George Wilkinson tries to see clearly on a misty walk along the Whitby coast at Goldsborough.

Timing is everything, it's said. Normally this hits me when I miss the pub en route.

But if you haunt the Whitby coast and like to paddle, then buy a copy of the Tide Tables booklet.

Not that you can take a dip from this walk without risk to life and limb. However, you're unlikely to miss the Fox and Hounds where Dennis Pottas, the landlord, has kindly offered his car park for walker customers.

We left the hamlet of Goldsborough and soon stood on the site of the Roman Signal Station.

Fans of 'cold case' murder stories will enjoy this, deadly deeds of long ago that happened on what is now an overgrown thistle mound. An info-plaque gives some details.

Ten minutes later we reached the dozen cliff-top houses of Kettleness. A permanent sign warns 'Danger Cliff Landslips'. Back in 1829, after torrential rain, the entire village slid into the sea, the soft shale cliffs having been weakened by iron ore mining.

We were half an hour late for the views, the spectacle obliterated not by the recent semi-tropical downpours but by the swirling rolling mists of land and sea breezes.

After a ponder about the fragility of a coastline that English Heritage says cannot be physically protected just here, we moved on, rounded a gully of tan sandstone, passed the reassuring Coastguard Station, admired the only sky blue around on a pretty wooden chalet and walked the cliff tops.

Lots of brown butterflies called 'the wall' flitted in the breeze. Apparently they have the habit of following walkers; could this be due to Gortex coats in poster paint colours?

The butterflies had a choice of visitors to stalk, a party every ten minutes tramping through a gloom of no horizon.

We stopped on a little grassy headland to chomp our bananas, looked out to a scene painted many sunshine times by the English Impressionists of the Staithes Group. Three hundred feet below, a red inflatable boat chugged out from the beach towards a strong swimmer. Binoculars confirmed the boat was Runswick Rescue. However we'd missed the action, again by half an hour, because, just a little further on the Kettleness Search and Rescue party was tidying up their ropes after saving a man who had tried to scale the cliffs.

Then things brightened up and we got the classic views with the majestic curve of beach and the cascade of Runswick Bay's white-painted house glinting in the sunshine.

Leaving the cliffs was a wrench, but the way back through the hinterland was pleasant if relatively plain, a bridge over the abandoned railway line, decent farms, a giant puffball, good track, a quiet lane, no complaints.

Directions

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

1. Left from pub, Kettleness road (dead-end sign), 100 yards, farmyard on right after barns (signed). Fieldgate/stile after cattle shed on left to grassy track, 100 yards, stile/fieldgate and ten o'clock across field towards telegraph pole.

2. Stile by info plaque on stone plinth (wood shed other side of fence), two o'clock downhill to stile in fence, pass chapel. Stile and right to road. In Kettleness road curves left.

3. Track on right, 100 yds, path diverted round farmyard, take care if misty because cliff is close. At coastguard station right to track, 100 yards, fieldgate, right to field edge path (a few stiles and 30 steps).

4. Small gate on left which had only a 'please close gate' sign but should be properly signed by now. Twenty yards up to but not through a gate to the abandoned railway line, instead keep fence to left and parallel railway line.

5. Over railway bridge, stiles, fence to left, stile to track at house (waymarks). Track curves to left (waymark) and bypasses farm.

6. Left to road into Goldsborough.

Fact file:

Distance: Three miles

Time: Two hours.

General location: Coast near Whitby.

Start: Goldsborough.

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.

Date walked: Wednesday August 11, 2004.

Road route: North from Whitby on the A174, after Lythe take a right turn signed to Goldsborough and Kettleness.

Car parking: Roadside. Patrons may use pub car park.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Fox & Hounds Inn at Goldsborough.

Tourist and public transport information: Whitby TIC 01947 602674.

Map: Based on OS Explorer OL 27 North York Moors eastern area.

Terrain: Cliff edge and hinterland.

Points of interest: In 1857 monster remains of an ichthyosaurus and a plesiosaurus were found at Kettleness.

Difficulty: Easy.

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

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 16:11 Friday, September 03, 2004