Walk 65 The Headland, Hartlepool to Seaham

Walk 65          The Headland, Hartlepool to Seaham (following the Heritage Trail)

(First leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs in Kent to Berwick at the border with Scotland).

Map: L/R 93 and 88

Distance: about 14 miles
Difficulty:  Moderate 
Terrain: footpaths and pavement
Access: Parking in Seaham and The Headland at Hartlepool
Public transport: Rail connections from Seaham. The No 7 bus goes regularly Mon-Sat from Hartlepool bus station (next to rail station) to The Headland.

Walk to the Heugh Gun Battery near the lighthouse on The Headland. The lighthouse was built in 1927 on the sight of an older one. Heugh Gun Battery (which can be visited at certain times) defended the Port of Hartlepool for more than 100 years (1859-1956). They are the only coastal guns to be fired in anger during this time. A plaque near here states that this is where the first British soldier was killed on home soil during World War 1 – he was hit by a German battleship.

Further round the Headland are the North sands with a view to the pier and up the coast. The walk continues along the road past the industrial site then along a path which crosses a golf course. There is a further walk to Crimdon Park. This was once a popular holiday resort which declined in the 1970s and 1980s although the caravan and camping site is still there.

About two miles further up are Blackhall Rocks and Blackhall Colliery. The beach at Blackhall featured in the 1971 film Get Carter starring Michael Caine. It was mainly black with coal then but has since been cleaned up after the closing of nearby Blackhall Colliery in 1981. The ‘rocks’ was a minor holiday resort in the mid 19^th century and the village had a station closed by Beeching in the 1960s. There was a hotel here until the 1970s. 

The next feature on the walk is Dene Mouth with the prominent Castle Eden Viaduct. The area is a national nature reserve managed by Natural England. Saltmarshes which were prominent before mining in the area are slowly returning. Sea-coaling was popular in the past - coal washed up on to beaches was collected for domestic use or sold. Evidently, it was a common site to see men with sacks of coal slung over their bikes.

Nearby is Horden village and Horden Beach. Black coal sand is still evident here as the Horden Colliery which closed in 1987 was nearby. Half a million tons of material have been removed so that the area can be reclaimed for leisure and light industry.

A few miles north of this point is Easington Colliery. The colliery extended for over 5 miles into the sea; in May 1951 81 men died following an underground explosion. You will see a cage like structure on the hill – take a diversion to have a look at this. If you’re lucky you may meet an ex-miner (as I did) who will tell you all about it. If you are a Thatcher fan (I am definitely not!) it would be wise not to mention this here - the devastating effect of the mine closures in the 1980s and the aftermath are still strongly felt.  The pit cage, which contains a time capsule, was erected to form a landmark and lasting reminder of an industry that once shaped the coast. Every household in Easington Colliery was invited to store a millennium message in the chambers.

Hawthorn, a couple of miles or so north of Easington, reflects a contrasting life style.  There was once a private station here where members of the Pemberton Family at Hawthorn Hall could stop any train passing. The hall was a 30 room mansion which was demolished in 1969. The whole of this area has been designated as one of special scientific interest because of its range of wild flowers, trees, shrubs ferns and orchids.

About a mile south of Seaham is Noses Point and Blast Beach. The point does actually look like a series of noses! An artificial beach was created here by the daily dumping of slurry and slag. This stopped in 1991 and since then the area has been transformed with cleaner water etc. The Dawdon Colliery, one of the most productive in the country, was closest to here. The name of Blast Beach is thought to have come from the ironworks here in the 19^th century or from ballast dumped from merchant ships.

Pictures show: Castle Eden viaduct; looking to the Headland at Hartlepool.

Walk 64 Middlesbrough to Hartlepool

Walk 64          Middlesbrough and North Gare Sands to Hartlepool (Durham)

(First leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs in Kent to Berwick at the border with Scotland).

Map: L/R 93

Distance: about 2 miles then 5/6 miles (depending if you go by car or train)
Difficulty:  Easy.  
Terrain: footpaths and pavement 
Access: Parking in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool and car park near Gare Sands
Public transport: Rail connections every day from Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Seaton Carew (nearest station to Gare Sands).

As far as I can make out there is no walk possible between Redcar (the last point on the walk) and Middlesbrough - the whole area is (or was) industrial land. However, it is worth spending an hour or so walking part of the Teeside Way in Middlesbrough.

Start off by walking from the station towards the Transporter bridge. Near the end of the road is a pub called The James Cook with a picture of the man himself displayed alongside one of the windows. He was born in Marton, a southern suburb of the town. Other famous residents include: Brian Clough, Don Revie, Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown, Paul Daniels and Chris Rea. To the east Middlesbrough FC can be seen and near large amounts of derelict land reflecting the industrial decline in the area.

The settlement of Middlesbrough goes back a long way although in 1801 only 25 people lived here. The second part of the 18^th century saw great expansion and it became known as Ironopolis because of the dominant iron and steel trade; the parts for the Sydney Harbour Bridge were made here. Middlesbrough was the first major town to be bombed in World War 2.

At the end of the road is the iconic Transporter Bridge. This is the only working example of this type of bridge in the UK and one of the largest in the world. It was built in 1911 and is 260 metres wide and 69 metres high. The ‘car’ or ‘gondola’ is suspended from the bridge and carries 200 people or 9 cars. The bridge was built to ensure people got to work on time without having to wait for a ferry and was designed so as not to interfere with shipping on the river.

Follow the walk westwards, first along an industrial estate, then cut though some woodland on The Ironmasters Trail with its dinosaur sculptures. Various information boards explain life on this part of the river in days gone by. I walked about a mile along the river to the west before retracing my steps. It is pleasant enough even though industry is evident, especially on the opposite bank.

Leave Middlesbrough by car or train and walk south from Seaton Carew Station or the car park to Gare Sands. Looking south there is a good view across the dunes to the mouth of the River Tees. A power station is prominent inland. The path cuts back to the main road across a golf course or you could try walking along the sands. Whichever way you will see the expanse of coastal grassland (drained salt marsh) near Seaton Carew which is known locally as The Snooks. The area (which was once home to a salt industry) is a site of special scientific interest because of the wildlife present. I understand grey seals can sometimes be spotted especially near the estuary of The Tees.

The beach at Seaton Carew has been the site of finds of Roman artefacts mainly washed up from the many shipwrecks. The wealthy Quaker community of nearby Darlington adopted the town as their particular seaside resort. The opening of the railway in 1841 increased the popularity of the area for holidaymakers. As you walk along the promenade you will notice a long elegant white building which was a large bus shelter that catered for the many visitors. In 2007 the town was in the news because of the notorious case of John Darwin ‘the canoe man’ who had a property near the seafront. He hid here whilst the fiction was spread by his wife that he was dead – the idea being to make a large claim from an insurance company. Both were caught after being pictured in South America and subsequently jailed.

The walk continues along the road into Hartlepool. St Hilda (the same one famous in Whitby) was once abbess at Hartlepool where a monastery catered for both nuns and monks. She is best remembered for the 12^th century church which can be seen to the north on the headland. This will be seen closer up on the next walk.

Hartlepool is named after the wild Harts that roamed the forests nearby – there has been a settlement here since 1640. The quayside is an attractive and historic area. HMS Trincomalee is a prominent feature. The ship was built in India in 1867 and is made from teak. It is the oldest fighting ship afloat in Europe. The nearby museum brings to life the sights and sounds of the area over the years and is well worth a visit. Severe industrial decline in the 1990s has meant that the area is one of high unemployment. However, a number of quay side developments have helped to improve matters. Hartlepool FC are sometimes known as the ‘Monkey Hangers’ – this refers to a local legend that a monkey was put on trial and hanged for being a French spy in the Napoleonic Wars. Wayne Sleep the ballet dancer and the politician Peter Mandelson (local MP for a number of years) have strong connections with the area. Andy Capp the cartoon character in the Daily Mirror is deemed to be from Hartlepool – I understand there is a statue of him somewhere in the town.

  
Photos are: The Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough, a dinosuar on The Ironmasters Trail in Middlesbrough, Seaton Carew beach with through some driftwood and HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool harbour behind the museum.

                                       





Walk 63 Staithes to Redcar

Walk 63          Staithes to Redcar (Yorks)

(First leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs in Kent to Berwick at the border with Scotland).

Map: L/R 94
Distance: about 10 miles
Difficulty:  moderate with some challenging cliff descents/ascents particularly on the Staithes to Skinningrove section
Terrain: cliff paths, footpaths, roads
Access: Parking at both ends – car park at top end of Staithes – no vehicle access to village.
Public transport: It is possible to get from Staithes to Redcar and return using X4 and X5 buses changing at Loftus. Check Traveline website.

Take the path out of Staithes - it cuts inland for stretches but the views are generally good. The path descends quite steeply into Skinningrove.

On the beach is a boat with a ‘model’ fisherman looking out to sea. This is a memorial to those who lost their lives near ‘the grove’. The boat is a ‘repus’- a traditional fishing coble that was found in bad repair and restored. It once belonged to a local fisherman.

The name Skinningrove is thought to be of Viking origin meaning Skinner’s grove or pit. It was mainly an area for agriculture, fishing and ironstone mining which began in the 1800s. The railway came when smelting was introduced in 1865. The jetty (still visible) was built in 1880 to help heavy cargoes to be loaded on to ships. Mining continued until 1958 and the steel works closed in 1970. If you walk a little way back into the village the Tom Leonard Mining Museum celebrates this heritage.

Take care when rejoining the Cleveland Way - follow the concrete promenade north westwards until there is a clear path marked up the side of the cliff. I was advised by a local that the path was nearer to the village and found out half way up it was not the path and had to crawl the rest on hands and knees trying not to look back down at the steep cliff side. Not to be recommended! Once at the top be sure to stick to the most inland path – the original Cleveland Way has disappeared in parts due to erosion.

A couple of miles further along near Warsett Hill there is an interesting building preserved as an ancient monument. It was part of the Huntcliffe ironstone mine that operated here between 1872 and 1906 and met the demands of the rail and ship building industries. A fan was located in the building to remove stale air from the mines. Look out for the iron sculptures near the path.

A couple of miles further along is Saltburn by the Sea. The Ship Inn is now a heritage centre - useful to find out more about the area. This was once a remote area and an ideal place for smuggling. In 1839, Henry Pease the son of the founder of the Stockton to Darlington Railway was staying with his brother at nearby Marske. In a walk to Old Saltburn he experienced a vision of a town turned into a lovely garden and so founded Saltburn giving the streets fairy tale names such as ruby, emerald and pearl.

The attractive non-commercial pier at Saltburn was built by a local hotelier in 1868. It was a great success and was served by steamers from Scarborough. It was much longer in those days and had a theatre. In 1875 a ferocious gale did damage to the end, a ship struck it in 1924 and a storm hit in 1974 - all combined to reduce its length by a half. The oldest UK example of a funicular railway runs up the cliff behind the pier. On the top promenade at Saltburn is an ornamental garden made by a local artist working with school children.

The walk continues to Marske by the Sea. The cliffs around here are red, emphasising the iron that is in the rock. The walk flattens out at Marske (comes from Mersc meaning marshy land). William the Conqueror came up here to defeat an uprising by Edgar the Atheling. In more recent times there was an aerodrome here. In 1918 Captain W E Johns was posted to Marske – a commanding officer was called ‘Gimlet’ a name he later used in his Biggles books.

Redcar has flat sands and allows a view back to the more strenuous walking over the hills. The name means ‘place by the red marsh’. Its real expansion began in Victorian times with the discovery of iron ore and the construction of the Redcar railway. It became a resort for the Teeside towns. The Museum of Shipping and Fishing houses ‘The Zetland’ which is the world’s oldest surviving lifeboat; built in 1800 and saved 502 lives whilst in service.

Near the end of the promenade is the cinema which stands on the old pier. This has a few odd sculptures on the side including a ‘man’ hanging from the wall. Perhaps the most memorable sculpture is that of Laurel and Hardy standing on the promenade and looking out to sea. I was probably unlucky in my choice of pub here as it wasn’t exactly welcoming. It was the nearest I could find to the station while I waited for a train. I asked for some Newcastle Brown the request was received in silence and the barmaid poked a bottle across the counter. I asked for a glass only to be told it comes in a bottle! A survey of the clientele restrained me from arguing……

The photos show Skinningrove from the cliffs with the jetty in view, the memorial at Skinningrove, the pier at Saltburn and the Laurel and Hardy figures at Redcar.

Walk 62 Whitby to Staithes

Walk 62          Whitby to Staithes (Yorks)

(First leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs in Kent to Berwick at the border with Scotland).

Map: L/R 94
Distance: about 10 miles
Difficulty:  moderate overall with some challenging cliff descents/ascents
Terrain: mainly cliff paths
Access: Parking at both ends – car park at top end of Staithes – no vehicle access to village.
Public transport: Bus X5 goes both ways from the main road at the top of Staithes to Whitby Bus station, every half hour Mon/Sat and every hour on Sundays

The walk starts on the Cleveland Way overlooking Whitby Sands. The path cuts inland at Upgang Beach for a bit of pavement walking before dropping back down to Sandsend. This is a quiet and very attractive village with a long sandy beach looking out to a bay. I understand it has been mentioned favourably by Wordsworth and Dickens in their writings. The rugged cliffs to the north side include Sandsend Ness well known for its alum quarrying from the early 17^th century. Alum was used for leather tanning and wool dyeing; the excavations have helped to alter the shape of this stretch of coastline.

Evidence of quarrying can be seen on the next part of the walk as well as an abandoned railway tunnel which is part of the dismantled railway shown on the OS map.

A few miles further along are views of the picturesque Runswick Bay. The path descends on to Runswick Sands. It may have been recently improved but if it is still the same it may need some care. Stepping stones stick out from bottom of the cliff and a stream runs into the sea - if it is raining this route could prove precarious. Looking at the map there may well be an inland route via a minor road.

The village of Runswick Bay is very attractive with its red roofed cottages overlooking a crescent shaped bay. It was originally a thriving fishing area with smugglers around as well. In 1682 most of the village was washed away and in 1858 a huge storm washed away an ironworks. Cracks have been appearing in the cottages over the years and in 1970 a sea wall was put in place. However, to me, the village still looks quite vulnerable to the elements. The beach is great for fossil hunters and there is a small sailing club.

The cliff path winds its way alongside the stunning scenery to Port Mulgrave. At one time this now quiet area would have looked completely different. Little remains of the ironstone industry that thrived here exporting iron ore to Jarrow. Mining began here in 1855 and the area would have had sounds of machines and miners. A pier was used to collect iron from a railway which ran out on it. The mine was closed when the ironstone was used up but the harbour was still used until 1917 when iron was transported from a new mine 3 miles away.

The finish of the walk is at Staithes. Long term parking is not allowed in the attractive old fishing village. It is called by some the ‘Clovelly of the north’. It was here that James Cook (born in Middlesborough) had his first job in a grocer’s shop. The Staithes Heritage Centre tells the story. In the 19^th century the village was a favourite haunt of artists known as the Northern Impressionists – one of their members included Dame Laura Knight. If they were seen painting on a Sunday they risked being pelted with fish heads! I ended in a rather quirky pub called The Captain Cook opposite the car park at the top of the hill.

The photos show: Whitby Sands, Runswick Bay Village, Runswick Bay, Port Mulgrave and Staithes.

Walk 61 Ravenscar to Whitby

Walk 61    Ravenscar to Whitby  (Yorks)

(First leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs in Kent to Berwick at the border with Scotland).

Map: L/R 94
Distance: about 10 miles
Difficulty: Moderate. Energetic cliff walking – a few steep climbs.
Terrain: mainly cliff paths, some pavements
Access: parking at both ends
Public transport: a few buses involving a change at Cloughton to Whitby from Ravenscar, or bus as last walk, Scarborough to Ravenscar. Check using Traveline website.

Leave Ravenscar following the Cleveland Way. There is a Coastal Centre to visit in the village and this is clearly marked if you wish to visit it. A little way along the path are good views of Robin Hood’s Bay. The bay has been severely eroded and is receding at the rate of about 20 feet every 100 years. Some of the large boulders that can be seen on the shore have come from as far away as Scandinavia during past ice ages. Fossils in the cliff are up to 150 million years old. One of the many legends concerning the name of the bay suggests that Robin Hood found refuge here disguised as a fisherman.

The walk passes Stoupe Beck Sands and Boggle Hole. Near here there were alum mines between the 17th and 19th centuries. The alum was used in the tanning and dyeing industries. Robin Hood’s Bay Village is a quaint attractive place. The area was known for smuggling in the 17th and 18th centuries and tunnels below some of the houses were used for getting contraband ashore secretly. Fishing has always been an important occupation here. Look out for the strange sculpture as you walk out of the village.

About a mile or so north of Robin Hood’s Bay Village is Ness Point or North Cheek. An information board near here gives details of how rescues were carried out by a rocket fired out to vessels in distress. This carried a thin rope (the whip) which was attached to the vessel in trouble and a thicker rope (a hawser) was then sent along the whip. A breeches buoy was then attached to the hawser and sent to the ship – the individual then sat in this and was hauled back to land. The layered rock formations revealed by the erosion are particularly interesting to look at along this stretch – an especially good view of them is at Saltwick Nab to the south of Whitby. Look out for the lighthouse at Black Nab near Saltwick Bay.

The first sign of Whitby is the harbour wall and entrance. It was the country’s leading whale port until in 1837 when the trade stopped. Captain William Scoresby who captured 533 whales and invented the crow’s nest is very famous in the town. Since then Whitby has become better known for its black jet usually worn as jewellery although it was once burnt by the Romans who believed its smoke relieved hysteria. The jet is the compressed remains of wood from 20 million years ago. It is for sale in several Whitby shops.

The path through Whitby enters via the churchyard with the abbey on your left. It is well worth a walk up to the ruins of the abbey founded by St Hilda in 657. This is where Brother Caedmon is credited with writing the first English hymns. The building was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. Whitby is a bustling busy place with plenty to do and see. It was named as best holiday resort in 2006 by the magazine ‘Which’.

Further into the town is a swing bridge over the River Esk. This was built in 1908 to replace an earlier version in 1832 which in turn replaced an earlier one dating back before the 1400s. Bram Stoker set some of his famous story ‘Dracula’ in Whitby and there are conventions here to celebrate this. (You may wonder why there are people dressed as vampires!) Captain Cook went to sea for the first time from Whitby in 1746 as an apprentice seaman. Ten years later he joined the Royal Navy embarking on many voyages before meeting his end in Hawaii. Whitby was the 7th largest port in England when Cook first went to sea in 1746.

Photos show: a view from Ravenscar, Robin Hoods Bay, the sculpture at Robin Hoods Bay Village and Whitby Abbey

Walk 60 Scarborough (North Bay) to Ravenscar

Walk 60 Scarborough (North Bay) to Ravenscar (Yorks)

(First leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs in Kent to Berwick at the border with Scotland).

Map: L/R 101 and 94
Distance: about 10 miles
Difficulty: Moderate. Energetic cliff walking – a few steep climbs.
Terrain: mainly cliff paths, some pavements
Access: parking at both ends
Public transport: train at Scarborough and 115 bus runs Scarborough to Ravenscar – check the times - only about 3 a day each way.

Before leaving Scarborough I would like to mention the theatre and cricket. The Stephen Joseph theatre, opposite the railway station, is well worth a visit if you have the time. It is strongly connected with the renowned playwright Alan Ayckbourn who lives in the town. His plays are regularly premiered here (should you be lucky enough to catch one). The theatre, named after a much revered director, is ‘in the round’. We saw a  very enjoyable production of The Mikado set against a background of cricket (the Scarborough cricket festival being a very popular event featuring the county team).

Re-join the walk at the North Bay of Scarborough. One of the features that impressed me about the resort was the care taken to make the frontage look clean and attractive. The town dates back to the mid tenth century. It suffered from many Viking raids and was burnt down prior to the Norman invasion, only recovering in the reign of Edward 11. In the middle ages the famous Scarborough Fair lasted for six weeks and people flocked here from all over Europe.

As you walk along the front look out for the train that runs along the edge of the sands and what appears to be a defunct ‘ski lift’ type contraption to the cliff tops. At the end of the bay is the Sea Life Centre – follow the path up the cliff. The walk continues along the cliff tops following the Cleveland Way. The attractive coast includes Scalby Ness Rocks and the ominous sounding Sailors’ Grave! At Long Nab there is a coastguard station built in 1927 and a mine shelter erected in 1939. The latter was to protect the coastguards during World War 2; its main function was to look for mines and torpedoes. During the Cold War it was linked to the Nuclear Warning System.

Continuing north, the walk passes through the peaceful areas of Cloughton Wyke and Hayburn Wyke. A ‘wyke’ is a Yorkshire word for a small sheltered bay. At Hayburn Wyke the cliffs give the wooded glen a lot of shelter. Ash, hazel, hawthorn and various mosses and ferns abound in this area which is managed by the National Trust. Along this stretch you will notice a lookout and some grey buildings set up on the hill behind some barbed wire. During the Second World War this site helped detect invading German ships and aircraft. It was built in 1940 and was one of many around the coast. The radar building, generator and transmitter have been preserved as ancient monuments. It was staffed by up to 30 people who had overnight accommodation in basic huts – I think it is these that you can see at the top of the field.

At Ravenscar there is a gap where you can walk to some good tearooms - these were once part of a hotel. The name of Ravenscar may have come from invading Danes in the 3rd century who had images of ravens on their standards. Prior to this the Romans had built a signal station on the headland. At the beginning of the twentieth century developers tried to build a resort here, however few people bought the plots of land and the plans failed. Even plans to build a rail link failed to attract. The winter weather was thought to put people off – it was called ‘the place that never was'.

The photos show: A view of the north bay of Scarborough from the path leaving northwards, the coastguard station and mine shelter at Long Nab and Hayburn Wyke. 

Walk 59 Filey to Scarborough

Walk 59 Filey to Scarborough (Yorks)

(First leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs in Kent to Berwick at the border with Scotland).

Map: L/R 101
Distance: about 10 miles
Difficulty: Moderate. Energetic cliff walking.
Terrain: mainly cliff paths, some pavements
Access: parking at both ends
Public transport: good train and bus services at both ends

Re-join the coastal path at Filey. The path continues to Filey Brigg to the north of the town. This finger of gritstone projects one mile into the sea and protects the beaches at Filey. According to local legend it was the beginning of a bridge that the devil planned to build so that Yorkshire could be joined to Europe. A Roman signal station once stood near here to help keep out the Picts coming down from Scotland.

On the land near Filey Brigg is a white jagged pole. It is a copy erected by a local community group in 2001 and commemorates the many similar ‘rocket poles’ which were once placed along the Yorkshire coast. These were used to simulate rescues from stricken cargo ships. The Filey Volunteer Life Saving Rocket Company was formed in 1872 and they practised techniques such as firing a rescue line from the pole. They practised this until 1964 – it is not clear to me whether their skills were ever used for a rescue.

The path passes some interesting collections of rocks before Cayton Bay. The cliff formations here are dramatic but care needs to be taken on the sands as there is a risk of getting stranded. The walk continues along to the South Bay of Scarborough, England’s first holiday resort. The most striking landmark is The Grand Hotel, a Grade 2 listed building. It was built in 1867 and is in the shape of a ‘V’ in honour of Queen Victoria. The hotel represents the calendar year: the four corner towers represent the four seasons, the twelve floors the months, fifty two chimneys the weeks and three hundred and sixty five rooms the days. If you get a chance, pop into the entrance to look at the impressive staircase. A plaque on the side of the building marks the death here of Anne Bronte in 1849. There is also a memorial stone in the churchyard near the castle. It was for medicinal reasons that the town originally expanded. The properties of the spa here were expounded as early as the 1620s when water from a local stream was described ‘as a most sovereign remedy against melancholy and windiness’.

The area around south bay has the feel of a typical British seaside resort including a ‘fair’ type amusement park. Cafes, fish and chip shops abound including one with the interesting name of Winking Willy’s. The harbour is worth a stroll around. Marine Drive sweeps from the south bay to the North Bay. It was a venue for many events when it was built in 1908.

The Norman castle which has dominated the town for more than 800 years stands on the headland between the north and south bays. Although it has been besieged six times the castle has never been taken by military force. The worst damage was caused by the Roundheads in the English Civil War and by German bombing in World War 1.

Photos show: Scarborough Castle, Scarborough South Bay including The Grand Hotel, Filey Brigg and a feature in the clifftop gardens at Filey.