Strollers Walk – Runswick Bay to Lythe via Kettlewell

I’ve had a couple of lovely walks with the Strollers, and they’re a delight. Today’s plan is to meet in Runswick Bay and walk along the Cinder Track to Kettleness, then through the woods into Lythe.

The weather is variable, but it never puts us off, and the prospect of an excited sea is always a great visual attraction from the cliffs. So, wet-weather coats are carried as a precaution, although most are tucked into rucksacks; however, they will make an appearance rather more quickly than we planned.

This walk is a gem if you live or are holidaying in Whitby or the area as the start and end points are both serviced by the X4 bus, and if you’re ‘of an age, then you get that part of the trip for nothing!

From Whitby, take the X4 to Runswick Bay and at the end in Lythe, take the X4 back into Whitby. I’ll not include times here because they change, but it’s normally a half-hour service except Sundays and Bank Holidays when it drops to hourly.

We congregate at the bus stop and after a brief roll call, we’re off along the road to the cinder track where a swift turn left gets us onto the narrow path that snakes its way along what is now a disused railway embankment heavily populated with various shrubs. We’re single file and well protected from the heavy shower that made a sudden appearance by the spring dressing of leaves and blossom. It also serves to filter the gusty wind. We are near the coast and at about three hundred feet so these squalls are all part of the ‘pleasure’ of living near the North Sea.

The path winds its way through wild shrubs that have established themselves naturally since Dr Beeching triggered the acts of official vandalism that closed many of our branch lines in the 1950s and 60s. However, in this case, the authorities have seen fit to establish this particular one as a leisure route used by walkers and bikers alike. It’s a jewel that’s well used and stretches in bursts all the way to Whitby and Scarborough. We use it a lot as a spine for a number of walks in this area.

We continue in single file for a couple of miles, then the track widens and there are gaps in the foliage allowing wonderful views back to Runswick Bay, where we can easily see the white-painted properties with Lady Palmer’s thatched cottage standing out on the western side. Originally part of the Grinkle Park, but now part of the Mulgrave Estate and probably the most photographed cottage in the Bay.

The walk becomes easier as the track widens and allows two or three abreast, triggering conversations and observations as we go.

At Kettleness, we pause to admire what was the station but is now an outward bounds centre for the Scouts and other voluntary organisations. It looks fabulous and still retains the platforms on either side of the track.

We stop for a banana break just as we’re leaving the little hamlet where a couple of bench seats have been thoughtfully anchored, enabling views along the coast that are almost mandatory.

The next couple of miles are along the clifftops following the Cleveland Way, and numerous stops are enjoyed looking down into the bays where fascinating geological shapes have been exposed by erosion over the centuries.

There’s some interest ahead and we look into a shallow cut where a tunnel that used to take the steam trains under the moor, and I can remember the thrill I used to get hanging out of the windows with steam and smoke blowing in my face. It was always risky in a tunnel, but not for the reasons that immediately spring to mind. Having your head knocked off by protuberances within the tunnel was not the main issue; there was usually plenty of space between the train and the tunnel wall (usually!), the real issue was white hot ashes from the engine. When caught in the hair or, worse still, the eye, the pain and damage were excruciating. Believe me, I know, because I’ve done it and then suffered the indignity of being pinned to the seat by my mam whilst she used the corner of her hanky, suitably wetted with saliva by being sucked and then used as a rake to haul out the ash. I’m thinking these thoughts as we resume the walk, and the tear in my eye is more due to intense nostalgia than the memory.

Eventually, we turn right through a couple of fields and into Over Dale Wood, where there are testing steps that take us a hundred feet or more into the valley floor. The smell of garlic is intense, and the woods are alive with birdsong. Our steps are chosen with extreme care, although we’re lucky today as the rain we had earlier hasn’t affected the treads and there are no slips or accidents.

What goes down must come up, and the ascent from the valley floor is testing, but the well-maintained steps reduce any risks, and we’re all very grateful for the work that these wonderful anonymous pavers do.

We’re back in the fields again, and the steeple of St Oswalds is beckoning.

If you’re in this area, it’s well worth a trip on a couple of X4s.

Thank you to the wonderful company of the ladies of U3A who led the walk and ensured safety.

Enjoy the snaps.

Love G and L xx

PS: I haven’t included snaps of the group because I forgot to obtain permission, but I’m very grateful for allowing me to join you for the walk. G x