Cleveland Way - Helmsley to Osmotherley

Cleveland Way - Helmsley to Osmotherley.

It was an honour to be involved in part of Roberts first ever Long Distance Walk (The Cleveland Way). I'd arranged to be around on the first day to get him started and then see him over the line seven days later at Filey. I have to admit, I did seem strange leaving a long distance walk after only 1 day - but this one was all about my friends son, Robert. He'd prepared for it during lockdown, by taking every opportunity to do a long walk local to his home and felt confident he could do it.

The start point (Helmsley) is a favourite of mine and there can't be many better starting points for a LDW. The majority of the long stretch to Osmotherley has been walked before, but 22 miles is not to be sniffed at, it was a reasonably hard start with a harder day to follow along the Cleveland hills to Kildale.

The walking is not too strenuous as you pass Rievaulx Abbey, the route then climbs out of the Rye Valley to reach the Hambleton Hills escarpment at Sutton Bank where an out and back is necessary for the purists to visit the White Horse of Kilburn (others may just turn right and save a couple of miles of walking - we didn't of course).

After Sutton Bank, the edge of the escarpment is followed with fine views over the Vale of Mowbray (the finest view in England apparently) and an old drovers road is picked up over the very gentle moorland. A left turn at square corner and down into Oakdale before the lovely village of Osmotherley is reached.

First pint in a pub since February, its good to be back !! - We wished Robert well and promised to keep in touch to follow progress - "See you on Sunday"