CW & TH Day 13

Day 13 - Monday 18 June 2018

Scarborough to South Moor Farm (15.1 miles)

Having almost completed the Cleveland Way bar the final leg in a few days, it was now time to commence The Tabular Hills walk which would get us back to Helmsley from where we would return to Boltby and as such complete both walks. We had a really pleasant 5 night stay in Scarborough with Jules & Alec - a young couple who have not been in the business that long but are making a real go of it. Leaving the B&B, as usual the full packs felt heavy but as you get 'walked in' you sort of like get used to it and the pleasant walk along the promenade was ideal terrain to do just that. We were retracing our steps to the start of The Tabular Hills walk on the coast at Scalby Mills from where we would head west to South Moor Farm in the Dalby Forest some 15 miles away.

From the start point at Scalby Mills the route heads over farmland to reach Scalby, a suburb to the north of Scarborough. The path then follows the Sea Cut for 2 miles (see pictures below) to reach Mowthorpe Farm. There now began a section of road walking for a mile or so which passed a cafe (shut on a Monday, typical!) to reach the small hamlet of Wrench Green where we sat beside the River Derwent and had lunch chatting to a couple of fishermen from the Derwent Angling Club. Lunch over it was time to negotiate the steep pull out of Wrench Green to enter Wykeham Forest where began approximately 10 miles of forest tracks interspersed with quiet lanes - hard on the feet which we stopped to air a couple of times to give us a bit of respite.

Travelling through forest grants the opportunity to keep your eye out for the various wildlife inhabitants that make this terrain their home and it was no surprise that we saw a Roebuck - bold as brass right in front of us. As we stopped still he eyed us with suspicion and as I made a move for my camera he took the opportunity to leg it - such a privilege to see him close up. By this time we were now in the Dalby Forest and soon we arrived at our B&B, South Moor Farm and there was a reception committee waiting to greet us namely Polly the German Shepherd and Meg the miniature Jack Russell. We had to hang around a few minutes for Bob our host to arrive in order to check us in and show us to our big room. The farm is in the middle of nowhere therefore we had booked Dinner which was beautifully cooked by Bob's wife Christine and we ate in the company of a couple from Brighton who were cycling & walking the area.

Despite the long distance today and the forest tracks this was a really good days walking in virtual solitude - we saw nobody at all apart from Bambi and the 2 fishermen at Wrench Green.

And back along the prom we go - we would need to retrace our steps to Scalby Mills but it was not far

North Yorkshire & Cleveland Heritage Coast sign in North Bay - the Heritage Coast runs for 15 miles between Staithes & Ravenscar

The start of the Tabular Hills path at Scalby Mills - only 48 miles to Helmsley

From Scalby Mills the path heads over fields to reach Scalby

The Sea Cut (Scalby Beck) near Scalby.

This is an artificial flood relief channel which was opened on 3 September 1804 and extended to 3 miles with a width of 30 ft and a drop of
(135 ft). Ten weirs were built along its length to control the energy of the floodwaters with the weir head at Everley controlling the flow of the Sea Cut by use of a sluice gate allowing floodwater over the weir when the River Derwent is in spate, but maintaining the flow of water in the Derwent when dryer conditions prevail. The sluice gate at Everley is designed specifically to prevent floodwater to enter the Derwent. Instead the majority of the floodwater is diverted down the Sea Cut.