Clay Bank to the Lion Inn, Blakey (14 km)

Introduction St Bees Ennerdale Wast Water - Wander Wast Water - Scafells Wast Water Borrowdale Grasmere Patterdale - Helvellyn Patterdale

From Round Hill back to the moors. From the left: Carlton Moor, Cringle Moor, Cold Moor and Hasty Bank.

Shap Kirkby Stephen Keld Reeth Richmond Danby Wiske Ingleby Cross Clay Bank Lion Inn Grosmont

The first task for this nice day is to get back to the top of Clay Bank. If you are in Great Broughton then your host may give you a lift up the road. Otherwise you will have to reverse the previous days descent. There is another alternative if you want to really avoid walking along the road - return to the southern side of Hasty Bank via field paths to Solomon's Porch farmhouse, a path past Broughton Bank farm onto a lane at Toft Hill and then straight up the hill to join a zigzag miners path. This has the advantage of lengthening this admittedly easy day and allowing another visit to the Wainstones (any ascent though can be skipped by following the forest track skirting below the bank).

For those who choose to camp at the farm below Clay Bank, there is a path that avoids the walk up the road. This is reached by walking a bit further down the dale and up a lane to Urra Farm where an overgrown path heads up the slopes. The path clears as it rises into a small gully and then joins an earthwork and ditch along the edge of Carr Ridge. The earthwork leads to the north to rejoin the C2C as it climbs steeply up from Clay Bank.

From Clay Bank, the C2C climbs beside a stone wall and through a rocky gully onto the flatter part of Carr Ridge (joining the above route). Keep an eye out for the plaque fixed to the left-hand rocks in the gully in memory of a terrier that stole the show in a television programme about the Lyke Wake Walk. Pause at the top to look back at yesterdays travels. The clear wide track continues past a line of boundary stones to the highest point on the North York Moors (another Round Hill) at 454 metres. It is marked by an OS pillar in the heather, on top of a Bronze Age burial mound.

Across the path from the OS pillar is the Hand Stone, a 1700's guidepost with two roughly carved hands pointing the way to "Stoxla" (Stokesley) and "Kirby" (Kirkbymoorside). A little further on (on the left) is the more ancient Face Stone boundary marker with the carving of a face on its eastern side. This has been around since at least 1642.

Beyond Round Hill, the track drops to the wet headwaters of High Bloworth Beck and then climbs gently onto the trackbed of the old Rosedale Ironstone Railway. This is followed right to Bloworth Crossing, where there was a level-crossing for the busy pack-horse pannier-way, Westside Road. The peacefulness and serenity of the crossing today makes it hard to envisage the industrial clamour of steam trains and clanging wagons. At the peak of activity (1873) over 1500 tons of ironstone ore were moved each day to the blast furnaces of Durham and Teesside (a total of 10 million tons over 70 years).

The Cleveland Way leaves the trackbed here to head north along the moorland road passing an ancient waymarker (one of the many moorland crosses with personal names - Jenny Bradley). There is a fine viewpoint that allows you to see all the way back to the Clay Bank carpark (only 3 km away as the crow flies but you have walked nearly 9 km) where the rock bluffs on Hasty Bank are prominent. This may be worth a visit to stretch today's journey out (about 5-6 kilometres for the round trip).

However, the C2C goes straight over the old crossing (passing a gate prohibiting vehicular traffic) where the trackbed now provides a splendid level walkway for 6 kilometres along the headwaters of several becks and rivers. Farndale is the prominent valley to your right and is famous for its display of daffodils in the springtime. The river that runs down Farndale is the River Dove which is the first water that the track crosses over (recognisable by the large embankment with good-sized tunnels for the river). Beyond this, you contour around Middle Head and then Dale Head to cross into Farndale Moor. A long embankment follows with a thin path crossing at a grouse butt (a useful shelter). The track curves around the hillside past the site of a water tower and onto High Blakey Moor - the Lion Inn makes its welcome arrival on the horizon here. One last side-valley is rounded before a path through heather heads up to the inn.

The Lion Inn has been providing welcoming cheer for over 400 years and has accommodation, camping, great beer and good food. B&B is also available across the road at High Blakey House.