Roseberry Topping, North Yorkshire UK

• 5-star hikes
• 1 to 5 mile options
• Moderate | Gain 180-360m (600-1,190ft)
• Great Ayton, UK | North Yorkshire
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The image shows a scenic landscape featuring a prominent hill with a winding path leading to its summit. The foreground includes a stone wall with wire fencing and lush green vegetation, while the background reveals expansive fields and a cloudy sky. The path and wall create a sense of depth and lead the viewer's eye towards the hill.

Hiking the Cleveland Way towards Roseberry Topping.

Hike this iconic and sweet-sounding peak in the Cleveland Hills on the northwestern edge of the North York Moors. While the summit is less than a mile from the main road, we recommend a more scenic and winding route to fully appreciate the views of Roseberry Topping both before and after the climb.

Our preferred approach is an anti-clockwise loop beginning at the Gribdale Gate car park. Heading immediately northwards up the bracken-covered hillside, you'll encounter a cliffside path along a section of the Cleveland Way, offering panoramic scenery with Roseberry Topping in view. Depart the Cleveland Way at the gate and continue west towards the switchbacks leading to the summit. Hiking the eastern face of Roseberry topping is a moderately challenging experience, aided by the National Trust's well-built paved trail.

Trail Options Expand KML · Google Earth ·

⬤ 5★ Summit & Monument Loop 4.8 mi loop, moderate, gain 360m (1,190 ft)
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions* GPX?

⬤ 4★ Summit Out and Back 3.7 mi out & back, moderate, gain 230m (750ft)
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions*

⬤ 4★ Roseberry Lane 1.4 mi out & back, moderate, gain 180m (600ft)
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions**

P *Free parking £ **Paid parking

Roseberry Topping originally had a conical shape, but a 1912 landslip destroyed the western portion of the summit, giving the peak its distinctive silhouette. As noted on a nearby information sign, a late 19th-century ironstone mining operation was active here, though it remains unclear whether this contributed to the landslip.

For a richer experience, we suggest returning via the looping route, which includes a visit to Captain James Cook's monument on Easby Moor. Follow a faint trail through a field, then descend along a farm road, passing Aireyholme Farm and crossing Dikes Lane. On your way downhill, check out the building opposite the farmhouse, which houses vending machines offering tea, coffee, brownies, and flapjacks, as well as farm-fresh eggs. Though we wouldn't be the ones to recommend a mid-hike raw egg snack!

The image is a combination of two photographs. The left photograph shows a signpost with the text 'National Trust Roseberry Topping' and an illustration of green oak leaves. The right photograph depicts a hiker walking up a stone path leading to the summit of a hill covered in green vegetation. The hill has a distinct, steep peak, and the path winds its way up to the top. The scene is set in a natural, outdoor environment with a partly cloudy sky.

Switchbacks up the southern face.

Aireyholme Farm was home to James Cook during his youth. Captain James Cook later became a celebrated navigator, renowned for exploring uncharted territories in search of the Northwest Passage and mapping lands across the South Pacific, including New Zealand and Hawaii. During his early years of schooling Cook would develop his proclivity for exploration with a climb of Roseberry Topping.

After crossing Dikes Lane, the paved road ends, giving way to a dirt track that becomes more narrow as it climbs. Eventually, bear left towards a dark forest of pine trees. There are some short steep sections within this forest that may be somewhat slippery in wet conditions. The trail beyond the forest continues on the open Easby Moor and leads to Captain Cook's Monument, a stone obelisk erected 48 years after Cook's death. Captain Cook met with an untimely death on the Big Island of Hawaii, a result of conflicts with the local population. From here, an easy and gradual descent completes the loop back to the trailhead.

The image shows a sheep standing in a grassy field with a hilly landscape in the background. The sheep has a white fleece with a black face and legs, and there is a blue mark on its back. The field is lush with green grass and some patches of ferns. The sky above is partly cloudy, adding to the scenic beauty of the landscape.

You're never far from a new trail friend in Yorkshire.

The image shows a person walking on a grassy path through a moorland or heathland area. The person is wearing a plaid shirt and a cap, and is walking towards a tall, stone obelisk or monument in the distance. The sky is overcast with clouds, creating a dramatic backdrop.

Approaching the Captain Cook Monument on the Loop Trail.

The image shows a scenic landscape with a stone path leading through a lush, green area. There is a stone wall in the foreground, and various trees and bushes are scattered throughout the scene. In the background, there is a distinctive hill with a flat top, surrounded by rolling green hills and fields. The sky is partly cloudy, adding depth to the image.

Descent from the monument, back to the trailhead.

Tangents:
• External Links: National Trust, Aireyholme Farm
• AllTrails Public: Roseberry Topping & Monument, Roseberry Lane
• Facebook Group: Comment, Follow Us

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A castleated tower with defensive walls and colorful heraldic crest.

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