Runswick Bay to Staithes

A point-to-point linear walk of 4.5 miles (7.2 km) one way, following the Cleveland Way north along the coast from lower Runswick Bay into Staithes. Allow about 3 hours including breaks. Distances here are one way, so plan your return by bus or a second car before you set off.

• Start on the low ground at Runswick Bay / Runswick Sands, with its wide sandy beach, hillside cottages and the thatched former Coastguard cottage.
• Steep climb out of the bay to Bank Top, where the cliff path begins.
• Cliff-edge walking past a pond and over Lingrow Cliffs, with views back over the bay toward Kettleness and the old alum workings.
• Past Port Mulgrave, where the remains of an industrial harbour, old jetty, tunnel entrance, fishermen's huts and boats sit below the path.
• On over Old Nab, Penny Steel and Jet Wyke, then a steep descent into Staithes village.

The official description calls it fairly easy, mainly because it loses height gradually toward Staithes, but treat that with care:

Keep children and dogs well back from the cliff edge.

• Two steep hills, one climbing out of Runswick Bay and one dropping into Staithes.
• Uneven, sometimes rough cliff paths between them, with unfenced cliff-top sections.
• Terrain samples along the route range from near sea level in the villages to around 95 m on the cliff top, so the effort is front-loaded.
• The coast is exposed, with little shelter once you are on the cliffs. Take a windproof layer and proper footwear.

The standard approach is to park at the pay-and-display car park in Staithes, take the roughly 10-minute bus to Runswick Bay, then walk back to your car. Buses from Staithes also serve other coastal stops. Parking sits at the tops of both villages rather than beside the old harbour in Staithes, so expect a steep walk down and back up on foot. Without a bus or a second vehicle, this route does not work as a there-and-back day.

Dogs are welcome on this public route, but keep them on a lead or under close control, especially on unfenced cliff tops and near wildlife or livestock. Food and facilities exist in both villages, with public toilets above the beach at Runswick and at Bank Top and near the harbour in Staithes. Do not rely on anything being open when you arrive; carry water and a snack.

If the transport shuffle is more than you want, walk the roughly 2-mile Runswick Bay clifftop route toward Port Mulgrave and return the same way. You get the best of the cliff views and the harbour remains without committing to the full village-to-village day.