On the first day, we walked from Helmsley to Sutton Bank with a 1-mile detour to Rievaulx Abbey, and then a steep descent on a narrow, winding road into Kilburn for our lodging.
As we set off for the Cleveland Way trailhead, the church bells began to ring. A nice send-off by our admirers? Probably not. It was Sunday, after all, and I suppose the local rector determined that anyone who was not at church should at least not be sleeping in. The pealing bells hurt our ears long after we were out of sight of the church; I think we heard them for the first half-mile of the Walk.
With the fresh and naive enthusiasm of those who are beginning the journey of 110 miles with a single 11-mile day, we took a 1-mile detour to Rievaulx Abbey. It was spectacular.
Glimpsed through the trees:
The color and seeming lightness of the structure reminded me of Minas Tirith from the Lord of the Rings movies.
We continued merrily on.
At one point, we passed a long series of linked ponds. There were easily thousands of ducks hanging out there. A very popular spot.
Views from the top of Sutton Bank:
We walked by the Yorkshire Glider Club here, and saw a glider get towed in the air (and released) by a small plane. I would totally join the club if I lived in Yorkshire.
Bill recounts a story to Sarah:
The Walk continues after lunch:
We walked down from the cliff top, past the underwhelming tourist attraction engraved on the surface of the cliff, and down a long, winding, steep, and unduly traffic heavy road all the way into Kilburn. The village was cute, with plenty of well-tended gardens. I liked the stone dog guarding the red door.
My room at the hotel had a nice view of a local graveyard.
The day dawned fair and bright in Helmsley, and we picked up some lunch from a local deli, the Hunters of Helmsley. I got a Yorkshire pasty (nice), and my friends got ham sandwiches loaded with generous helpings of meat, perhaps over 1" thick.
As we set off for the Cleveland Way trailhead, the church bells began to ring. A nice send-off by our admirers? Probably not. It was Sunday, after all, and I suppose the local rector determined that anyone who was not at church should at least not be sleeping in. The pealing bells hurt our ears long after we were out of sight of the church; I think we heard them for the first half-mile of the Walk. 
With the fresh and naive enthusiasm of those who are beginning the journey of 110 miles with a single 11-mile day, we took a 1-mile detour to Rievaulx Abbey. It was spectacular.
Glimpsed through the trees:
The color and seeming lightness of the structure reminded me of Minas Tirith from the Lord of the Rings movies.
We continued merrily on.
At one point, we passed a long series of linked ponds. There were easily thousands of ducks hanging out there. A very popular spot.
Views from the top of Sutton Bank:
We walked by the Yorkshire Glider Club here, and saw a glider get towed in the air (and released) by a small plane. I would totally join the club if I lived in Yorkshire.
Bill recounts a story to Sarah:
The Walk continues after lunch:
We walked down from the cliff top, past the underwhelming tourist attraction engraved on the surface of the cliff, and down a long, winding, steep, and unduly traffic heavy road all the way into Kilburn. The village was cute, with plenty of well-tended gardens. I liked the stone dog guarding the red door.
My room at the hotel had a nice view of a local graveyard. 
My room was also right above the kitchen, so the whole room vibrated loudly until 11 pm from the exhaust fans, and then sporadically the rest of the night as the freezer and refrigerator cycled on and off. I did have a comfy 4-poster bed, though, so my friends weren't very sympathetic to my plight.
So if you stay at the Forresters Arms, and you don't like noise and vibration, be sure to ask for a room away from the kitchen side of the establishment. There is no discount for this room, although they do apparently offer earplugs on request.
The innkeeper offered to sell us a very expensive packed lunch for the next day, so we got sandwiches from the Mouseman visitor centre's cafe before it closed for the night. We were happy with this choice.
Cleveland Way Navigation: [Start of Trip] - [Next Day] - [End of Trip]
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