The Cleveland Way celebrates 40

By Carole Green
BBC York & North Yorkshire

It is the spectacular landscapes that make the Cleveland Way special.

The Cleveland Way National Trail, which this year is celebrating its 40th birthday, has seen a significant increase in the number of walkers during the first six months of 2009.

Footfall counters hidden in four locations along the 110 mile route show that on average there was a 26% rise in users between January and June compared with the same period last year.

It is the spectacular landscapes that make the walk so special. It starts in Helmsley on the southern edge of the North York Moors and finishes around 110 miles later on the coast at Filey.

The Cleveland Way wasn't formally recognised until 1969.

History

The long distance walk was recognised for the first time on 24 May 1969. Malcolm Hodgson, National Trails Officer for the Cleveland Way explains how the walk came about:

"The idea goes right back to the 1930s and the Middlesbrough Rambling Club came up with the idea of a long distance route along the North York Moors linked in with youth hostels, a kind of holiday route.

"This was a time when people were really looking to escape their urban existence and on a weekend get out into the countryside more.

"It took until 1949 for the idea of these new long distance routes to be enshrined in law and then another 20 years, 1969, for the Cleveland way to be formally recognised as a long distance path."

Walking the Cleveland Way

Half of the route encircles the largest open moorland in England, the North York Moors, passing landmarks such as Rievaulx Abbey, Roseberry Topping and the White Horse at Kilburn.

The route takes walkers over open moorland and along the coast.

The other half follows the Heritage Coast over the top of rugged cliffs from Saltburn down to Filey Brigg, passing through villages such as Staithes and Ravenscar on the way.

The Cleveland Way isn't the longest or the oldest long distance walk in the UK, but Malcolm thinks it's special for a variety of reasons:

"The walk has a real sense of history along it, with heritage sites that you can visit, like Helmsley Castle and Rievaulx Abbey. You're doing some moorland bits and then some coastal bits, it's so different and it makes the experience all the better for it."

Malcolm has just one piece of advice for anyone walking all, or part, of the Cleveland Way:

"Remember to turn round occasionally and look back, otherwise you'll miss some spectacular views!"