Stroll from Danby to Clitherbeck

12th July 2020 - A new route for me starting at The Moors National Park Centre in Danby North Yorkshire.

Walking Route 6 KM

So this was a new walk for me, new route, new combined camera and general use backpack (AtlasPacks Athlete) and a new flask (please contain your excitement.) The route starts at the Moors Centre car park, turn right out of the car park follow the road then enter the wood through the gate directly in front of you. The path climbs through the wood and emerges at the side of a dry stone wall.

Follow the dry stone wall that leads from the small wooded area in the background of this picture. As you can see it was a beautiful day, if anything a little warm for any steep ascents particularly for someone as unfit as me. Pass through the gate in the dry stone wall and enter a steep bracken filled ‘field’, there is a wide clear path through the bracken with a surprising number of rabbits darting back and forth between the cover on either side of the path. As I mentioned it was a warm day so at the top of the hill I was pleased to find a bench to rest and take in the spectacular views across the valley.

So after a quick rest break and a chance to take a couple of pics with the Canon EOS R it was time to set of again. The path levelled out and followed behind some houses and gardens before taking a sharp right turn onto a slight incline.

Then out on to open moorland, what a contrast behind me was a lush green valley and in front as far as the eye could see ‘desolate’ heather moorland. The change in scenery made all the more drastic by recent burning of the heather.

So it was time for another photo, setting the camera down low tilted slightly upwards making the burnt heather look like a forest of baron trees (they were in fact only about 20cm tall). The path leads towards Clitherbeck Farm then there is a short walk of about 20 metres along the moorland road before a sharp right turn back on to the moor.

This stretch of moorland had a few more features like trees, long grasses and the return of the bracken ferns. Birds flew overhead (no idea what species) and there must be ground nesting birds in the area as there were signs dotted about asking that the nests not be disturbed. After another stretch of moorland the path turns back towards the lush green valley and returns to woodland before meeting up with the original outbound path.