The Lyke Wake Walk is the forty mile crossing of the North Yorkshire Moors from Scarth Wood Moor, Osmotherley to the coast at Ravenscar, which has to be completed in twenty four hours for membership of theLyke Wake Club. For all practical purposes the walk starts from the car park at the eastern end of the reservoir, the first past the cattle grid from Osmotherly (O.S. ref.-SE468993) and finishes at Beacon Howe (O.S. ref -NZ969012) or vice versa.
From the Sheepwash car park head north along the road for a short distance until you come to a cattle grid. Turn right here into Coalmire Plantation and follow the forestry track. After a short distance you will come to a short but steep shale bank which falls away on your left. Go down Limekiln Bank (this can be "interesting" in wet weather) and at the bottom turn right following the footpath which skirts the tree-line. After a while you come to what appears at first sight to be a dead end, turn left across the stile and cut diagonally across the field. Through the gate you come out onto a lane. Turn left and follow this lane across a ford to Huthwaite Green.
At the junction and the telephone box go straight across and take the lane towards the trees you can see on the hillside in front of you. On reaching the trees you turn left and follow an obvious path along the tree line. After a short while you come to the Sheepdrift. This is a short but very steep climb. Turn right a go up this. Steps have been cut in to the bank to combat erosion, some people might argue about the aesthetics of this but believe me if you are doing the walk in really wet weather you will be thankful for them as before their introduction it was nigh on impossible to climb this bank. On reaching the top of the bank turn left and follow the footpath round the edge of the escarpment. You will walk along the edge of a glider station; do not be tempted to take the short cut across the runway as the owners tend to become rather irate and a glad on the back of the neck can be slightly painful. Follow the path all the way round until you come to some old alum workings overlooking the road up from Carlton, turn left just past these workings and drop down to the road at the point where the access road to the glider station joins it. Cross this road and the path to follow is obvious as it stretches out like a long black scar in front of you up the side of Cringle Moor.
When you arrive at the foot of the ascent to Cringle you have a choice; you can either turn left and follow the path that skirts round the bottom or you can go straight on over the top. The bottom route is very easy to follow and in bad conditions is safer though it does have the disadvantage of being very muddy at times. If you do choose the bottom path then just follow your nose and it eventually brings you out on to Clay Bank just south of the car park.
The classic route is straight on over the top of Cringle and though this route is more strenuous it does reward you with some very fine views on a clear day. After the long drag up Cringle you are faced with a steep drop and another climb up onto Cold Moor closely followed by another drop and climb up to the top of Hasty Bank. From the summit of Hasty follow the path down to rejoin the bottom track at Clay Bank. (map ref :- NZ573035) (During summer you may be fortunate enough to find the snack bar in the car park open but don't bank on it)
Cross the road (Beware! This is a very busy road and you cross half way round a fast bend) and go through the gate oppsite. Follow the path uphill keeping the wall to your left. Do not make the mistake of going up the forestry track on the opposite side of the wall. The path climbs steeply and passes through a cleft in the rocks; which can become very slippery in wet weather; and continues up to the stone wall near the top of the hill. Follow the old pony track keeping the wall to your left . At the end of the wall bear left and follow a broad track (the remains of a fire break) to the top of Urra Moor. At the summit of this unspectacular moor is the trig point at Botton Head. This is the highest point on the North Yorks. Moors at 1,489 ft. and offers a fine view over the industrial wasteland of Teesside. Continue along this broad path as far as the disused railway track at Bloworth Crossing. Turn right and follow this track the walking is easy and at first it comes as a relief but after a while it becomes boring and after going round several bends at the head of various dales you begin to wonder if there is an end to this part of the walk. Don't despair, eventually you come to a point where you can see some buildings at the top of a ridge to your right. This welcome sight is the Red Lion Inn. Follow the short path that leads up the slope at the back of the pub and it brings you out conveniently near the front door and if you have timed your walk correctly that door could well be open. You can now see White Cross (map ref :-NZ 677019)across the head of Rosedale. You have a choice. You can either walk round the road to it or you can follow a path that you can see heading across the head of the dale. It's your walk so take your pick.
From White Cross follow the footpath across the dale head until it crosses the road to Rosedale. On the other side of the road a clearly defined path heads due east . Follow this path, the walking is easy and the scenery is magnificent (providing the weather is good). Just past Loose Howe you will come to the George Gap and a stone marked Causeway Stone; the bog in the hollow below is wet in the best of summers; in bad weather it can be almost impossible to cross, so be sure to take care. After you have negotiated the bog the path is easy to follow over Shunner Howe and on to Hamer (map ref :- SE 744 995). As you come down from Shunner Howe you can see most of the remainder of the walk stretched out before you. If you are easily depressed lower your eyes and concentrate on the path in front of you.
From Hamer the path is clearly defined and you can just make out the outline of Blue Man i' t' Moss on the skyline. The path is easy to follow all the way to Blue Man but it can be very wet in bad weather. After the Blue man has been reached the path becomes more difficult to follow; there was a large moor fire here several years ago and all the heather and peat was burned off, right down to the bed rock. The view from here looking east, the way you are going, resembles a lunar landscape. With usage a bit of a path has been worn in but most of the way across this wasteland is undefined. Head a rough course east and when you once more reach heather you will pick up a clearly defined path. Follow this and you will eventually come to the Stape road, cross this and you will shortly come to another road. This one is a little older having been built by the romans. After crossing the roman road the path drops suddenly down a steep valley to Wheeldale Beck and its neighboring youth hostel. The beck is crossed by stepping stones and the path follows straight on from them up Howl Moor to Simon Howe. This is one of those annoying hills where every time you come to a crest of a ridge another one appears in front of you. Don't despair there is an end to it .......eventually. From the top of Simon Howe you can now see the bridge at Ellerbeck and it's now downhill all the way to it. Follow the path down the hill to the railway line. Be careful crossing the track. The line is in use and during summer trains run regularly; and it should be noted that they have the right of way so please don't try to argue with one. From the railway it is only a couple of minutes walk up the footpath through Fen Bogs to Ellerbeck (map ref :- SE 857983).
Cross the road and follow the path to the right of the stream to Lilla Cross. Lilla Howe is the smaller of the two howes you can see directly ahead of you. From Lilla Howe head due east following a well worn track. This is not the classical route but it is a lot easier walking. The classical route which is only a few yards away but you will be floundering about in tussocky heather. The path drops away to Jugger Howe Ravine. In bad weather this can be heavy going. Cross Jugger Beck and follow the path out of the ravine. This is a very steep climb but mercifully short. On reaching the tank track (a concrete road) follow it to the left and after a few minutes walk you come to the Whitby - Scarborough road. Cross this road carefully, it is very busy. A path now leads out in front of you across the moor to the mast at Ravenscar, 1 mile away (NZ 970 013). Even though you are now tired this last mile is no problem and the finish is easily reached.
After you have recovered from your walk send a report (humorous preferred) along with 25p per finisher and to theLYKE WAKE CLUB and they will send you a completion card and enrol you into the club.Please also remember to send a s.a.e.
