Onwards and upwards, Coast to Coast - Richmond to Clay Bank Top

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It was great to have a day off in Richmond, and it was good to meet up with Maureen's sister Kieran and her daughter Anna while there. We took time to sleep in and relax, Blu got his ears syringed at the local Hospital, we visited Richmond Castle and the "Secret Garden", indulged in brunch and cream teas, and generally pottered around. We had a great Italian dinner together with Kieran and Anna, and Blu and I met a wonderful 85 year old local gent, a well known literary expert, who invited us to his home for supper, but unfortunately it clashed with our group dinner.

Feeling refreshed, we set off for Danby Wiske, turned out to be a rather wet day, with the highlight being lunch at the Local church at Bolton on Swale, where thoughtful clergy had left out tea and coffee making facilities for hikers to help themselves while sheltering from the rain ( or sun)! We could also admire the gravestone of Henry Jenkins, who lived an unremarkable life but supposedly lived to 169 ! Nice to warm up too, the day had got quite cold. Arrived at our B and B in Danby Wiske soaked to the skin, but Frank and Doreen were amazing, they took our wet clothes and washed and dried them (Frank even ticked Joy off for crumpling her neatly folded T-shirt! ) So after a hot shower, toasted tea cakes and a cuppa we felt great. D and F also organised to transport us all to the pub at a nearby village for our dinner, as the local pub owner had taken off for a holiday in Greece and there was no food in the village! ( peak season? WTF?).

Next day was fine again, and we headed off towards Ingleby Arncliffe, lots of muddy fields, cows and wheat, but a relatively easy and short day, got in about 1:30 pm, plenty of time to visit Marrick Priory before dinner. Joy and I walked miles to get there, while Blu reclined under a tree in a field, on arrival we found the Harties had cadged a ride there from a local! Dinner was at the Bluebell Inn and our accommodation was in the converted old stables at Ingleby Farm. After a relatively flat 2 days walking, our next day was a delight, heading up the heather covered moors to Claybank. It was a very tough walking day, as we had to cover 25 km and walk up and down 4 big hills on our way, but it was a lovely walk in great weather and the views from the tops were magnificent. Accommodation was in a great country pub at Chop Gate, which oddly is pronounced Chop Yat, run by Wolfgang and his wife, funny coincidence, he had taught at Blu's old High school in Perth! So, the final chapter in our journey across England approaches.......Now we were almost on the home run....... Final chapter coming up!

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Photos

Ready to go!
Our B and B was really quirky!

The lovely Doreen and Frank
The old Schoolhouse, Danby Wiske - Frank wants to come too?