Day 15

From Puffers and Puffing to Bay and Beers

Off at 9.30 after a good dinner at the B&B where Steve and Sandra were also staying. The dinner was excellent with good Aussie red with it!

A good breakfast to the sounds of the puffing steam trains and then it was us puffing up a 700’ road hill.

This took us about 30 minutes and was our last major climb for the day and walk.

We dropped into the hamlet of Littlebeck, on the way Don and I nearly stepped on a black adder snoozing on the path. I though I felt a drop of rain so quickly took what precautions I could.

Today was the crowning of the local Orange Queen but we didn’t wait and started off through the Great Wood were we passed the Hermitage a man made hollowed rock and Falling Floss, a 20’ waterfall, where we stopped for morning tea and scones with a few of our new friends – we met up again with Alf and Rachel and Justin here.

I pushed on up the stream as Colin and Don finished their tea/coffee, and soon caught up with Justin again (he was carrying a 30lb pack) and we walked in together over the last 10 miles.

As we exited the woods we could look back over our last 5 miles of walking.

We took the quiet road alternative (to a boggy moor) and got accused of cheating by Rachel because we passed them in doing so (needless to say they actually got lost and didn’t want to admit it.

The wild flowers were in full bloom along this road as we neared our objective.

Finally we went through Hawkser and dropped down to the caravan parks to the sea

 where we joined up again with the Cleveland Way and started the 4 mile walk around the cliffs.

At last we got our first glimpse of Robin Hoods Bay as we passed Rachel and Alf and Mrs Alf who had come to walk the last 2 miles

and soon entered ‘civilization’ again.

Our B&B was en route so I waited there for Don and Colin so we could do the last mile down to the sea together were we duly tossed our St Bee’s pebble into the sea, dipped our toes in the North Sea, signed the book in the Wainwright bar of the Bay Hotel and had a celebratory dinner of, what else, fish, chips and beer.

Another perfect walking day, a bit of cloud and sun, just a few drops of rain but not enough to put on our gear – how lucky we have been.

And to all those who doubted

WE DID THE COAST TO COAST.

Day 14

Curlews, Cricket and Choo choos

9.30 start and we wished the Lion goodbye and started down the road for a mile or so until we met Margery Bradley

Where we cut across the moor to rejoin the road and meet Fat Betty

In so doing missing out on meeting Old and Young Ralph (Don’t ask it’s a sordid story).

A bit more road walking brought us to the turn off to a shooters lodge Trough House –“not as big as mine” muttered Don as he inspected it.

The it was a longish undulating tramp across the moor above Great Fryup Dale, a lovely name but actually named for the Norse Goddess Freya. A few dead moor birds were seen, including curlews and marlins

And we scared up a few grouse.

We also met two guys doing E to W in 7 days (30 mi a day!). Guess who is the odd one out

Eventually out on another road and then the long descent off the moors (at last) down Glaister Rigg

To a lunch stop at Glaister

Where we met up with a group of lads doing coast to coast for charity – Cancer Research UK. They were taking 10 days – well done fellas

With only 4 miles to go I did my usual sprint to the finish, through the woods and down to Egton Bridge where I crossed the Ex on stepping stones, Colin did the more leisurely bridge crossing to give it his seal of approval and met up with Steve and Sandra who we had been meeting up with for the last few days

A final quick walk along the old toll road

A stop to watch the cricket on Grosmont village green

And arrival in Grosmont to watch the steam trains from the pub verandah.

Another great weather day. Cloudy, no rain not too hot.

14 miles today, it seems easy – must be getting fit. Last 15+ miles tomorrow but a nasty hill to start.