Walkers on the Cleveland Way, with Roseberry Topping in the background. Photo: Mike Kipling

England’s second oldest national trail is getting more popular, with figures released today showing an increase of 26 per cent stomping across its route.

The Cleveland Way celebrated its 40th anniversary this year – only the Pennine Way has been in existence longer in England in Wales – and its 177km (110-mile) horseshoe path around the edge of the North York Moors national park proved an attractive destination as more Britons holidayed in their home country as the recession bit and foreign travel rose in cost.

Four hidden counters along the trail recorded 37,213 users in the first six months of the year, with the most popular spot – Saltburn – showing a rise of 34 per cent on the same period last year.

Malcolm Hodgson, national trails officer for the Cleveland Way, said: “Walking is not only a great way to keep fit but it’s also relatively cheap and it would seem that in our current cash-strapped climate, more people are pulling on their boots and enjoying the local countryside.”

The Cleveland Way national trail is funded by Natural England, the North York Moors National Park Authority, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and Scarborough Borough Council. It is one of 15 such trails in England and Wales.

The first long-distance path to open was the Pennine Way in 1965. Since then, the routes have been renamed national trails south of the border. Scotland still retains the title long-distance routes for its four such trails, the first of which was the West Highland Way.

Part of the Cleveland Way shares its route with Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk and the Lyke Wake Walk.