A Stroll With Stu: seven-mile walk through Sleights and Grosmont offers fabulous coastal views

This is usually driven by the desire to split a longer walk in two, returning a week later to walk the bit that I missed, and using my bike on any flattish stretches along the way (and to get to a distant pub!)

I’ll explain later how it went horribly wrong.

This is a seven-miler, with an arduous climb, blessed with fabulous views back over towards the coast.

From Sleights Station, go straight up Lowdale Lane, resisting any paths that cross the beck.

At a little junction, bear right up the road for 50 yards then left again at a signpost.

Go straight on along a path in the trees, keeping the water on your left.

This soon turns into one of those magical stone trods that snake all across the area, soon emerging on a road at Iburndale.

Turn left across the bridge, climbing up to the fabulously named village of Ugglebarnby.

After the first couple of houses (opposite a junction on your left), turn right along a wide track – Tom Bell Lane.

This turns to tarmac near Dean Hall (whoever he is) after which you should turn right down a quiet road.

It’s downhill past Hempsyke Hall, then Hempsyke Farm and soon afterwards you need to turn right on a signed path through a gate.

Drop down through a couple of fields and when you see Low Farm ahead in the near distance, edge left – away from the trees – to find a path that closely passes the farm, to reach a little lane which soon bends sharp left at a little junction.

Suck in some air.

Your climb now begins.

Follow the road skywards as it bends sharply right at the junction for Littlebeck, and slog on towards the A169.

The road bends left after the ornate gates of Hobbin Ghyll, and where it curves right again, take a signed path on your left, climbing up to a big car park at the top of Blue Bank.

Now, back to my idiot’s guide to cycling in North Yorkshire.

Way back at the Iburndale Road, I figured it was a good idea to make a bee-line for the top of Blue Bank and do the walk the following week.

It was a long ride (for ‘ride’ read ‘push’) up through Upper Sleights to reach the main road near The Plough pub, where I was dismayed to find that Blue Bank has no pavement – not even a tiny track and in fact, not even a grass verge to walk up (there was no chance of me cycling vertically uphill).

So, I figured that the best bet - my only vaguely safe option actually - was to push my bike up the escape road.

The escape road is designed to give an option to any lorry drivers whose brakes aren’t up to the job and don’t fancy entering the Plough Bar in an unorthodox and speedy manner.

It is constructed as a deep bed of pea gravel, where runaway truck drivers, sucking frantically on a Woodbine, can bog their vehicle down and safely stop before unleashing carnage further on.

I figured that their advanced tonnage was a key to them sinking into the gravel, and that I could fairly easily push my bike up through it.

It was a really bad idea.

It was like swimming in treacle and by the time I reached the top – at that car park – I looked like I’d run across the Sahara in an anorak.

Mired in sweat and having attracted a small battalion of hungry bugs, it took me a while to look up and admire the utterly stupendous views North to Whitby and the Lower Esk Valley.

Whichever way you get there, the top of Blue Bank is over 700ft higher than Sleights Station and you can sure tell.

Whitby Abbey is way, way down below your feet and you could stare at this vista for some considerable time.

A sign opposite the car park quickly takes you through a 10-yard stretch of gorse to a wide track on the right of a quarry (it’s a bit overgrown, so climb the gate 20 yards further down the road if you prefer, and if anyone objects, invite them to go and get a life).

This wide track snakes across the moors high above the Esk Valley.

The views continue to be excellent as you pass a beacon and woodland on your right, before dropping past another quarry to reach a peaceful lane.

Drop steeply – very steeply – down, bearing left at junctions as you lose most of that altitude to eventually reach Grosmont where a variety of options are available for your refreshment of choice.