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We are still connected at the brain: we managed to order the exact same hiking poles from opposite sides of the world (“of all the poles in all the towns, in all the world….”)

Many houses in the UK have names instead of (or in addition to) address numbers. You can change the name of a house you purchase as long as the name you choose isnt too close to another house nearby and is approved by the council/register. And Google maps will find houses based on the house name with no number/street name!

Seemingly everyone in the Yorkshire Dales must have a dog.

We should not have packed any sweaters/jumpers. Even if it was cool in the morning they lasted 7 minutes at the longest.

Skye’s knees DO NOT like down. And Heather’s lungs DO NOT like up. (“F**k going up” was uttered several times most days.

The RAF (Royal Air Force) use the Lake District as a Star Wars-esque training ground between the mountains. Something we discovered as a fighter jet zoomed past sideways while we were doing the high ridge walk from Fairfield to Rydal!

Mirages: both people and buildings can disappear and reappear along the walk.

The last 2 miles in a day take longer than the prior 10 miles. And the last 2 miles of a 192 mile walk take FOREVER.

A brook is an area of running water that most people can step over.
A creek is a brook that is sheltered by trees.
A stream is running water that is confined by its banks and most people would be able to jump over it.
A river is running water that someone would most likely have to swim to get across.
And yes, once we looked this up we defined each and every bit of water we crossed.

Solidly black lambs can grow into white sheep (keeping their black legs and faces and growing pure white wool).

Many businesses along the Coast to Coast path are closed at seemingly counterproductive hours (coffee shops that don’t open until 10am, restaurants that stop serving dinner at 6pm, and the only shop in town closing at midday for 2 hours).

Stiles/gates along the Coast to Coast are not made for large people and just when you think they can’t get narrower, they do.

Cairns (aka: rock piles) can be great waymarkers – as long as you follow the correct cairn (or set thereof).

No matter how many times we do it saying goodbye always sucks. Having a best friend who lives on the almost complete other side of the world is bunk. Giving each other the gift of 2 weeks for our 50ths was worth every gruelling step (and penny).

We awoke to the sounds of gulls and tractors pulling fishing boats full of lobster traps across the rocky foreshore. The view was magnificent for about 30 minutes when a thick mist rolled in that no amount of sun could fully burn off for hours.

We watched the headland disappear, reappear then disappear again before heading down to our final breakfast together.

The chef seemed quite put out that we didn’t want a full English breakfast but deigned to make our boring poached eggs and toast. The fellow traveller at the next table was over from the Netherlands on a research trip into poisonous plants and said she wasn’t sure what she’d ordered and when it came included a massive smoked fish. Perhaps we should have opted for that after all.

After breakfast we hauled ourselves back up the steep road we’d come down and retrieved our luggage from the Victoria Hotel at the top of town then made our way to the bus stop.

Originally Heather’s plan was to spend a night with me in Leeds before flying home tomorrow but unfortunately due to heat advisories it seems all cross country trains are cancelled for tomorrow so instead she’ll get the last train out of Leeds to London this evening.

Having heard there are often queues for the bus, and the many transport cancellations we were delighted to make it into the first bus for Scarborough with a few of our walking companions: Jeremy, Janice and Martin who had indeed snuck by us yesterday afternoon.

A quick transfer to the train in Scarborough had us into Leeds within 90 minutes, a couple of hours too early to check into my lodgings so we popped into the bar next door for a cold drink and brie pizza.

Luckily we met a fellow walker on the train (Robin) who was heading home to Leeds and gave us some great tips for things to do in a single afternoon. These included an excellent 1700s pub with this amazing toilet! #thanksRobinFromLeeds

Strolling around the neighbourhood we discovered multiple arcades, markets and Victorian buildings with architecture reminiscent of Melbourne.

After a quick repack of bags we trundled down to the station again and said our goodbyes so Heather can make it back to London tonight and her flight home tomorrow.

😭

Stayed at: The Bay Hotel

The day started with a lovely home cooked breakfast, kitten antic watching and a warm hug from our hostess to send us on our final leg.

We took a public track from the farm to join up with the main path but somehow managed to zig when we should have zagged and found ourselves on the wrong side of the river. As 2 first-born daughters, we decided to forge our own path and find somewhere to cross rather than going back.

We eventually found our way, it was however rather a clamber down and up the steep riverbanks, across slippery rocks and through spiky holly bushes. The mosquitoes loved it!

Back on the C2C path proper we thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful and gorgeous Little Beck Wood for a mile or so before joining the road up to the final moor we had to cross.

Sadly there had been some large wildfires last year so the heather was missing or blackened and the few trees looked in pretty bad shape. It was clear works are being done to restore both the moor and the path but our feet were grateful the giant piles of new stones had not been laid yet and we could tread more comfortably on the flat path.

After a few more miles we played Frogger for the last time and followed the road to Hawsker. There was a nice looking little honesty shop but we decided to press on being only a few miles away from our final destination.

We walked through a caravan park to the coastal path then proceeded to marvel and gawk at cliffs and clear, almost still, water as far as the eye could see. The sun was shining, the water was blue, the breeze was cool – it was a spectacular final walk.

We checked in on our luggage storage before descending into the old town of Robin Hood’s Bay and our lodgings for the night at the Bay Hotel, home of Wainwright’s bar.

In keeping with tradition we dipped our toes in the waters of the North Sea and threw in the pebbles we had chosen from the Irish Sea 192m/309km ago in St Bees.

Having arrived a tad early to check in to our rooms there was nothing for it but to grab ourselves a pint and sit outside in the glorious weather watching for fellow walkers arriving and congratulating them.

Jeremy and Janice whom we had spent a lovely evening meal and breakfast with as fellow guests the night prior were first to arrive.

Some time later ‘Simon/Andrew’ (aka: Will) strode in and his lovely parents were there to help him celebrate the accomplishment.

We half expected to see Martin the Kiwi who we had crossed paths with several times but we somehow missed him coming in.

As afternoon turned to evening the locals emerged from their shops to join tourists and walkers around the dock. We were still wearing our matching shirts, hats and earrings so made friends easily. It turned out the man who lives in the house directly opposite the Bay Hotel was originally from Pennsylvania so hearing Heather’s accent he invited us to sit with his group of friends on his porch?/cobblestone sidewalk.

We spent FAR too much time gasbagging and drinking before eventually making our way in for food but a fun time was had by all.

It was a wonderful end to an incredible and challenging two weeks that we will not likely forget for a very long time.

Stayed at: Intake Farm

Today was forecast to be quite hot so we left right after breakfast to try and get a far as possible before the clouds burned off.

After what seemed like ages trudging along the road the Lion Inn was still the only building we could see but after some time we caught a glimpse of the North Sea again. Eventually we made it onto a path but rejoined the road some time later.

The views were quite distant and we’d see all the way down and along different valleys as we wound our way across the top of the moors until finally starting to descend into Glaisdale.

We knew the village shop closed from 12:30-2:30 so were trying to get there in time to pick up a cold drink to help us on our way. We made it in good time however the drinks fridge was not what one could call cold so we opted for (potentially quite old) lemonade flavoured icy poles instead.

We continued through the gorgeous East Arncliffe Woods very relieved at the shade and cool air coming off the Esk River below. Part of the track was giant stone slabs that were so worn in the middle they must have been used for hundreds of years.

We then passed through Egton Bridge and initially missed the turn off but realised halfway up a very steep hill – better to realise at that point than at the top!

After backtracking and taking the right turn we were walking along a private road that provides access to a large estate. There was a holiday cottage called The Old Potting Shed next to a walled garden and opposite The Manor and beyond, The River Lodge, so it was quite a vast estate. It even had a Toll Cottage which had been used to monitor a toll gate in the past.

The path then went under the railway and on into Grosmont which is a town that used to operate iron smelters but is now known as a destination for steam rail enthusiasts. They even run a Hogwarts Express train occasionally. 

We gratefully sank into chairs at the local tavern for a bit of lunch and some icy cold drinks. We decided to rest our legs for an hour before tackling the last brutal climb of the walk: 700ft/230m up to Sleights Moor in the blistering sun along a road.  We guzzled water and dragged ourselves up from one tiny bit of shade to the next dreading the walk across the top of the unshaded moor but the wind gods helped us out with a strong breeze once we were up there.

After crossing the moor, and playing Frogger again across the A169 this time we took the recommended side track to our lodgings at Intake Farm. Only the track seemed to require us to go through the driveway and yard of a different farm that lacked the usual public footpath signage so we ended up taking a circuitous, at times boggy route that saw us needing to clamber over a barbed wire fence at one point.

We got to the right place in the end but it wasn’t quite a straightforward as the map indicated.

Annoyingly for our hosts when we arrived the power had been out all afternoon and was unlikely to be back on for a few hours so we had to wait a bit longer to wash the stink and grit off before a rather late dinner.

Oh well, it gave us time to repack our bags ready for the last walk tomorrow (and clothes for the following day as our lodgings tomorrow are in too remote a location for the bag carrier to bring them!).

Stayed at: Lion Inn

Today started with a selection of homemade preserves at breakfast.

Yes, our hostess makes ALL of these herself and had a gorgeous garden. We went with the pink grapefruit and lemon marmalade which was perfection but I imagine the rest would also be amazing.

Efficient and knowledgeable as a walker herself we departed early and equipped with a motivating summary of the day ahead with some great tips.

We started with a darling walk through Arncliffe Wood during which we startled a mama grouse with two babies, and a little later on a pheasant. We then began our first climb of the day which was strenuous but gentler than many that have come before.

The morning featured a number of climbs and descents before we found ourselves at Lordstones a bit before midday. At times we could finally see the North Sea – our final destination in a couple of days! The sun was threatening to break through so after a short breather we pressed on taking the low route and accidentally a mysterious middle route that eventually put us back on a junction with a low/high choice.  Given we were aiming for 22 miles we decided to exercise our collective century of wisdom and opt for the final low route again which afforded us some amazing views of the crags we might otherwise have been unable to see.

Reaching Clay Top around 2 we opted for a 15 minute lunch under a tree before tackling the penultimate steep climb of the walk. We amazed ourselves by scaling it in about 15 minutes but were then faced with the ensuing 9.5 miles to our lodgings for the night – The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge – which again sounded like something from the Mighty Boosh!

The track was mercifully flat but still gravelly and a bit rough on the feet but we had some incredible views.

For the last couple of miles we were teased by the Inn we were walking toward seeming to appear and disappear as if a mirage (although perhaps we were just delirious at that point).

I may never have been more thankful to see a sign proclaiming the pub was 2 minutes away.

Its hard to see in the photos but we caught our first glimpse of the North Sea this morning. Very motivating!

Stayed at: Elstavale B&B

Today was more than 22 miles but mercifully it was mostly flat.

We wandered through a town that was originally established as a Roman fort in the 1st Century which is amazing to think about.

We crossed the River Swale for the last time and saw a large waterbird on the rocks looking for breakfast. 

We later stopped at a lovely old church that opens daily for walkers to grab a cold drink, a snack or coffee/tea and use the bathrooms. A saving grace in these desolate areas!

It was only 78F/26C but much of the day was in direct sun so it was quite a hot walk. We explored many fields, guessing at the crops being grown and trying not to bother the farm animals.

It was also a day of avoiding modern transportation: first crossing train tracks and then rushing across 6 lanes of highway traffic.

In just about the last meadow we crossed we noticed heaps of what looked like bees with hot pink stripes but turned out to likely be Burnet moths. I could only get this not so great shot of two of them together (presumably coupling):

We have experienced absolutely incredible hospitality so far from everyone we’ve crossed paths with….it’s been exceptional. So we were disappointed to have our first negative experience at the local pub. After walking 1/2 mile past our B&B to make it to the pub before they stopped serving food at 6pm, we were turned away because they were “fully booked”. It wouldn’t have been a big deal other than the fact that they are the only restaurant in the entire town, there were lots of open tables including picnic tables outside which we offered to sit at but were still told they were running out of food (despite numerous reserved signs on empty tables).

So instead we walked a mile back the other way to buy gas station sandwiches, potato chips and beer. Dinner of champions.

If you are counting on eating at the Blue Bell Inn if you ever happen to be in Ingleby Arncliffe be aware they are not counting on you. 😉

110 miles (177km) from the start, we had a fabulous day of rest. We started the day with a beautiful breakfast at our BnB; which is said to be the oldest house in Richmond and is noted for its namesake former owner dying in the house in 1616.

After breakfast Heather sat in the window seat and stitched while Skye got a massage

Skye then read in the window seat while Heather enjoyed a massage after which we headed out for the day.

We slowly wandered around Richmond which is a fantastic small city with a rich history. We explored the Saturday market and local shops as well as touring a theater built in 1788. (https://www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/). The volunteer guide was extremely knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Georgian theatre in particular but also theatre in general.  Highly recommended to anyone visiting Richmond!

Did you know the reason the box office got its name was because originally all theatre tickets were sold on a first come first served basis but at a certain point they started allowing the monied to reserve the boxes (fancy seats) ahead of time?

A restoration in the 1960s revealed original paint colours as well as some original illustrations and labels on the balconies. 

We bought a cheese tray at a local cheese monger and enjoyed it in the gorgeous and sunny Friary Gardens.

Now we are again back in our room icing our knees and resting before dinner. Hopefully we’re ready to tackle 22.5m/36k tomorrow and 21m/34k the next!

Stayed at: Willance House

We started out early from our cosy Yurt knowing the weather would be kind in the morning but less so as the day wore on.

We had planned for the low route to enjoy more of the villages and riverside of Swaledale (Herriot country of All Creatures Great and Small fame) than the high route’s ancient mines.

We were delighted by the gentle stroll under dappled sunlight through woods and wildflowers. After reaching Gunnerside and finding the tea room closed we opted to continue along the alternate riverside route and were not disappointed.  More wildflowers, surprised ducklings, cool breezes and a few stumbles as we looked for the elusive otters rumoured to be around these parts.

The theme of today was Alice in Wonderland’s Drink Me potion. Every stone wall gate we encountered seemed smaller than the last. We could not imagine how some of the walkers less tiny than us could pass through them.

We found ourselves in Reeth just in time for lunch but sadly missed out on visiting the Swaledale Museum which had a note on the door: “Sorry, we are closed today” accompanied by a sign that listed opening hours “by chance” so we consoled ourselves with a treat from the ice cream parlour.

While our luck was out for the museum it was in for a pint at the George and Dragon in Hudswell on the way in to Richmond. We were thankful to avoid the rain at 2016’s best pub in Britain and the first community owned pub in Yorkshire after 200 good townsfolk rescued it from closure in 2010.

We then trudged into Richmond yearning for a hot shower and grateful for our well earned rest day tomorrow.

Managed to schlep out for a tapas dinner at La Cocina and are now safely sequestered back in our lodgings with bags of frozen vegetables on our sore knees and some cold(ish) cans of beer within grasp. We are very much looking forward to a lie in tomorrow morning.