Walk: 10:55am to 2:15pm - 4.5 miles and 213 feet of ascent
We had a busy arrival day yesterday with our 116 mile drive up to Whitby followed by lunch, before picking up the key to the apartment. Then a drive back down the coast to Scarborough Rugby Club; and to end the day fish and chips on the front in Scarborough and a trip to Sainsbury's in Whitby for some food shopping. Then, thankfully an evening chilling in the apartment ready for the week ahead.
So to this morning. Before leaving home I had the foresight not only to plan a few walks, but to print off a few A4 maps to supplement our 'full on' OS maps. I've started to take these A4 'pocket' maps with me as they are much easier to whip in and out of my pocket as and when we need them. I do stress though that they are to supplement our OS maps, we don't go anywhere without the appropriate map packed in my ruck-sack - sermon over. However, it would have helped today if I'd actually remembered to take the one we needed - so much for me being a prepared - sermon needed!
When we came here in March we had planned to do this walk, but it was such a foggy week that we turned back after driving a few miles inland. This time however, it was grey and cool but otherwise fine for walking. We parked up in the yachting club car-park at Scaling Dam Reservoir and by 10:55am were ready to head up onto the moors.
Now, I don't claim to be Ranulph Fiennes when it comes to exploration and being able to read a map, but I can follow clear routes; when they are clear that is. According to the map we should have been able to easily find the route that would take us a few miles across the Moor, then back to the eastern end of Scaling Dam for a final walk along the dam wall; a walk of around 7 miles. But, we just couldn't find the paths amongst the heather and ferns. So much so that at one point we were aimlessly walking over the heather following the odd sheep trail in the hope that it was actually a path; I'm sure the few sheep up there were actually laughing at us. It was only when I took out the GPS and worked out exactly where on the moor we were that our route was identified.
We decided that we would just cut our route short, neither of us had the desire to back-track with no guarantee of being able to find the original route, so we decided to head down and around the reservoir and then head west over to Guisborough. As we walked along the dam wall, past the fishermen casting their rods at the eastern edge of the reservoir, it was time for a 10 minute break and an opportunity to snack on our sandwiches. The route further along the dam wall towards the western edge of the reservoir saw the domain of the sailing boats. There was an invisible divide between the sailing and the fishing, but each clan knew it's place. Within about 20 minutes we were back to the car.
After exiting the car-park we turned left and headed west towards Guisborough, only about a 10 mile drive. The main purpose was to visit the remains of Gisborough Priory. Ok, not as complete a structure as the likes of Rievaulx or Fountains Abbey, or even Byland Abbey where we visited just a few weeks ago, but enough there to get a real feel for the size and history of the site. Also at the site is the Gisborough Priory project where locals and other volunteers can take part in working to retain the history of the site. Definitely a place that's worth a visit for both adults and kids alike.
It was about 25 miles or so back to Whitby where we deposited ourselves in the apartment, spent an hour or so reading the newspaper before Donna set about cooking a joint of Texas Hickory Beef Brisket with the usual accompaniments. At around 6:15pm we headed down into the town for a couple of hours enjoying the delights of a much quieter resort as the day-trippers had all gone home. What was surprising was that when I later measured the route we'd taken tonight, we'd actually walked just over 3 miles...now that will make me sleep!
We had a busy arrival day yesterday with our 116 mile drive up to Whitby followed by lunch, before picking up the key to the apartment. Then a drive back down the coast to Scarborough Rugby Club; and to end the day fish and chips on the front in Scarborough and a trip to Sainsbury's in Whitby for some food shopping. Then, thankfully an evening chilling in the apartment ready for the week ahead.
So to this morning. Before leaving home I had the foresight not only to plan a few walks, but to print off a few A4 maps to supplement our 'full on' OS maps. I've started to take these A4 'pocket' maps with me as they are much easier to whip in and out of my pocket as and when we need them. I do stress though that they are to supplement our OS maps, we don't go anywhere without the appropriate map packed in my ruck-sack - sermon over. However, it would have helped today if I'd actually remembered to take the one we needed - so much for me being a prepared - sermon needed!
When we came here in March we had planned to do this walk, but it was such a foggy week that we turned back after driving a few miles inland. This time however, it was grey and cool but otherwise fine for walking. We parked up in the yachting club car-park at Scaling Dam Reservoir and by 10:55am were ready to head up onto the moors.
Now, I don't claim to be Ranulph Fiennes when it comes to exploration and being able to read a map, but I can follow clear routes; when they are clear that is. According to the map we should have been able to easily find the route that would take us a few miles across the Moor, then back to the eastern end of Scaling Dam for a final walk along the dam wall; a walk of around 7 miles. But, we just couldn't find the paths amongst the heather and ferns. So much so that at one point we were aimlessly walking over the heather following the odd sheep trail in the hope that it was actually a path; I'm sure the few sheep up there were actually laughing at us. It was only when I took out the GPS and worked out exactly where on the moor we were that our route was identified.
We decided that we would just cut our route short, neither of us had the desire to back-track with no guarantee of being able to find the original route, so we decided to head down and around the reservoir and then head west over to Guisborough. As we walked along the dam wall, past the fishermen casting their rods at the eastern edge of the reservoir, it was time for a 10 minute break and an opportunity to snack on our sandwiches. The route further along the dam wall towards the western edge of the reservoir saw the domain of the sailing boats. There was an invisible divide between the sailing and the fishing, but each clan knew it's place. Within about 20 minutes we were back to the car.
After exiting the car-park we turned left and headed west towards Guisborough, only about a 10 mile drive. The main purpose was to visit the remains of Gisborough Priory. Ok, not as complete a structure as the likes of Rievaulx or Fountains Abbey, or even Byland Abbey where we visited just a few weeks ago, but enough there to get a real feel for the size and history of the site. Also at the site is the Gisborough Priory project where locals and other volunteers can take part in working to retain the history of the site. Definitely a place that's worth a visit for both adults and kids alike.
It was about 25 miles or so back to Whitby where we deposited ourselves in the apartment, spent an hour or so reading the newspaper before Donna set about cooking a joint of Texas Hickory Beef Brisket with the usual accompaniments. At around 6:15pm we headed down into the town for a couple of hours enjoying the delights of a much quieter resort as the day-trippers had all gone home. What was surprising was that when I later measured the route we'd taken tonight, we'd actually walked just over 3 miles...now that will make me sleep!
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