SCARBOROUGH'S coastline is simply superb! Millions of visitors flock to the beach in South Bay, but how many seek its treasures further south along the cliff top with splendid views in all directions?
The start of this stunning route is from the well-known Town Hall in St Nicholas Street, opposite The Royal Hotel. Passing a row of memorial seats, Queen Victoria dominates the terrace from a site commanding unrivalled views over the harbour beneath
Castle Hill.
Immediately below, in the middle of the seafront is the newly renovated St Nicholas Garden. Turn left (beyond the tramway to the beach), down St Nicholas Cliff to the Grand Hotel – a South Bay landmark since 1867 and its heyday Europe's largest hotel.
Walking in front of the hotel keep straight forward to cross the Spa Bridge. Below, to your right is the Rotunda Museum built in 1829 to house a fossil collection, in part as a memorial to William Smith, the "father of English geology". A multi-million pound redevelopment of the Rotunda should be completed this year.
At the far end of the bridge features the Spa Chalet.Walk beside the chalet to turn immediately left up railed steps and continue up the railed walkway high above the beach. Your route follows Esplanade with ample seating and handsome hotels built around the same time as the new Spa buildings.
INVESTMENT ... The revamped St Nicholas Gardens
Passing the Tramway to Spa Complex, keep to Esplanade and admire an ornamental vegetable bed to the left, followed by a fabulous floral delight leading to the Holbeck Clock Tower that was presented to the borough of Scarborough by Alfred Shuttleworth in the year of King George V's coronation, 1911.
With putting green to your left, go through the clock tower and descend with shrubberies to either side. At a forking of ways go right towards the top and at the next fork go left, and left again winding down through an area of grassy mounds towards the sea.
Observe to your right near the boundary fence a monument or well containing a tap and an inscription, continue down hill to a cross-track where Norwegian rocks form a defensive barrier by the Holbeck Hall disaster area.
Turning right along the track which snakes up the cliffside, walk only as far as the bend. Where the track elbows sharp right by a picnic table and benches, leave this track and keep straight forward with bushes to the left and lawns to the right. The Cleveland Way heads towards woodland.
Walk through a thicket into open scrubland on the edge of the golf course. The Cleveland way travels on the seaward side of the golf course to the cliffs above Cornelian Bay, but when your path narrows and winds down good stone steps into the ravine, turn immediately right to cross the small stream by pavers and ascend the track between trees and brambles.
Reaching Wheatcroft Waste Water Pumping Station, keep it to your left and leave by a gate. Follow a broad driveway between a field and lawned verges to a road junction at Cornelian Drive.
Turn right beside private properties with open views to meet Filey Road. Turn right along the verge, passing Flower Croft off right, and construction work of Osgodby bypass opposite. At the brow of the hill stands a church – St Michael and All Angels.
Beyond are the grounds of St Martin's C of E School andWheatcroft Primary School. Reaching the university college, turn right off Filey Road along Wheatcroft Avenue. Don't miss a gorgeous garden at number 10, and at the corner!
Go straight over at crossroads and at the far end turn left in front of seating overlooking the sea. This is Holbeck car park where you may find a mobile refreshment van. Ascending alongside the site of the Holbeck Hall where the landslide disaster occurred on June 3 and 4, 1993, Sea Cliff Road quickly meets crossroads.
Turn immediately right along Holbeck Hill and then go right again down the Esplanade Crescent to return to the Holbeck Clock Tower. If you just cross the road from the seats on the approach to the clock tower, you should visit Shuttleworth Gardens, and also take a closer look at Red House, which you'll recognise as The Royal in the popular television series.
Next, cross over to the clock tower and walk straight through near the putting green, turning left to appreciate the magnificent Italian Gardens. Strolling through the gardens, make your own descent, heading to the Spa. At the far end, just to the right of the bus turn-about, seek steps, in the stone walling down to the beach. Here, to the left of the steps is a medicinal spring emerging from the "fountain".
Pass under the Spa footbridge, and with the Rotunda Museum to your left, follow Foreshore Road beside the South Sands to discover the newly-renovated St Nicholas Gardens. By ascending these gardens you return to the Queen Victoria statue dated 1837 – 1901, and your point of departure, in the town centre.
Distance: Around five miles.