Staithes to Roxby, Easington & Boulby Cliff

Staithes makes a popular starting point for a walk along Yorkshire's magnificent heritage coast. However few walkers venture into the rich farmland inland, cut through by four deep wooded valleys which join together and as Staithes Beck flow for the last half mile down to the sea.

This 9 mile route explores this little known area before climbing to the heights of Boulby Cliff and returning along the Cleveland Way. The views are outstanding.

Distance: 9 miles

Time: 5 hours

Grade: easy

Conditions: well marked rights of way, series of short, steep gradients

Refreshments: Staithes, Roxby, Easington

Originally published: 14 July 2017

We start from the car park above Staithes (GR 782185). Head to the far end  and take the signed path to the left of the prominent Whitby Seafish depot. Go right at a junction and then ahead at a crossing of tracks. This takes you past a line of garages and into Seaton Crescent at the end of which is the A 174 and a Co-op supermarket. (If this sounds too complicated then from the car park return along the road to the A 174 where turn left).

After this urban introduction the rest of the walk is entirely in open countryside. Take the footpath opposite the Co-op through to the 18th century Seaton Hall. Leaving the hall on the right the path descends into the valley of the Dales Beck where it joins Borrowby Beck.

Here a secluded caravan site is built on the track of a former railway which once conveyed iron ore from Grinkle Mine through a tunnel away to the left to the coast at Port Mulgrave.

Cross the track and then a footbridge before climbing through woodland to the valley slopes. After one field the path bears left for about a third of a mile over a succession of stiles to Plum Tree House, hidden in trees on the left. On the far side of the farm it joins the line of a paved, stone causeway, probably dating from the 17th century. The huge stones are raised high on a bank leaving wheeled vehicles to use the nearby rutted hollow way.

At the end of the causeway go right on the farm access track to Borrowby Lane. Cross straight over to Borrowby Grange and continue across two fields to a stile where the right of way goes left to a footbridge over Gallon Sike. The path continues to Oaks Farm on Roxby Lane. Bear left, uphill, where there are soon widespread views back to the sea and across to Hinderwell.  Boulby Cliff is also visible, dwarfing even the chimney of Boulby Potash Mine, which was opened in 1973.

Roxby church is reached in another half mile where the views are even more rewarding, the coast being discernible from Huntcliff to the north as far south as Kettleness. There is a well placed seat here. As a diversion the Fox Inn is a quarter of a mile up the steep lane from the church.

From the heights of Roxby our walk descends to cross  two more streams each set in a deeply carved wooded valley. From the bend in the road by the church take the track ahead down to Low House. Continue through a gate by the farmhouse.

In some 200 yards look out for a stile on the left which takes you into Roxby Wood. Forestry work has obscured the line of the path but recent blazing by national park rangers mark out the right of way, downhill to a forest track and, on the other side, to a sturdy footbridge over the beck,  one of five rebuilt by the ranger service after disastrous floods.

On the far side there is a short climb to Ridge Lane, an ancient route once used by Staithes fish merchants on their way to southern markets. Cross straight over the lane and down a steep and stepped path to another handsome, rebuilt wooden bridge over Easington Beck. Beyond, there is a short steep climb for about 100 yards to a forest track. A sign indicates the way ahead, cutting a corner of the track, then recrossing it before reaching the railway line to the potash mine. 100 yards beyond the line the path emerges from the trees.

You will now make faster progress over 5 fields to Easington. At first the path climbs steadily to a lone stone gatepost set on the skyline. Turn right here to a stile and then left along the hedge line to a final field. The right of way is signed over the middle of the field but a signed diversion around the right edge avoids making a path through a standing crop. The target is the large Direct Store of Argam Farm (with cafe) on the A 174.

Turn left and walk the length of the village street to the Tiger Inn where go right on a broad path which heads north to Street Houses on the old pre-turnpike coast road. Turn left. Go past the former Primitive Methodist chapel of 1872 and then, opposite Upton farm, turn right.

The path rises steadily for about a quarter of a mile  to the coast path where there is a complete contrast in scenery. Below you, and between the path and the cliff edge, is the astonishing sight of the Boulby and Loftus alum quarries, up to 200ft deep and extending well over half a mile parallel to the coast.

From 1656 to 1863 vast quantities of shale were laboriously processed on site to produce alum, used for fixing dyes and well as in the tanning and other industries. The area remains a wasteland as little vegetation has been re-established since the quarries closed. Turn right for the gentle climb along the edge of the quarries to the top of Boulby Cliff, the highest in the country at 660ft. An excellent explanatory panel gives details of the industry and describes the functions of the buildings below.

A little further and one of the finest views on the heritage coast opens up. Staithes can be seen two miles away and beyond are the outlines of the cliffs at Port Mulgrave and Runswick Bay.

It's now all downhill through the hamlet of Boulby and along a section the coast where erosion is visibly taking a toll. The descent through Cowbar into Staithes is a delight.