KETTLENESS: MOST people with disabilities need more to go on than is provided in conventional mapping and in regular articles about 'walks'.

Thankfully, many publications do exist that, when used in conjunction with - say - an Ordnance Survey map, open the door to those of us who need just that bit more information.

The North York Moors National Park Authority has recently published one such guide that contains eight routes in that beautiful part of our region. The publication "Easy Going North York Moors" also includes a 'Days Out' guide covering five days in five different areas of the park and an 'Access Guide' to the various attractions in the park. The routes themselves are printed on eight separate and - most usefully - removable wipe-clean cards. The information on each card includes a small map, a brief description of the route and its surroundings, notes on how to get there, path surface details and the nearest toilets.

My daughter and I tried route 8, 'Kettleness coastal Trail' in late August just before she was due back at school. We parked by the old station as suggested in the publication. A gentleman was working nearby on the station building so we decided to run our plans past him.

"This is about three years out of date. They haven't done a lot to it since it opened then and the sign's disappeared," he said. Slightly deflated, we braced ourselves for more: "It's a bit rough and mind the pheasants on the other side of the gate - I wouldn't go there myself." If ever there was an argument for an information centre on site this was it.

But, undeterred, we went on to find the path which was, indeed, hard, compact and fairly level, just as described on the card. This turned out to be a delightful location between a hedgerow banquet of brambles, haws and rosehips with the North Sea in the distance and not a pheasant in sight... yet. After a very gentle 20 minutes' rambling we reached the gate that is clearly marked on the map. The gate is quite light (probably made of aluminium) with a sliding bolt. I managed this alone but it did drop away as gates often do, making replacement of the bolt a little difficult. My daughter was only too happy to help but I wanted to see if I could manage this alone - it was just manageable. There was also a freshly laid area of loose stone chippings around the gate area that hindered things somewhat but we passed through unscathed.

A large 'S' on the map indicates the seat that we found just on the other side of the gate and it was here that we had the packed lunch that we had brought with us. This was a treasured moment, looking out to sea chatting with my daughter about this and that feeling that we were miles from anywhere and yet just minutes away from our starting point.

A leisurely lunch and a short dawdle further along the path brought us to the seating that lies at the end of this route. This is an outlook to die for over Runswick Bay with the Cleveland Way just below and the cliffs just beyond that. One of the seats is a beautiful piece of woodwork designed more to look at than to sit on. There are also interesting carvings here depicting local life which add additional interest to this spot. We turned back here just as some ramblers on the Cleveland Way passed below us heading in the same direction.

We arrived back at the starting point having spent a very leisurely two hours on the path. Our gentleman was busy fixing a roof when we passed him again. "Did you see the seat? Nobody ever bothered to paint it - no funds I suppose," he said. Although deflating, his comments had focused on a perennial problem with such facilities - building them is one thing but maintaining them is another.

There are no toilet or refreshment facilities here so we dropped into the National Park picnic area by Scaling Reservoir on the way back home. This lies barely five miles away, just off the A171. There is a small kiosk selling refreshments and accessible toilets (you will need a RADAR key) which take the award for being the cleanest I have seen this year.

It is so liberating to know that it is still possible to enjoy this National Park from a wheelchair and, thanks to this publication, there is scope for many more outings yet - it just depends where you go for your information.

Contact the National Park on www.visitthemoors.co.uk or (01439) 770657. Easy Going North York Moors is available from North York Moors Visitor Centres or from North York Moors National Park Authority, The Old Vicarage, Bondgate, Helmsley, Yorkshire YO62 5BP.

To get to Kettleness from the Loftus or Guisborough areas take the A174 eastwards until the sign left to Kettleness. Follow this road for roughly one mile until Goldsborough, turn left at the T-junction and continue a further half mile. Park on the left just before the village where there is space for three cars just by the old platform and station house.

Published: 05/10/2004