Cringle Moor and The Wainstones

Start : Lordstone Cafe. TS9 7JH. Grid ref. NZ 524 030

(S/E) From Lordstone Cafe, walk through the car park to the road (Raisdale Road), turn left, and walk along the road using the grass verge. Pass Harry Wath wood on the right and then a wood on the left. Look out for a forest track on the left leading into the wood.

(1) Turn left (North-East) and follow the track through the wood, which is thicker on the left. Where the track curves back on itself in a right-hand bend carry straight on along a track to a second bend. Ignore the second bend and go straight ahead along a track to the boundary of the wood.

Pass through the boundary and follow a feint path over the moor to the Cleveland Way path. (Alternatively, follow the track uphill with the wood boundary on your left to cross over the wall and a little higher up and follow another path to the Cleveland Way)

(2) At the Cleveland Way, turn right (East-North-East) and walk uphill to the viewpoint on Cringle Moor, then continue along the ridge making a short detour to the summit (432m)

(3) From the top backtrack to the path and turn right (East) to follow the Cleveland Way along and down to a junction with a path on the left that runs beneath Cringle Moor/Kirby Bank. (Remember this junction you will come back here later)

At the next junction, ignore the path on the left and continue along the Cleveland Way to ascend the northern end of Cold Moor.

(5) From the top of this second hill, descend to the Garfit Gap, following the Cleveland Way, and then make the climb up through the Wainstones to the viewpoint at the top.

(6) From the top of the Wainstones you need to return to the Garfit gap. You can retrace your route back down or take a narrow path (steep at first) on the North side of the hill, which descends to the wall and forest boundary. You actually want to be on the path on the other side of the wall and there is a stile here but if it is blocked for forestry work as in early 2022, walk back past the Garfit Gap to a gate where four paths meet.

(7) Go through the gate and onto the path on the other side of the wall. Turn left (West) and follow the path along the edge of the forest. Emerge onto open moorland with the wall still on your left and continue to a depression (stream) followed by a crossroads in the path. Go straight ahead to pick up the Cleveland Way and look out for the junction in the path at which you passed earlier.

(4) Turn right this time and follow the path beneath Cringle Moor/Kirby Bank, curves beneath the Cringle Moor viewpoint, and passes through some woods to rejoin the Cleveland Way.

(8) Turn right and walk along the Cleveland Way to the Lordstones Cafe.

(9) From the Cafe walk back to your car. (Car park or roadside parking) (S/E)

Parking : Parking is to be found at Lordstones Cafe or on the road leading to it or beyond it. The GPX track shows parking on the verge just after the Lordstones car park, take care the verge may be soft.

Terrain : This walk involves the three summits running from Lordstones to the Wainstones.

Note : Dress accordingly for the weather, it can be windy on top so a windproof is useful. The lower, return, path can be muddy after rain so boots with a good sole are recommended.

Facilities : There is nowhere en-route to get refreshments but the walk starts and ends next to the Lordstones Cafe and you can reward yourself with a nice pot of tea at the end. (Other refreshments are available)

This is a shorter walk than its sister From Carlton Bank: Four Hills and a Dale.

Lovely and contrasting views from the ridge northwards and southwards. The Wainstones are interesting rocks, and in dry weather you might see climbers on the rocks and boulders.