| 1. Parking in and around Kildale is easy with lots of wide verges which don't block any gates etc.
Start off heading South West, with a nice mile or so of downhill, and take a left at the junction under the rail bridge towards Battersby.
Stay on the roads to Ingleby Greenhow and turn left once you're in the village towards the church.
Follow the track to the left hand side of the church and cross through the ford - if the river is in flood, access to the footbridge is through the churchyard.
After the ford/bridge there is about 1/4 mile of bridlepath which brings you out onto another road section. Turn left and follow the road for about a mile before a long climb to Clay Bank Car Park. Sometimes there is a Bacon Butty van in the car park, but don't depend on it!.
Leave the carpark and turn left towards Helmsley for a couple of hundred yards before entering the gate on the left, which starts to climb up to the Cleveland Way. Most of the hill is rideable with care, but you will need to push/carry the bike for a couple of sections.
Once on the top of the moor, you have a view across Teesside, and long clear tracks along the moor tops, but beware of startled grouse jumping out of the heather.
After the first long downhill section on the top (about 8 miles from the start) there is a sharp left turn leading to a gate on the old railway line. Turn right along the line for a couple of hundred yards before turning back on yourself to the left.
This track can be a little rocky in places but with care is do-able by all abilities.
At about 11 miles there is a gate on the right, turn right here onto a rutted vehicle track. After a mile or so of track you come out into a small car park. Continue along the road to the cattle grid and turn left to follow the road back down to the starting point at Kildale. |