The Cleveland Way: what you need to know

How long is the Cleveland Way?

The Cleveland Way covers a distance of 117km (110 miles).

Where does the Cleveland Way start and finish?

The route was devised as a loop around the North York Moors National Park, starting from Helmsley and taking in the steep scarp slope overlooking the plains in the west, all the way to Guisborough, before hugging the cliff coast from Saltburn to Filey to the east.

Also starting from Helmsley and ending near Scarborough is the Tabular Hills Walk - a dinky (50 mile) shortcut to the coast. At Filey, you could also continue along the Yorkshire Wolds Way to Hull which would add another 80 miles.

How long does it take to walk the Cleveland Way?

Each of the three routes is described in the guidebook, and walkers can complete them separately or link all three trails end-to-end in a long-distance walk of over 400km (250 miles). These straightforward routes can be walked individually in about 1 week, or the whole distance could be completed comfortably within three weeks, even allowing for outward travel and return home. How difficult is the Cleveland Way?

The Cleveland Way is mostly gentle walking suitable for all.

When is the best time of year to walk the Cleveland Way?

Spring can be a wonderful time to walk these routes, when wild flowers are bursting forth and the weather improves day by day, but most walkers opt for the long, bright days of summer. The autumn months can be good, too, with russet hues stealing through the woods and across the bracken slopes. Winter is for the hardiest of walkers and even the gentle Yorkshire Wolds can be swept by piercingly cold winds.

How to travel to and from the Cleveland Way?

The start and finish points for all three trails are well served by public transport. Bear in mind that there are places along each trail that lack any kind of public transport.

What accommodation is available on the Cleveland Way?

The guidebook includes specific accommodation lists for the Cleveland Way and Yorkshire Wolds Way, listing plenty of hotels, guesthouses, bed-and-breakfasts, youth hostels, camping barns and campsites that might easily be overlooked, especially if they lie a little off-route. However, bear in mind that accommodation inland tends to be rather limited in some places. These accommodation lists do not carry full details of the hundreds of addresses that are available in the popular resorts, but contact the tourist information centres, who can offer suggestions. Finding somewhere to stay along the Tabular Hills Walk needs careful thought, as places are unevenly spaced and some of the villages have no accommodation to offer.

What are the Cleveland Way highlights?

Together the three trails open up a wonderfully rich and varied landscape of cultivated countryside, intricate networks of dales, wild heather moorlands and a dramatic cliff coastline, peppered with dozens of interesting little towns and villages.