Scaling Reservoir

Scaling Reservoir was gearing up for the day's activities, 50 cars parked up, the tea and sandwich trailer doing brisk trade and we were raring to go.

But it wasn't a rave for the first mile, more a rage, as the "green lane" marked on the OS map didn't exist on the ground. As a result, and after battling through the brush for half an hour and zigzagging round wire embedded in the overgrazed pastures, we decided to reroute to the nearby highway.

Apparently the problem with this green lane has been with NYCC for some time.

So a bit of main road verge, sorry, but the rest of the road on this walk is quiet and the route is a good one.

Cross-country started after a cottage with peacocks and we were off across the northern part of Newton Mulgrave Moor. Our route runs parallel to the sea that's about three miles away and there is an unexpected view down a little valley to Hinderwell, Port Mulgrave and a wedge of the blue. A trig point is worth the few hundred yards' diversion, but it must be pointed out that if you bring Rover you must deny the dog this seascape, because though on Open Access Land, this turn to the trig is off the public right of way.

The moor is more grass than heather, and was more kestrels, meadow pipits, snipe and lapwings than grouse or gulls. You'll get a reassuring glimpse of Fylingdales Radar Station, and a couple of rare and reassuring moorland waymark posts.

The next part of the circuit is the other and larger part of the moor, it being divided by the main Teesside to Whitby road. Concentrate on the navigation here, it's easy to blithely stay on a track. We had to recheck this bit and if you do doze off you could end up a quarter of a mile away at a place that's named on the OS map as the "Land o' Nod Farm". First there's a bit of wood and then a heather edge path then a bit more wood, over a beck and then more moor.

Another back lane brought yellow gorse and views south to the North York Moors, a green lane took us by a shapely hill and past a farm where, and avert your eyes Wind In The Willows fans, there were a hundred shrivelled moles hung on the barbed wire like notes to a song of death.

But all was fun when the reservoir came back into view, a dozen sailing dinghies tacking and tipping, but at the car park the tea trailer had shut.

Directions

1. From car park at eastern end, turn right to main road (verge), first road on left (signed Roxby 2) 2. Track and fieldgate on right, opposite drive to Little Scaling Farm, fieldgate to hedged drive, fieldgate by house, 50 yards, fieldgate to track across moor. Ignore, left after 100 yards.

3. At wall corner take second track on left, angling away from wall, 20 yards, narrow path c45 degrees from wall through heather up to waymarked post on crest of hill, cross track and pass pond and stay on grassy path across moor. To see Trig turn left at that waymarked post, right at tracks junction 100 yards ahead of wall and right 100 yards to trig point then rejoin route.

4. Gate to road and left to verge, 100 yards, track and fieldgate on right into wood (signed), 50 yards, ignore left fork at fingerpost, 50 yards, fork right to narrow path in heather, 20 yards, left at fence to wood-edge path (waymark). Footbridge, 100 yards, left diagonally 25 yards (waymark on fence) through trees, right to track, 25 yards, left to path (waymarked post to path and No Right Of Way sign on track). Downhill, over beck by waymarked post, uphill, waymarked post, grassy track.

5. Fieldgate to moor and left to path, keep near fields to your left.

6. Gate, 50 yards, right at path junction (route near public right of way), cross road (signed Tranmire), right at T-junction.

7. Right to drive (old sign Tranmire Grange, opposite bridleway sign), pass in front of house then double fieldgates and in front of barns, 50 yards, fieldgate, 100 yards by fence then cross field 25 yards and join fence to your left, 100 yards.

8. Fieldgate and stone slab bridge on left, uphill, 100 yards, track, fieldgate to left of garden, pass house, fieldgate, pass farm, track ahead, becomes road. Left to main road verge and back to car park.

Fact file

Distance: Six and a half miles.

Time: Three hours.

General location: North York Moors.

Start: Scaling Reservoir.

Right of way: Public.

Map: Drawn from OS Explorer OL27 North York Moors western area.

Dogs: Legal.

Date walked: Apri, 2006.

Road route: From York via Thirsk and Stokesley or via Pickering.

Car parking: Scaling Reservoir, free.

Lavatories: Car park.

Refreshments: Car park or inn.

Tourist & public transport information: Whitby TIC 01723 383636.

Terrain: Mostly low moor.

Points of interest: Moles debate, House of Lords February 2, 2006.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.