Cleveland Way - Thirsk to Swainby (★★★★★)

The Cleveland Way is one of my regular walking routes - and a particularly nice section of of the Cleveland Way is the section running from Sutton Bank, up to Swainby - via Osmotherly.

The northern end of the Cleveland Way is well served by buses and trains - but the southern end is harder to access via public transport. One of the access points that can be used on this southern end though, is to head out from Thirsk - and although this involves a bit of a walk before reaching the Cleveland Way (8.4 miles in total), the walk itself is pretty enjoyable.

Thirsk to the Cleveland Way

And so today I am heading down on the train to Thirsk train station - and then heading off past Thirsk Racecourse on my way through the town of Thirsk - before continuing out on the far side to head over the A19.

Although this is a fairly plain section of walking, Thirsk does have historical interest as the former home of the real James Herriot (Alf Wight). 

There is a lot of confusion about the town of Thirsk, and in particular in terms of James Herriot - which often gets described as being in the Yorkshire Dales when referenced from a James Herriot perspective - but to make it clear, it is a town that sits on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors, in the Vale of York (the flat bit).

From here it is about 13 miles to Ripon, which sits on the edge of Nidderdale, which whilst not part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is part of the Yorkshire Dales as a block of geography.

The town of Grassington (used to depict Darrowby in the latest series of All Creatures Great and Small) is about an hour's drive west from here - and a lot of classical 'Herriot country' is actually quite a long way away from Thirsk - with the eastern end of the Herriot Way being an hour's drive from this spot.

Since Thirsk sits in the Vale of York it does, however, have easy access to a large area of countryside - which spans across the North Yorkshire Moors, the Vale of York and into the Yorkshire Dales - with travel on the plain being a lot quicker and easier than travel across the hills of the Moors or Dales.

But it is worth keeping in mind that the town of Thirsk is as close to Darlington or York as it is to the very eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park - and as close to Middlesbrough or the outskirts of Whitby as it is to Grassington.

Yorkshire is a very big place, with a rich diversity in countryside - with the Yorkshire Wolds to the east of here also offering up their own distinct geography in the form of a chalky landscape. And whilst across the expanse of Yorkshire you have it all - it is not one homogeneous place. 

With this in mind, we are more able to accept the fact that Thirsk is not quite as pretty as Grassington - but having got over the A19, we turn off down a farm track on the right, and follow this as it turns to dirt.

By now Sutton Bank has come into view, and whilst we are still on the (relatively) flat plains, we have steep cliffs lying ahead.

But there is still some way to go before we meet up with those cliffs - and indeed we must initially turn to head away from them - turning right as we head towards the village of Bagby, before the road bends left to head towards Balk. At the village of Balk we turn left once again - and start heading back towards Sutton Bank, following a small stream.

This path takes us round to the village of Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe - and here we cut up through the village - before turning off to the left to head up to Low Cleaves, which is a pretty drive with horses, llamas and sheep to admire in the fields on either side.

The farm drive (taken in April on a previous visit)

Once the drive turns to the left, to head towards the farm buildings, we leave it behind - and head up the ridge across a sheep field, and into a small wood.

From here there are a few more sheep fields to clear - before heading into a larger wood, to begin a climb up to Lake Gormire - which sits below Whitestone Cliff (part of Sutton Bank). 

Arriving at Lake Gormire

Looking out from slightly further round the lake

This is a very pleasant lake to walk around - and with it being early in the day, it is quiet here - and so I opt to stop for a bit by the lake, and have some food (there is a big climb coming up after all).

Lake Gormire (with Gormire meaning filthy swap) is a very deep lake that was formed during the end of the last Ice Age.

And due it's unusual formation, there are a few myths surrounding this lake - with some believing it is bottomless, others believing it is an entrance to hell, and others supposedly believing the myth of Sir Harry Scriven.

Harry Scriven was a knight who conned the Abbot of Rievaulx Abbey into letting him ride his horse - before riding off. And after the the two rode off - with the Abbot giving chase - the Abbot turned into the devil, spooking the knight's horse to jump off the cliff into Lake Gormire below. The devil was then seen to jump into the lake after them (presumably on his way back to hell), and the water boiled in response, resulting in it's dark color.

In reality though, it is a lake without a stream - believed to have formed via rock fall, which reduces the flow in and out of the lake, and gives it a fairly unusual character - due to it's situation right below the cliffs.

But it is a pretty lake to walk around - and from here we start our walk around the lake, before meeting up with a steep path on the far side. Here we turn off, and head up through Garbutt Wood, to the top of the steep bank.

On the Cleveland Way

At the top, Roulston Scar and the Sutton Bank Visitor Centre lie to the right (also along the Cleveland Way), but here we turn left - and head away from the crowds, along the bank.

The view out from Sutton Bank

I am a big of a fan of this section, which is often quieter than the rest of Sutton Bank, and which has a more natural feel to it.

And after a very short walk we pass along the top of Whitestone Cliff - and then find a bench to rest at, looking out over Lake Gormire below.

Not a bad spot for a bench

Looking towards Whitestone Cliff from the same spot

After a short break, we head on - and the path bends right as it continues to follow the ridge. And from here we will follow the ridge line (as is typical for the Cleveland Way - which runs along the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors).

We are now generally heading north, bending slightly east as we pass South Woods, and then bending slightly west as we pass Little Moor below.

View out just past South Woods

As we pass South Woods, we tick off one more item on our James Herriot bingo card, by passing the village of Thirlby - where Alf Wight lived from 1977 to 1995, as he sought to avoid the crowds in Thirsk - who by that point were aware of the real identity behind the James Herriot books.

And from this ridge, the views out across this countryside are are exceptional - and continue on as we bend to the east once more, passing along the top of Boltby Scar - looking out towards Boltby, and the countryside below. This is also the site of a former Iron Age fort.

There are no information boards along the trail explaining the area's history, but despite this there is plenty going on.

The fort at Boltby Scar is believed to have had a 3ft high rampart formed of rubble, dating back to around 400BCE - with two barrows also existing on this site. This sat in combination with a second, much larger, fort at Roulston Scar (now the site of Yorkshire Gliding Club - near the Visitor Centre).

And indeed, this area was being farmed 5,000 years ago (Bronze Age), with very subtle indications of this history to still be found across the Moors when you stumble across small cairns and banks. 

Looking ahead on the path from Boltby Scar (just past the site of the former fort)

Through the fields just past Boltby Scar

But continuing on, we head on past the dilapidated High Barn - and then on to Sneck Yate Bank, where we cross a minor road, and head on towards Low Paradise Farm.

Passing some sheep at Sneck Yate Bank

Having passed Low Paradise Farm, we follow a farm drive up a bit of an ascent to reach High Paradise Farm - and here they operate a cafe that is open to horse riders, cyclists and walkers (you cannot drive here to visit the cafe).

After passing through the farm, the path briefly continues out, and then turns left - to head between Dale Town Common and Boltby Forest.

Having dipped just inside the edge of Boltby Forest, there is a short walk through the trees, before coming out by a barrow site on the moors (more of that previously mentioned history).

Heading on from here, the route passes through (a second) Little Moor, and then passes above Kepwick Moor (in the valley below), and along the edge of Arden Great Moor - before turning to the left at Whitestone Scar, and on to Black Hambledon.

The mound at Black Hambledon always looks a bit miserable in the shade, which might explain it's name - but we are in the sunshine today, and so everything is looking pretty cheerful. And from here the onward route starts to drop down, and the views open up - as we start to begin the descent into Osmotherley.

Looking out towards Osmotherley in the valley

Looking out to the left on the way down

On the way down the path drops to the car park at Square Corner - and then turns left, heading down to one of the reservoirs below.

Dropping down to the reservoirs

After following along the edge of one of these reservoirs, the path then cuts across to the road - which is crossed, before heading round and then down, to cross over Cod Beck. This stream runs from Cod Beck Reservoir (very slightly to the north) on a meandering route south, to join up with Thirsk, where our walk began.

Having crossed over this stream, the path climbs up a series of steps, and then between fields - on its way into Osmotherley.

Osmotherley was formerly known as Asmundrelac - and this name indicates that it is likely to have been a 'clearling belonging to Asmund', who is likely to have been a Viking - and with all the '-by' ending towns in the area also likely to have Viking heritage (-by meaning farmstead or settlement in Old Norse).

Those passed already today include Thirlby, Boltby, Sowesby, Kirby and Thimbleby - with Thirsk also having a Viking derivation, from the Old Norse word for fen or lake (being called Tresche in the 1086 Domesday Book).

Subsequently the name for this village changed to Osmundeslay and Osmonderlay, before now taking the name 'Osmotherley'.

Beyond this, it seems to just be another village in the Moors - but there is the chance to stop and have food, visit the shop, visit the toilets, and / or take the bus to Northallerton - but aside from a quick stop at the shop to get some food and drink, we quickly pass through this village.

Once outside of Osmotherley, the path turns left to pass by a series of houses, before bending round to the north to pass by Lady's Chapel (alternatively you can head up the drive from Lady's Chapel and rejoin the Cleveland Way at the Chapel).

Prior to this, we pass by Chapel Wood Farm - where there is a path heading down the ridge on the left, and this could take you down to Mount Grace Priory. This is a big climb down and back up, but the priory is well worth a visit if you have the time.

Mount Grace Priory as it would have looked

You can't get any views of the priory from the ridge, but it is a fairly well preserved monastery that was built in 1398, with 25 individual cells - each with their own gardens for monks to live in - and surrounding a central green. And in better condition, there is also a more modern 17th century mansion.

The monks from the priory built Lady's Chapel in the 15th century - although that is much smaller than the priory. And if you do go down to it, there is plenty to explore at the priory site (although you do have to pay for entry).

But as it is, we head on - and start to drop down the ridge once again, on a route that can be muddy and slippery (UPDATE - this has been improved with new steps and gravel). 

Meeting a resident of the field

From here we join up with the Coast to Coast route, and start heading back up the ridge, through trees - and then out onto Scarth Wood Moor. From here we get views out to the next sections of the Cleveland Way, and of Rosberry Topping in the distance.

And indeed, once fully out into the open, most of the Cleveland Way route from here to Saltburn is visible in the hills ahead.

Looking out towards the next sections of Cleveland Way (and Swainby below on the left)

Having passed through the gate onto Scarth Wood Moor, there is also a bench - and having taken a break here and got going again, the path heads on, with additional views out over Cod Beck Reservoir on the right hand side.

The path is dropping down once again in this section - and the descent gets steeper to allow the path to head across the road at Scarth Nick - before climbing back up on the far side, as it heads through another set of woods.

From here, the path heads down a long series of steps - and at the base of these, it is a very short walk to a point where the Cleveland Way heads round to the right, but where our route heads down the hill, and into Swainby, to end the walk for the day.

There are (infrequent) buses from Swainby - and depending on the evolution of the bus timetable, depends on where it is best to get the bus from (sometimes this means Swainby is an option, sometimes it is not - the next villages round on the Cleveland Way are also an option). But my route heads on from here on foot, across the fields, to head home.

Total Distance: 23.5 miles Thirsk to Swainby (of which 14.4 miles on Cleveland Way)

Total Ascent: 2,654 feet (of which 1,591 on Cleveland Way)

Enjoyment Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

Click for the next section of the Cleveland Way from Kildale to Swainby.

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 93 (very briefly), 99 (briefly) and 100 OS Landranger maps - while there is also a Cleveland Way guidebook which includes OS mapping (links redirect to Amazon). The route is in general well way-marked.