Coast to Coast: the North York Moors
Stages 13–16 of 16, Osmotherley to Robin Hood's Bay: 46.1 miles (74.1 km) with 2,068 m of ascent, about 22.7 hours of walking over 4 days. The route is inside the North York Moors National Park for most of this section.
The finish. The Cleveland Hills come first and they are steep — Osmotherley to Clay Bank Top climbs more than any stage since the Lake District — then the route crosses open heather moor to Blakey Ridge, drops into Esk Dale at Grosmont, and climbs one last time to reach the cliffs and the slipway at Robin Hood's Bay.
Every stage in this section
Figures are the ones each stage page publishes, so the totals below always match the stages they add up. Every row links to the full guide for that day — elevation profile, surface underfoot, water points, history and what to see.
| Stage | Route | Miles | km | Ascent | Time | Grade | Terrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Osmotherley to Clay Bank Top | 10.9 | 17.5 | 898 m | 6.1 h | Hard | Mountain |
| 14 | Clay Bank Top to Blakey Ridge | 10.1 | 16.3 | 219 m | 4.6 h | Moderate | Mountain |
| 15 | Blakey Ridge to Grosmont | 10.1 | 16.2 | 167 m | 4.5 h | Moderate | Mixed |
| 16 | Grosmont to Robin Hood's Bay | 15.0 | 24.1 | 784 m | 7.5 h | Hard | Mixed |
| Section total | 46.1 | 74.1 | 2,068 m | 22.7 h |
Places along the North York Moors section
6 places on these stages have a full history on this site, and 6 free audio guides between them.
The Wainstones
Stage 13 · 1 audio guide
The Wainstones are a striking jumble of weathered Jurassic sandstone crags crowning the western end of Hasty Bank, the largest such outcrop on the…
Read moreLion Inn, Blakey Ridge
Stage 14 · 1 audio guide
The Lion Inn stands utterly alone on the crest of Blakey Ridge, the only building in a great sweep of open heather moor and, at 1,325 ft (404 m), the…
Read moreBeggar's Bridge, Glaisdale
Stage 15 · 1 audio guide
Beggar's Bridge is a graceful single-arched packhorse bridge over the River Esk on the eastern edge of Glaisdale, on the northern fringe of the North…
Read moreGrosmont & the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Stage 15 · 1 audio guide
Grosmont (pronounced 'Grow-mont') sits where the Coast to Coast drops out of Eskdale to end the day's walk. A scattered hamlet until the 1830s, it…
Read moreFalling Foss & the Hermitage
Stage 16 · 1 audio guide
Hidden in the steep, oak-clad valley of Littlebeck Wood, Falling Foss is a graceful single-drop waterfall where May Beck pours over a lip of Jurassic…
Read moreRobin Hood's Bay
Stage 16 · 1 audio guide
Robin Hood's Bay is the eastern finish of the Coast to Coast Path: a knot of red-pantiled cottages tumbling down a steep ravine in the cliffs to the…
Read moreCommon questions
How long is the Coast to Coast in the North York Moors?
46.1 miles (74.1 km) over 4 of the walk's 16 stages, Osmotherley to Robin Hood's Bay. That is about 22.7 hours of walking, and most people take 4 days over it — one stage a day.
How much climbing is there in the North York Moors section?
2,068 m of ascent across the section, an average of 517 m a day. The biggest single climb is Osmotherley to Clay Bank Top at 898 m.
How hard is the North York Moors section of the Coast to Coast?
The stages here are graded moderate, hard. The toughest is Osmotherley to Clay Bank Top (hard), and the terrain is mixed, mountain.
Can you walk just the North York Moors section?
Yes, and people do. It is 4 days end to end, Osmotherley to Robin Hood's Bay, and both ends are reachable by public transport — see getting there for the trains and buses that serve each stage end. Walking the Coast to Coast a section at a time over several trips is common, and it is how most people with a working week fit it in.
What is there to see in the North York Moors section?
We cover 6 places along it in depth, with 6 free audio guides between them: The Wainstones, Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge, Beggar's Bridge, Glaisdale, Grosmont & the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Falling Foss & the Hermitage, Robin Hood's Bay.
Planning the whole walk rather than this section? Itineraries sets out 12-, 14- and 16-day plans, best time to walk goes month by month, and getting there covers the trains and buses to every stage end.
