Blakey Ridge, Rosedale, is a treeless moorland plateau in the North York Moors National Park. It's known for being the highest and most isolated overnight stop on the Coast to Coast Walk. At an elevation of 400 meters (1,312 feet), it's one of the highest points in the North York Moors...It's also a great drive through the Moors to get there.
There's a nice parking spot here but it can get a bit busy on sunny weekends. Here's Tiggy at the parking spot on a quieter, miserable day.
The route is anticlockwise, following a gravel track for most of the way around the valley. The track used to be an old railway so is nice and flat and wide. The route only leaves the track for a short time in Rosedale Abbey as we follow a road and cross through fields to get to the other side of the valley.
Leaving Tiggy by the side of the road.
The gravel track, following the side of the valley, the route follows this track around the valley for most of the route.
The other side of the valley, we'll be over there in a few hours.
Along the path are a few ruins of the old mining industry and some information boards here and there.
Looking back down the valley, the houses on the other side are Rosedale East which the route passes through to get to the other side of the track.
The routes follows this track for around four miles.
A nice little resting spot.
It was a warm day, the sheep had the right idea.
This is the farm at Bank Top near the Bank Top Kilns and near the point of the route where the route turns left off the track and onto a road.
Bank Top Kilns.
With a great picnic spot looking further down the valley. It's at this point that we're following the road downhill towards Rosedale Abbey.
Passing by another parking spot for other Rosedale adventures here.
Keep following the road downhill to Rosedale Abbey.
Before you get to Rosedale Abbey itself, with a Hotel to your right, turn left down Daleside Road.
Follow Daleside Road for half a mile then turn right onto a footpath across a field and over a footbridge.
Heading through more fields to Rosedal East Hill Cottages, with some very friendly sheep.
At Hill Cottages take a gravel track straight over the tarmac road. It's then a steep trek up the track, turning left off the road by this stone building.
Back to the familiar old railway gravel track.
And industrial ruins.
Keep following the track North along the valley.
This pic is looking across the valley to where the route started with the Lion Inn visibe on the horizon.
Carrying on along the track you get to the end of the valley. This is the far end of the valley looking South down the valley, just a mile left to go.
Keep following the track past some small ruins for around a mile.
The final view down the valley as the route heads right, back up to the car park.
The other Rosedale routes: