Stroll With Stu: five-mile walk around Glaisdale, near Whitby, brings welcome hints of spring

A decent frost would have helped, but bitterly cold Januarys are now something you’ll have to talk to your Grandad about.

Accordingly, I have remained huddled under the duvet for a couple of months, emerging now to rub my eyes (and knees) and go searching in the garage for my boots.

This five-miler around Glaisdale was dappled with snowdrops, indicating that beer gardens, flights to Corfu and village cricket are just around the corner.

Starting at Glaisdale Station, head downhill under the railway and have a walk over Beggar’s Bridge to try to take a picture from an angle that nobody has thought of before (I failed).

Follow the road, but quickly drop left onto a riverside path.

I suspect that this is primarily used by anglers, but it is prettier than the road that is about to risk a nosebleed up Limber Hill.

The path eventually returns to the Tarmac on a secondary road that we will eventually re-join for a cardio workout.

For now, follow it until it bends sharp right and go straight on, uphill, along the access track of The Grange, country house.

Where that track heads left through impressive gates, walk straight on through a gate into a field, climbing uphill with a fence on your right.

Now, at the top of the field, my reading of the OS map suggested a right turn through the gate.

This is a permissive path rather than a full blown right of way and the knotted twine and barbed wire which hold that gate immovably shut, implies either that permission has been rescinded; the twine and wire were necessary to keep the gate upright; I had a senior moment and couldn’t work out how to open it, or I was lost.

After a nifty climb, I soon arrived at a second ‘thou shall not pass’ gate but I carried stubbornly on along a clear track to arrive at Egton Banks Farm.

And I should say that here, at a gate, a footpath sign points very clearly from whence I came, suggesting that I was right in the first place.

Perhaps someone will write in…

Take a big breath, because it’s time now for that lung-busting workout up the road between neatly manicured gorse bushes.

At the top, take a sharp left downhill along a wide track (ignoring the footpath across the fields), meandering down past West Banks Farm to the valley bottom.

Look out for a green footpath sign luring you over a footbridge on your right, leading on to a riverside path where a stack of free wool has been kindly donated by the local sheep on an itch-relieving length of barbed wire.

A large chunk of this stretch of path has departed for a swim, but it is easily negotiated before passing under the railway, over a concrete stile then over the river on a bridge (the path straight on goes to Lealholm, but we can’t go there as the pub has just shut down – a business venture in waiting for someone with a very friendly bank manager).

Climb – steeply at first – along Rake Lane as it straightens and heads in the direction of Glaisdale village.

Opposite some pretty cottages, take a track on your right rising up to lovely High Brock Rigg Cottage (Rejoice! A new stretch of path for this column!)

The path is thinner after a gate behind the house, and soon a waymark points you left through a gate, twixt gorse and stone.

As this section curls left, take a signed stile on you right to climb diagonally left, up through a field with fine views through a gap in the landscape, to reach the road in the village.

Turn left - perhaps boosting the local economy in the shop, the butchers or - further down the road – in Bev and Bob’s tea garden (might not be open till Easter, though).

Take the first road right after the butchers, past the church and on up the dale for half a mile to go left through a gate at Red House Farm.

Follow the path at the back, soon turning left to keep Hart Hall on your right.

After the Hall’s access road, the path bears right towards trees, then drops down through bushes to reach the road that takes you downhill back to the train station.

The Arncliffe Arms is worth a visit for assorted refreshments, but just like that café, at this time of year it is worth checking that they’ll be open, and – top tip – if you are using public transport speed up/slow down accordingly to correspond with the 95 bus or train timetable.