Scarborough to Whitby Railway Path

5. Scarborough to Whitby Railway Path (23 miles one way) This is a spectacular day out best done in one direction with a lift if possible.   The Scarborough-Whitby railway cycle path (23 miles) starts from Safeway's supermarket carpark in Falsgrave Road near the centre of town. The route is suitable for children (in one direction and preferably from Scarborough)  The surface is generally ash and OK with improvements being carried out from time to time but there are noticeable gradients. The scenery is excellent varying from wooded sections north of Scarborough to the cliffs at Ravenscar. The ride across the spectacular Larpool Viaduct comes near the end.

From Safeway the route proceeds through a park on a tarmac path and then a housing estate at Scalby. An alternative starts at North Bay Promenade and joins the trail at Scalby. The path then runs through fields to reach Cloughton (another possible starting point) then beginning to twist and turn upwards through woodland  through Staintondale Station gradually rising to emerge on the 600 ft cliffs at Ravenscar.

 

  • Staintondale Station

At Ravenscar the path joins the minor road for a short while to avoid an old tunnel. At the National Trust centre the path then drops downhill steeply (care should be taken) passing the old Peak Alum works and curving away from the coast eventually to reach Robin Hood's Bay. Passing through the carpark at RHB the route crosses the road through the village and along a street before rejoining the former trackbed. The track then runs close to the cliffs, uphill to  Hawkser from where there is a  long gradual drop to Larpool viaduct and into Whitby - a good day out. Take care when joining the road and roundabouts for the last 1/4 mile into Whitby.

There are refreshment points at Cloughton, Ravenscar, RHB and Whitby. We took almost 5 hours with stops and were dependent on a drop off at Scarborough being picked up in the centre of Whitby.

This could be split into shorter return trips such as Cloughton to Ravenscar, Robin Hoods Bay to Ravenscar or even Whitby to Ravenscar.

 

  • View of Robin Hood's Bay from Ravenscar

 

  • Scarborough-Whitby cycle path near Ravenscar - typical of the track surface

 

Robin Hoods Bay Jan 02.jpg (28744 bytes)

  • Robin Hoods Bay (in January) - a steep detour will be required off the railway track to access the village and beach

 

  • Larpool viaduct over the River Esk  -the cycle path passes over the top!

 

  • The end of the trail at Whitby Harbour

Links

Self catering accomodation in Robin Hoods Bay http://www.burtonhouse.info/main/

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