Cleveland Way emergency & health guide: hospitals, mountain rescue, coastguard, 999 and 111

Emergency numbers

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, register for emergencySMS before you go: text "register" to 999 and follow the replies. Mobile signal is weak in places on the high moors (Urra Moor, Bloworth Crossing) and in some deep coastal valleys, so carry a map and tell someone your plan.

Rules to know

• No permit or fee is needed. The trail is open all year and waymarked with the National Trail acorn; most people walk clockwise from Helmsley to Filey.
• Coastal erosion: the cliffs are unstable and the path is moved inland from time to time. Stay on the path, keep back from the edge and follow diversion signs. From 5 January 2026 the cliff path just south of Robin Hood's Bay was closed and diverted inland via Middlewood Farm, the Cinder Track and Mark Lane; at the east end of Mount Pleasant North in Robin Hood's Bay the trail has crossed Rocket Post Field to the Cinder Track since 2021. National Trails also lists a temporary diversion at Skelton.
• Tides: at Runswick Bay the path crosses the beach before climbing back to the cliffs, and the beach routes between Sandsend and Whitby and below Robin Hood's Bay are only safe at low or falling tide. Check tide times and use the cliff-top path when in doubt.
• There is no general right to wild camp in England. Camp only on campsites or with the landowner's permission.
• Dogs: on Open Access land (most of the moors) dogs must be on a lead from 1 March to 31 July, even with no livestock, and always around livestock; these are legal requirements. Ground-nesting birds breed on the moors in spring. If cattle threaten you, let your dog go.
• Fires: do not light fires and only use barbecues where signs say you can. Moorland fires spread fast in dry weather.
• Drones: follow the UK CAA Drone Code and registration rules (Flyer ID and Operator ID), get the landowner's permission to take off, and keep away from people and from seabird colonies on the cliffs.
• Countryside Code: leave gates as you find them, keep to paths across farmland and take your litter home. Cyclists and horse riders share the bridleway sections (Clay Bank to Kildale and parts of the Hambleton Drove Road).

Before you go, check current diversions on the National Trails website and the Met Office forecast; on the moors the weather changes fast and sea mist is common on the coast. Trains stop at Kildale, Saltburn, Whitby, Scarborough and Filey, and an hourly bus runs along the coast between Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough. Book rooms and baggage transfer early: Sutton Bank, Clay Bank and Kildale have only a few beds.

Nearest hospital for each stage

Hospitals

Urgent treatment centres

Urgent treatment centres treat sprains, simple fractures, cuts and burns. Opening hours differ: the Friarage in Northallerton is open 24 hours, Redcar 8am to midnight (with X-ray), and Whitby 8am to 8pm (X-ray on weekdays and Saturday mornings only). They are not emergency departments. Call NHS 111 first: it can book you in.

Pharmacies, cash and supplies

• Pharmacies: Helmsley, Saltburn, Scarborough
• ATMs: Helmsley, Saltburn, Scarborough, Filey
• Shops: Helmsley, Saltburn, Robin Hood's Bay, Scarborough, Filey
• Bus stops: Helmsley, Sutton Bank, Osmotherley, Kildale, Saltburn, Sandsend, Robin Hood's Bay, Scarborough

England has no duty-pharmacy rota. Use the NHS "Find a pharmacy" service on nhs.uk to check opening hours, or call 111 if you need medicines urgently at night. There are pharmacies in Helmsley, Saltburn, Whitby, Scarborough and Filey on the route, and in Great Ayton and Guisborough a few kilometres off it; there are none at Sutton Bank, Clay Bank, Kildale, Sandsend or Ravenscar, so carry a first-aid and blister kit.

Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.