Cloughton to Hayburn Wyke Walk

2.3 miles (3.7 km)

This walk takes you from Cloughton to the Hayburn Wyke Nature Reserve on the Yorkshire coast. Starting in Cloughton you first head east to the coast at Cloughton Wyke.... Here you pick up the Cleveland Way and follow it north to the scenic Hayburn Wyke. It's just over 2 miles to the reserve, so around 4.5 miles there and back.
The trail follows an elevated cliff-top route before dropping down into the wooded valley of Hayburn Wyke. The terrain along the Cleveland Way section is largely unpaved and can become muddy during wet weather, requiring appropriate footwear for the short, steep descent into the bay. At the destination, two streams cascade over a rocky ledge directly onto the pebble beach, creating a double waterfall. The nature reserve itself is managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and features a mature oak, ash, and hazel woodland that reaches right down to the shoreline.
The combination of marine, cliff, and woodland habitats supports a diverse range of wildlife species. The ancient coastal woodland provides nesting sites for birds such as redstarts, pied flycatchers, and great spotted woodpeckers, which are rarely seen on open coastal trails. Along the cliff edges, you can observe fulmars nesting on the stone ledges, while the dense scrub provides cover for roe deer. The rocky intertidal rock pools at the base of the wyke are home to various species of crabs, anemones, and small fish, which are exposed at low tide.