Route Lyke Wake Walk

the wainstones on hasty bank

the original route began @ scarth wood moor trig point, followed alum/jet miners track live moor hasty bank, smuggler s trod, bloworth, ironstone railway, esklets, white cross (fat betty), shunner howe, hamer, blue man-i -th -moss, wheeldale stepping stones, fen house, tom cross rigg, snod hill, lilla howe, jugger howe ravine, helwath, pye howe rigg, ravenscar (raven hall hotel). route no longer possible section within ministry of defence controlled area @ raf fylingdales warning radar station.

boundary stone, urra moor

most crossings follow classic route, variation of original. begins @ scarth wood moor trig point or western lyke wake stone in sheepwash car park, follows summit track live moor on carlton moor, cringle moor, cold moor , hasty bank, smuggler s trod, bloworth, ironstone railway, esklets or south flat howe or lion inn, white cross (fat betty), shunner howe, hamer, blue man-i -th -moss, wheeldale stepping stones, fen bogs, eller beck, lilla howe, jugger howe ravine, stony marl moor, eastern lyke wake stone @ beacon howes or ravenscar. summary description of classic route photographs described richard gilbert in book, big walks , guidebook available. detailed illustrated description of western half of walk given in alfred wainwright s coast coast walk.

most crossings done west east. original challenge, crossing towards sea in easterly direction thought easier because prevailing wind comes west making easier walk wind on 1 s , heather lying away walker. on west east crossing, major ascents , descents occur in first ten miles when walker relatively fresh. traverse of lyke wake walk route referred crossing , act of participating in walk known dirging .

in first few years walk followed difficult route requiring endeavour , physical endurance there no worn track on of length. mid-1970s walk had re-thought because numbers of people attempting had, in places, eroded ground surface, , there disturbance game birds, sheep , wildlife walkers , support parties @ times of day , night, particularly in osmotherley, ravenscar , @ remote farms. footpath erosion compounded walk sharing long stretches of route cleveland way , wainwright s coast coast walk. other users, legal, illegal, including mountain bikes, motor cycles, quad bikes , agricultural , moorland management vehicles exacerbated problem. alternative routes possible , walk club works national park authority try limit environmental damage.

the ordnance survey no longer denotes lyke wake walk route on maps, @ recommendation of national park authority, measure discourage large numbers undertaking crossing , walk not mentioned in national park authority publication number of years.

the face stone, on urra moor


other long-distance walks in area

alternative challenge walks , trails include hambleton hobble, shepherd s round, white rose walk, lyke wake way, monk s trod, rail trail, hambleton drove road , crosses walk long distance trails. walk west east across north york moors around ten miles south of lyke wake walk gormire lake cloughton wyke termed, in play on words, lake wyke walk has been suggested.

the lyke wake way non-challenge alternative route osmotherley ravenscar on public rights of way via locations accommodation , other facilities available. entails 50 60 miles of walking depending on route taken , can completed on 2 or 3 days.

blue man th moss, wheeldale moor

alfred wainwright suggested walk form acceptable finish coast coast walk did not specify if recommends doing 40 miles in single push. there no record of wainwright completing walk. there no constraints on doing walk in more leisurely manner , guide doing walk on 4 days has been published.