Route Ref:  NYM13

Back to North Yorkshire Moors Routes

This is not the original route we set out to do. Due to deteriorating weather conditions we decided to change from the planned route at Bloworth Crossing so that we would have the driving rain at our backs and not have to face it for five or six miles down Rudland Rigg. Hopefully the intended route will appear soon as NYM014. This shorter route still turned out to be worthwhile, especially with almost five mile of hard track down hill to enjoy. Apart from initial start, a difficult uphill to Carr Ridge and the final climb back to the car park this is an easy ride which can be done within a couple of hours. Long enough for the weather conditions we had on the day.

Start at Clay Bank car park on the B1257 between Hasty Bank and Urra Moor. Leave the car park heading south for about 200 yards. (Gosh yards! Now I'm showing my age). Go through the gate on the left and here a bridleway marked Cleveland Way heads up to Carr Ridge. Unless you are super charged, young, fit, stupid etc. you will probably "get off an push" most of the way to the gate beyond the gully. After the gate the rest is easy.

From the gate it is almost single track for a while over Carr Rigg and then opens out into a wider hard dirt track. Follow this track east onto Urra Moor (the highest point on the North Yorkshire Moors). Continue past the trig point at Round Hill and drop down to the old railway, turn right to Bloworth Crossing. Bloworth crossing is the cross roads of the old railway and the track form Ingleby Bank to Rudland Rigg. Turn left and follow this track all the way to the tarmac raod which connects Baysdale Abbey with Eskdale. Enjoy five miles of fast hasrd track, mostly downhill. If you glance over your left shoulder you will get good views of Hasty Bank and cold Moor. When you get to the Kildale road, it is worth turning right into Kildale to see if Glebe Farm is open for tea! They have been closed in support of the farming community through out the foot and mouth epidemic. They were still closed at the end of October.

From Kildale follow the country lanes back to Clay Bank via Battersby and Ingleby Greenhow. You can add a little fun by turning down a leafy lane at side of the church in Ingleby. At the bottom of the chuch there is a ford which was running pedal deep. If you want to cheat the ford, then you need to go through the church yard to use the footbridge.

Start Clay Bank Car park GR 572035 - Road/Track 572033 - Gate 578030 - Round Hill 594015 - Track/Old Railway 610017 - Bloworth Crossing 615014 - Track/Jnc Burton Howe 607031 - Track/Jnc Tidy Brown Hill 601049 - Gate 610069 - Gate 615075 -Road Jnc 603091 - Kildale 607094 - Road Jnc 592081 - Road Jnc 582063 - Road Jnc 577060 - Clay Bank Car Park 572035

14.3 Miles, 23.01 Kms, 1598 Feet, 524 Metres, 4 Gates, 53% Off Road