At a recent meeting with Redcar MP Ian Swales we agreed that energy should be placed on enhancing Tourism for the Borough. I am the Liaison Ranger for Sustrans within Redcar & Cleveland that affords the opportunity to enhance the cycle and pathway usage into the Borough from the North, the West and principally from the South.
The National Cycle Network route ‘number one’ encompasses tracks, quiet back country lanes and old railway lines as it traverses from Dover up to John O’ Groats. The only break within this route is between Whitby and Staithes. This is historical because the ambition has always been to adopt the old Whitby to Staithes railway line. However when NYCC bought the line from Scarborough to Whitby in 1960 the section to Staithes reverted back to the Landowners. More over the Goldsborough tunnel having collapsed in several places restricting onward passage. As a result, cycles can’t be ridden beside the cliffs as the walkers on the Cleveland Way do so successfully.
This has resulted in several years of delays with no progress in sight. The Sustrans Redcar Volunteer Rangers with their vision on enhancing the access to Redcar and Cleveland therefore looked for a different approach. We propose that Cyclist should leave Whitby riding inland along the Esk valley until they reach the hamlet of Stonegate. (See attached Photographic survey for details) Proposing the adoption of an existing bridleway linkage to Staithes, we are initially calling this ‘The Seaside Way’
Why is this link so important, what is the aspiration for the NCN1 entering Redcar & Cleveland and indeed for cyclist leaving the borough on a journey South? With this new link tourism will be attracted to Redcar & Cleveland by its central United Kingdom location, the journey with its history and the beauty of our landscape will energise the proposed building of a new industry based upon leisure.
The NCN1 route over Redcar & Cleveland recorded 33,000 cycle rides through Saltburn and along the Promenade in Redcar in 2009. The Sustrans Rangers encountered many a cyclist who had ridden up from Dover bypassing R&C altogether in using the NCN52 taking them to Hutton Rudby from Whitby and on across the Tees Barrage, conversely we met groups of cyclist who crossed from Europe to Newcastle on the Ferry looking for the Route out of R&C on their way to Whitby.
What infrastructure is already in place to accommodate cyclist and back packers accessing R&C and what are the opportunities to attract more visitors to capitalise upon our rich heritage and surroundings?
The Cleveland Way is one of the most prestigious of the routes crossing R&C however, the Borough severely lacks the infrastructure in places for walkers to billet or camp. The opportunity to convert the old Primary school in Saltburn to a Youth Hostel with camping in the grounds is an obvious solution.
There is a proposal to build a new campsite at Skinningrove on the Cleveland and NCN1 way next to the Tom Leonard Mining Museum. While the town of Redcar should be given opportunity to build a campsite for all types of tourists, cars with trailer tents, camper-vans, walkers and cyclists.
Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have successfully pioneered a new Bridle way from Boosbeck through to Slapewath linking to the Guisborough old railway track, this then will afford a link from the NCN1 at Brotton to allow access to the MTB trails within Guisborough forest. I have already spoken to Guisborough Parish Council outlining the rich opportunity for tourism within the Town and again outlined the need for a back packers and cyclist campsite possibly with Pony trekking stables within the Pinchinthorpe area to enhance Guisborough, as a centre for outdoor leisure activities and the premier gateway to the North Yorkshire Moors.
When we think of tourism within the seaside towns we immediately think of ice cream or fish and chips, Saltburn has seen a dramatic rise in water sport activities on its foreshores enhanced by good access to the town via its railway station. The NCN1 and the Cleveland way are all underwritten by its commanding position at the head of Saltburns’ seven-mile stretch of golden beaches from under the dramatic Huntcliff, the celebrated Towns Pier and on to the South Gare beyond Redcar.
Promoting the areas culture and history is enhanced further by the NCN1 giving direct access to such towns as Marske with its St Germain’s Church being the resting place of Captain James Cook’s father. In Redcar we have The ‘Zetland’ the oldest Lifeboat in the world alongside one of the latest RNLI lifeboats always ready for action along a broad Promenade seascape with commanding views of the river Tees bay.
There is opportunity to enhance the Eston Greenway NCN1 entrance and exit to the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland; once this work is underwritten an attractive entrance to our culture will be upheld. In finally linking Whitby to Staithes via this proposed access route, ‘The Seaside Way’, will achieve an opportunity of major significance without any major investment, just energy and vision to make this happen.

Author.
Philip Chisholm Sustrans Liaison Ranger 9898 for Redcar & Cleveland area.
Rosthwaite House. 12 Stirling Road. Redcar. Cleveland. TS10 2JU.         
T; 01642 510223.  M: 07802 936 414

Propose option one: Route from Whitby to Staithes 
(This route has not been officially adopted and is for discussion)
Following the NCN52 from Whitby just before Lealholm you reach a hamlet called Stonegate. At the Junction sign posted Guisborough 15 miles the dual route NCN1 & NCN52 would part taking a right at this junction.
Ride for around 300 meters to a sign for Greenhouses. Here there are two farms, Greenhouses and Fern Farm both with holiday cottages for rent within a beautiful setting; one of the farms has a field for backpacking and cycle camping.
The track rises steeply from Greenhouses climbing onto the Moor tops where the track turns into a hard earth tractor lane with two furrows, riding the central section of the track is easy as you are on the flat.
The track drops dramatically to a ford, easy terrain for a mountain bike, normal bikes riders should walk down and up the short apposing banks while riding through the ford. This section of the track is made up of some large stones on the decent as the top dressing of the hard core track has been washed out. 
The ford is around 20 centimeters deep in the summer and will rise to about 30 centimeters after heavy rain. The width of the ford covers the track and is approximately 10 foot in length. To the right of the Ford walkers can traverse the bank bypassing the water.
After the ford the Bridleway is gated followed by a steep short climb. Thereafter the track becomes a flat crushed sandstone route before becoming a metalled road immediately after High Tranmire Farm. The exit from the farm onto the road is gated.
The ride onward to the main road being the A171 is a gradual decent and displays an open landscape towards the coastal hills. Once you reach the main Moor road you cross a cattle grid onto a broad turning entrance. The main road being two lanes wide, with clear and open views ether way to see any oncoming traffic before crossing into a quiet country lane.
Proceeding along this lane with its gentle hollows connects at the top of the hill with a right turn to Borrowby, once through this village the landscape commands one of the finest views on the North Yorkshire Coast line centered upon Runswich Bay and the North Sea.
The ride down to Dalehead just before Staithes is an accelerated decent which any bikes brakes in working order will handle comfortably. After this dramatic downhill section the Borrowby road rejoins the main Roxby road at a T-junction in Dalehead, turn right to pass the Fox & Hounds Pub. Passing the Pub the road has a short steep ascent up to Staithes. If at the top you stay on the path crossing the main road is afforded by use of a pelican crossing. Once in Staithes this picturesque Seaside village with its rich history and harbor affords an opportunity to explore the gunnels and back allies of its cobbled streets.

Report on the Track
The only area which requires attention covers a distance of 0.8 Km. This possibly need a top dressing and also for the Tractor furrows to be filled in to stop any further erosion over a distance of 0.4Km inclusive within the 0.8Km of track upgrade. The ford bottom could be cleaned out of the large stones or, indeed, with some timber a duckboard rise for bike/footpath could be positioned to its right over a distance of 4-5 meters being built upon the embankment against the fence although good drainage would suffice. 
Apart from this, no other major work is required and provides a route, which delivers to Suntrans a solution without great expense.
Please note: the actual Bridle way on the OS map points to the track passing to the right of the fields above Fern Farm where, in actual fact, the path can’t be defined to the right of the fields and the actual track passes to the left of the fields and is well established.

Interested parties.
NYCC
North York Moors National Parks
Sustrans North Yorkshire & Redcar Rangers
The Farmers at Greenhouse, Fern Farm & High Tranmire on the Bridleway track.
Redcar & Cleveland Council
Ian Swales MP Redcar
Tom Blenkinsop MP Guisborough