Walking Holidays in the UK

The Cleveland Way’s 40th Anniversary took place at the end of May, reported earlier in this blog. The idea was to get as many people as possible walking a section of the national trail on the 40th anniversary of its official opening.

The Whitby Gazette reported that more than 200 people walked part of the 110-mile route. There were several Mickledore clients on Cleveland Way walking holidays at the time, so we did our bit to contribute! We have heard for 3 parties of our clients, only one of which came across an “official” anniversary walk. A number of local rambling groups took part , as well as leaders from the North York Moors National Park Authority.

The Gazette again
“The route, which snakes around the North York Moors National Park and passes through Staithes, Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay, was divided into 10 sections, with a different group walking each section.”

“David Rubenstein, a former chairman of the Ramblers’ Association who was at the inauguration of the Cleveland Way 40 years ago, came along to see the first group set off from Helmsley on their walk to Sutton Bank. Malcolm Hodgson, National Trails officer for the Cleveland Way, said: “It’s been fantastic to see so many people out walking the Cleveland Way – even the sun has put in a very welcome appearance.””

Labels: 40th Anniversary, Cleveland Way, walking holidays

The Cleveland Way was opened in May 1969 and was, surprisingly, the second National Trail to be opened. It is a brilliant walk, combining desolate moorlands, dramatic views from the edge of the North York Moors plateau, and the cliffs and beaches of the North Yorks coastline. Despite all this, it has never enjoyed the popularity of other national Trails, such as the Pennine Way and Hadrian’s Wall. At Mickledore Travel we have been organising Cleveland Way Walking Holidays for a number of years, and numbers are steadily growing. It is however, less popular than some of our other walking holidays, such the Coast to Coast Walk.
To celebrate the anniversary people are being encourage to walk their favourite section on 24 May. Malcolm Hodgson, National Trails Officer for the Cleveland Way, said:
“Whether you’re looking to complete the whole 110 miles or just fancy a short afternoon stroll, the Cleveland Way will take you through the very best the North York Moors has to offer. It has changed considerably from the first few years when waymarker signs were few and far between and long distance routes were very much for hardy hikers. Today the trail is managed for everyone to enjoy with a clear path and lots of great places to rest your legs along the way. We’ve also improved accessibility considerably and there is now just one stile on the inland section.”
My favourite section? Possibly the Wainstones, a jumble of Gritstone boulders perched on the very edge of the North York Moors, - great boulders, with great views over the flatter grounds to the North towards Middlesbrough and the North Sea.

Labels: Cleveland Way, National Trail, walking holidays