Walk Summary
The walk starts up Hasty Bank and offers superb views in all directions. It visits the mightily impressive Wainstones. I follows the broad ridge of Cold Moor to Seave Green. The return journey is on the opposite side of the valley and follows some prehistoric earthworks.
Date: 16/10/2021
Length: 7.44 miles
Height Gain: 428 m
Terrain: Rocky tracks, boggy paths, lightly used roads, national trail, fields, slab steps
Navigation: Good. Tracks are well defined. Signage is reasonable
Start: Car Park at Clay Bank on the B1257
Route: Clay Bank Car Park, The Wainstones, Cold Moor, Seave Green, Urra Moor, Cleveland Way
Map: OL26 North York Moors Western Area
Weather: Cloudy
Walkers: Nun
Gallery
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Hasty Bank - Sunrise
Captain's Log
Catching The Sunrise
It was a chilly start from the Clay Bank Car Park. A thin mist lay above the valley to the north with the summit of Roseberry Topping and Captain Cooks monument poking out above it. As I set off towards the slab steps that take you up to Hasty Bank a couple of guys were taking shotguns out of the boot of their SUV. They sported baggy tweeds and long woolly socks up to their knees. I felt a bit underdressed. We exchanged greetings. The sound of shooting echoed through the valley throughout the day. At Urra Moor I saw the beaters making preparations before the shooters turned up in their cars.
At the top of Hasty Bank, the sun introduced itself above the horizon making a wonderful sunrise. As it disappeared further up into the clouds it shone down on to the hills producing an great lightshow.
As I waited for the lightshow to finish four local lads, whom I chatted with in the car park, strode past me. They were on a different schedule to me.
At least the climb up Hasty Bank and the welcome rays of the sun had at last warmed me up.
Hasty Bank - Sunrise
A Wainstone's Pinnacle
Wainstone's World
A little further on and I reached The Wainstones. They were actually a bit more impressive than I was expecting. Huge slabs of rock with many having tumbled down the hill in a long distant past. Two of the slabs pointed upwards and looked a little like pinnacles.
Just after the Wainstones I turned southwards following the ridge of Cold Moor. It was a very rounded ridge but had good views into the valley on both sides.
The path eventually leaves the ridge and takes you down to the quaint village of Seave Green.
Urra Moor
The path went straight up the other side of the valley to Urra Moor and then turned northwards. On the map the path is seen to follow some prehistoric earthworks. It consists of a series of banks and ditches. although it didn't seem all that obvious as I walked along it (hence no photo).
The Wainstones
Helmsley Cleveland Way Monument
Cleveland Way Race
The Urra Moor path eventually converges with the Cleveland Way. As I made my way downhill towards the Clay Bank car park, I spotted a bench on which to have my lunch. Three other chaps, coming up the steep hill had also spotted it, and there then followed a disguised race to the bench . I reached the bench just before the group and took off my rucksack to get my lunch. The group approached me and they gave me a breathless greeting. They looked so tired, I took pity on them and offered them the bench. They didn't put up much resistance...in fact, no resistance at all.
As I got back to the car park I saw a much brighter view across to Roseberry Topping compared to the mist shrouded one of this morning.