CARLTON BANK

CARLTON-IN-CLEVELAND, MIDDLESBROUGH

Located on the upper side of the North Yorkshire Moors, Carlton Bank takes you from the industrial plains of Teeside up on to Cringle Moor. The slight gradient is rough and potholed to begin with but climbs sharply once past the cattle grid, with the Bank looming above – a black monolith of heather-covered rock. Following a hard left-hand bend, the road eases before climbing steeply once again, this time on an improved surface. Next a sharp right is followed by a gentler right, which brings you to the hardest section. With the Bank over your right shoulder and a precipitous drop to your left, the surface is now terrible; steep, veering right, and deteriorating as it climbs alongside a stone wall that acts as a barrier to the vertical drop. You can now see the summit and will need to pick the best line across the broken surface to the brow, from where you can turn around for an amazing view.