Whitby and Hawsker Circular

This is a circuit of 7.9 miles (12.7 km), measured once around the full loop, starting and finishing at Whitby Bridge. Expect about 3.5 to 4 hours of walking, with 3.75 hours a fair planning figure. Ascent is modest at roughly 142 m up and the same down, with a high point near 114 m.

From the bridge you work through the streets of old Whitby and climb the 199 Steps to the churchyard and Whitby Abbey. Beyond the Abbey the walk joins a classic stretch of the Cleveland Way and runs southeast along the cliff tops, with open sea views for a sustained section. Near Hawsker the route turns inland through open countryside, then picks up the Cinder Track, the surfaced former railway corridor, for a steady return over the River Esk and back through town to the bridge.

Rated moderate, 5/10. Nothing is technical, but the mix keeps you honest: pavements and town streets, the steep pull up the 199 Steps, cliff-top path with gates and field sections, then a long, easy, surfaced finish on the old railway line. The second half is genuinely gentle, so if you are pacing yourself, save energy for the first third rather than the last.

The coastal leg is the payoff: unfenced high cliffs, big sea views, and the Abbey ruins above the harbour. That also means real exposure. Wind comes straight off the North Sea, there is little shelter on the cliff top, and drops are close to the path in places, so keep well back from the edge and mind children. Whitby itself, the 199 Steps and the Abbey approach can be busy, especially in the middle of the day and through the summer holidays.

Dogs are allowed on the route. In the wider national park, dogs must stay on public rights of way in most moorland open access areas and should be kept on a short lead or to heel, particularly around livestock and wildlife. Given the unfenced cliffs and the town streets, a short lead is the sensible default here throughout.

The start point is Whitby Bridge itself, not a parking area. Walkers using Marina Car Park usually head out via Langborne Road and New Quay Road, then cross the bridge to begin.

If the full circuit is more than you want, the Cinder Track from Whitby toward Hawsker is around 3 miles and easy going, described as suitable for wheelchairs, scooters and trampers. It covers only the inland corridor, so it is a shorter, flatter alternative rather than a version of this loop.

• A substantial share of the loop is urban streets and easy former railway walking, so it is not wild country from end to end.
• The 199 Steps are a short, demanding climb early on.
• Cliff-top exposure and wind can make the coastal section uncomfortable in poor weather.
• Popular spots get crowded in season.