April: Clifftop walk from Scarborough

It was at this point that I began to feel that I might have to stop spending over £100 every time I fancied a jolly if I was going to stretch that £710 over the entire year. Maybe another low cost/free day might be on the cards, especially as the weather had turned much nicer and outdoorsy day out ideas were starting to present themselves. I'm a Yorkshire girl, so Scarborough is a place that immediately jumps to mind when I think of sunny day trips, and I had some new walking boots that I needed an excuse to break out. Therefore, a coastal walk it was to be!

For those of us that had our Sunday night routines set in stone by the theme tunes to Heartbeat, Where the Heart Is, or The Royal, you will appreciate the fact that I chose to park at the end of Holbeck Road in Scarborough, almost exactly where the entrance to The Royal's reception was. I text my mum to tell her that I'd left my car in the hands of Ken and Alan at The Royal, lathered on some sun cream, and off I went. I nearly got scuppered at the first hurdle though. On the path down through the gardens at the end of the road, there was a steep, uneven staircase with no handle. Anyone who has ever witnessed me trying to get down an awkward flight of stairs will know that it's like watching a toddler discovering how they are impacted by the laws of gravity. Once I'd made my way down these, however, the rest was relatively plain sailing. 

You can find maps and guides to this walk online, but to be honest, if you stick to the coast and follow the signs along the Cleveland Way, you can't go far wrong I don't think. The first thing I did was to stagger uphill and get a cracking view over Scarborough. I really do love Scarborough, and there's something so relaxing about watching the waves on the beach on a sunny day. The path is a little bit up and down, but it's not too difficult if you're in relatively good health. I will say, it's not one where you have to basically be a mountaineer in order to be able to tackle it, but if you're not a hill person, then have a think about it. There is part of the path that takes you slightly away from the cliff edge, and takes you along a proper paved road for a while, which is a nice rest for the feet. When you get back on the cliff path, and you've gone down what feels like a million steps, you're hit with the view of Cayton Bay. 

Cayton Bay is another place that I really love. It seemed to be a bit of a wind trap that particular day, but it was bright and sunny, and the beach was so quiet and peaceful. I bet I could count on one hand the amount of people I passed on that beach in the 45 minutes or so I was on there (and that's including dogs). Cayton Bay still has the remains of several pillboxes, the concrete look out posts that were erected during WW2 as a defence against potential enemy invasion. There isn't a lot of information about them online, but it's likely that they were originally on the clifftops, with erosion and years of storms helping them end up on the beach. You can still clamber over and have a look inside if you've a mind to step over some of the rocks. To be honest, when you're stood on the wide, empty beach, you can see how it would have been a sensible place to invade if you wanted to land somewhere on the east coast. I believe that Hitler did, in fact, have his eye on Scarborough, which is probably the only time its every acceptable to say that he had some good taste. 

I had it on my radar that there is a bus service from Cayton Bay back into Scarborough, which is handy to know if you only want to do one direction of the walk. There is also a very handy set of toilets as well as a little cafe at the top of the steps down to the beach at Cayton Bay, if you want to have a break and refuel while you're there. Personally, I'm a big believer that there is nothing tastier after a walk than a cheese and pickle sandwich wrapped in tinfoil. 

And so, I made my way back the way that I had come. The only downside to this, of course, is that the steep downhill areas that I encountered on the way there, became steep uphill areas on the way back. Those million steps down from the road, now become a heck of a climb, but that's all part of the fun I think. When I got back to Scarborough, my watch informed me that I'd climbed 91 flights of stairs! That definitely called for a gentle stroll down to the beach in search of an ice cream! If you can't get a double raspberry ripple after all of those steps, when can you?! 

How long was I there?

From Scarborough to Cayton Bay and back, including some time enjoying Cayton Bay, took probably 3 1/2 hours or thereabouts. After that, I had a stroll down to the front and back, which took me maybe another hour. 

How much did I spend?

Absolutely nothing! I found a spot for free parking, and walking costs nothing. 

Would I go back?

Definitely. I love Scarborough, and walking around to Cayton Bay was a lovely way to see it from a different perspective. I also really like Cayton Bay beach, and would definitely do this again on a less windy day.