Black Hambleton, North York Moors UK

• 4-star hikes
• 8 mile loop
• Medium difficulty | Gain 1,590 feet
• Over Silton, UK | North Yorkshire
. Two hikers walk on a dirt path through a natural landscape under a clear blue sky. The terrain is mostly flat with low shrubs and grasses. A traditional stone wall runs parallel to the path on the left side, and rolling hills are visible in the distance.

Two hikers walk on a dirt path through a natural landscape under a clear blue sky. The terrain is mostly flat with low shrubs and grasses. A traditional stone wall runs parallel to the path on the left side, and rolling hills are visible in the distance.

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Trailspotting Map:

4★ Black Hambleton Loop
8.4 mi loop, medium, gain 1,590ft (485m)
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

Though it's the highest point in the Hambleton Hills at 399 meters above sea level (1,312ft), you might find it difficult to pick out the peak of Black Hambleton by eye as these tabular hills are known for their distinctive flat summits. When you do reach the top, be sure to continue past the survey marker which does not in fact indicate the highest point, but instead continue on a little further on the spur trail marked on the map.

Though Black Hambleton's peak won't be giving you attacks of vertigo, it is still a great place to walk along to admire views in all directions. From the patchwork fields of English countryside to the West and the rugged moorland of the North York Moors National Park to the West, there's plenty to look at. The trail along the top of the hill is also part of an ancient road that runs from Scotland to the south of England; and burial grounds from Neolithic and Bronze eras can be found on its route.

The latest travellers on an ancient route that spans England.

This eight mile loop begins and ends in the village of Nether Silton, where you can find plenty of roadside parking. Our clockwise route towards the mountain led us up a wide paved road that was easy to negotiate. Coming back down across moorland and farm fields required side-stepping a couple of boggy areas, but nothing significant.

The trail along the top of the Hambleton Hills is also known as the Cleveland Way; a multi-day adventure trail that skirts the perimeter of the North York Moors. Though we rate the Black Hambleton trail with four stars because it has significant features and views, we find the sections north of here provide more spectacular hikes and views.

Three sheep in a field with a wooden signpost that has directional arrows and inset acorn graphics identifying The Cleveland Way. The sheep are marked with red paint, and the field appears to be a highland area with blue sky and scattered clouds above.

In North Yorkshire you're never too far away from sheep.

A scenic landscape viewed from an elevated position. A dry stone wall runs diagonally, dividing lush greenery from a hillside. In the distance, flat land with fields and trees leads to a hazy horizon under a clear blue sky.

Looking west over a patchwork of green fields.

A person walking on a narrow path through a vast field of moorland scrub under a clear blue sky with some clouds. In the distance, a survey marker is visible.

The not-so-prominent peak of Black Hambleton.

A picturesque rural scene with a clear blue sky. On the left, a traditional red telephone box stands in front of a stone-built house with windows and a chimney. Dense green foliage is to the right of the telephone box. In the background, more stone houses line a gently curving road.

Nether Silton marks both the start and end of this hike.

Tangents:
• Public Maps at AllTrails: Black Hambleton
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article
• Trailspotting: Cleveland Way Hikes

The Cleveland Way
Coastal & moorland landscapes along this world-class 109 mile adventure trail.

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