Boulby to Whitby via the Cleveland Way

Point-to-point, one way, 13.4 miles (21.5 km) along the coast from Boulby Grange southeast to Whitby West Pier, with roughly 450 m of ascent. Allow about 8 hours at a steady walking pace with stops. You will see this stretch quoted a little shorter, around 12.5 miles; plan on the longer figure and you will not be caught out. There is no loop, so sort out transport back before you start.

The payoff is constant: one fishing village after another, each with a different view back along the cliffs, finishing with Whitby harbour and the abbey skyline.

• Boulby Grange onto field and cliff track, high above the sea from the first mile
• Cowbar Lane, then the drop into Staithes and across the footbridge through the old harbour village
• Port Mulgrave, with its half-hidden ruined harbour below the cliff
• Runswick Bay, beach level, then a steep stepped climb beside the beck
• High Cliff and Kettleness, including the old railway line section
• Sandsend, then along or near the shore and up onto West Cliff into Whitby and out to West Pier

Moderate to hard, mostly because of length and repeated descents into villages followed by hard climbs back out. Nothing technical, but the two big drops and re-climbs at Staithes and Runswick Bay are what tire people out.

Footing to expect:

• Uneven gravel and farm track on the cliff-top sections
• Steep steps that get slippery when wet, especially the Runswick climb
• Village road and pavement walking through Staithes, Sandsend and Whitby
• Cliff-edge exposure with erosion-prone ground in places; stay well back from the edge and take any diversion signs seriously

Part of the route near Sandsend runs along or close to the shore. At low tide the sand can make for easy walking, but the tide reaches the beach and you should check tide times and local tide and route advice before setting out. Do not plan the day around beach walking as your only option.

Boulby Cliff rises to 203 m and is often cited as the highest cliff on the east coast of England, with the working potash mine just inland. Staithes and Runswick Bay are proper working fishing villages built into steep clefts in the cliff. At Kettleness you walk a stretch of old railway cut along the coast, and the finish drops you into Whitby, home of the 199 steps up to the abbey headland.

Dogs are welcome on the public rights of way that make up this route. Keep them on a lead or closely to heel, use short control near livestock, and note that a lead shorter than 2 m is required in the wider moorland areas from 1 March to 31 July to protect ground-nesting birds. There are field and cliff-top sections with grazing stock, so short leads make life easier for everyone.

If 13 miles is more than you want, walk the Sandsend to Robin Hood's Bay stretch instead at about 10 miles (16.3 km), which passes straight through Whitby and gives you the same cliff-top character with less climbing. Going the other way, the longer Saltburn to Sandsend stage runs about 17.5 miles (28 km) and takes in Boulby Cliff on a bigger day out.