The road starts on the A66 at Middlesbrough (South Bank) and heads south east through Ormesby to Nunthorpe where it turns east as a dual carriageway bypassing Guisborough and the road becomes single carriageway again. Just outside Guisborough it heads into the North York Moors National Park (forming its boundary at first). As it passes the village of Charltons, it rises up at a 15% incline through two 90° turns (the first east then the second south) up to Low Moor, this hill is named Birk Brow.