather interesting 100 metre section where a railway line squeezes the path rather close to the cliff edge. A fence has been erected for safety but it does seem a long way down. The railway comes from the Boulby mine. After that bit of excitement, and a little further on, there was a charming steel structure in the shape of a circular bracelet. The view had opened out now towards Skinningrove and the Boulby cliffs and a bench had been provided so that I could admire the scenery and contemplate who had rolled the bracelet up here. The route gradually dropped down to Skinningrove. The railway diverts away from the cliff and on the other side of the track was an unusually shaped derelict building. There is a footpath that branches off to it and crosses the railway if you want to take a closer look. It is known as the 'Fan House' and held equipment to ventilate the local mines.

As you walk towards Skinningrove the steelworks loom on your right. I talked to a local out walking and he said they were still in business. Specialised steels and caterpillar tracks are their saviour.

Just before Skinningrove you have the option to drop down to the beach. I continued along the cliffs and chose the beech option on the way back. The cliffs between the steelworks and the beech are quite interesting. In the past slag has been dumped over the cliff edge and this built lava type layers.

Skinningrove - Charming Circular Monument

Skinningrove

Skinningrove - Looking Towards Boulby Cliffs

Lewis Hutton

There are some steep steps out of Skinningrove, but it is all gradual again once you get above the cliffs. The Boulby cliffs are almost like in two layers. There is an option, before you reach Hummersea Farm to leave the Cleveland Way (that goes to the upper layer), and head along the cliffs to the lower layer (show as The Warren on the map). A sign warns of the path going near steep drops on the lower route. At Hummersea Farm a board describes the activites of Lewis Hutton who at the tender age of 21 presented to the Geological Society his theory of dating rocks using fossils. He formulated his theory while fossil hunting on the beach below. I look back and think what I was doing at the age of 21; I think it mostly revolved around beer. He died just two years later of tuberculosis .

The path goes up again until you are on to the top of the upper layer of Boulby Cliffs.

Boulby Cliffs And Mine

The path along Boulby Ciffs is reasonably flat. There is a sheer edge down to the lower tier. I chatted to a local who coughed quite a bit and so in these Covid times, I kept upwind of him. He told me that he'd retired from working at the local Boulby mine. This might explain the coughing, I thought, and so I felt a bit easier. He supported a pair of binoculars around his neck and said that he often walked this route looking for wildlife. He took me to rather a precipitous place where I took this photo. He said that there was a Barn Owl nest with young, nesting along the cliff. We waited a while, my camera ready, but nothing appeared. That's wildlife photography for you. He said that you sometimes see dolphins in the sea below. I kept my eyes peeled but I didn't see any sea wildlife all day. In fact I was so high up, I even had trouble making out the Lobster boats. At 203 metres, the Boulby cliffs are the highest on the east coast of England. Further along the cliff, and just inland, you reach the trig and highest point at 213 metres. The Cleveland Way continues down the coast to Staithes, but this was my turning point for the day, to head back to Saltburn.

I didn't know anything about the Boulby mine until I met my coughing friend. It is worth Googling it since a summary can't do it justice. But anyway, here's the summary:

Mines polyhalite (a source of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur). Used to mine potash (fertiliser).
1,400 m deep (the 2nd deepest in Europe)
It takes 7 minutes to descend to the bottom in the elevator
620 miles of tunnels extending under the North Sea
Scientists use the deep location and unusual environment for physics and biological experiments.
About as aesthetically pleasing as Skinningrove steelworks

Kirby Knowles

Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Return

As I descended the steps back down into Skinningrove I heard a buzzing above me. At first I thought it was a bee, but it became more persistent and louder. I had to investigate of course, and looked around to see a drone hovering 10 feet above me. I wondered why somebody should feel it worthwhile to film a struggling, fat, old fella, but there again I've seen enough Val Kilmer films to know better. As I neared the bottom of the steps the drone banked away. I noticed a bloke fiddling about with a console down near a car and I assumed he was the pilot and voyeur.

The 14:30 Saltburn-by-the-Sea looked far, far busier than the 07:30 version. I only had to sniff the air in the car park before a driver had wound down his window to ask me if she could take my space. It happened that I'd parked in exactly the worst spot in the car park. It was right at the start of the one-lane, one-way system to the exit and I spent a good while waiting for cars that were waiting for other car owners to vacate their spaces, It reminded me a little bit of the dodgems without the excitement.

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