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A solid nights sleep, we woke with the birds again… and the trains… and the rain and wind! A wet, blustery morning turned into a wet and blustery day, as we began our day with breaky under the lodges’s camping shelter. To our surprise, of the 6 of us camping, only two of us remained; perhaps they are all planning to get to Kirkby today, but we have a planned stop halfway at Orton to make for two shorter days rather then another long one.
Finally admitting the rain and wind were not looking likely to stop any time soon, we, rather expertly if I do say so myself, packed the soggy tent down without any of it flying away and headed out by 9am. Of course, who wouldn’t stop almost immediately after getting going, just on the bridge in the full rain and wind, for a solid minute, just to wait and see if you could see the super speed train go past?! Thankfully for Paul, there was a train that came and went and we continued on quickly, only to stop again further up to hold a gate for two men (mr.bubble hat and his dad) who had
caught us up. Weirdly but warmly they instantly began talking to us as if we knew them, and about how the dad had come to walk the C2C with his, only recently found, long lost brothers with a woman driving with them to take their luggage, but that they had all left this morning already, after they’d fallen out last night! We then walked and chatted together for another 20mins, passing some hung up dead moles (odd?) and then over the motorway crossing into the Yorkshire Dales, before we had a wee stop where they then carried on.
The lakes could just about be seen behind us between the clouds of rain, and despite feeling good the big elevation days of the trail were done, we also felt a bit sad; I guess we’ll have to come back to the Lakes sometime. The landscape now, with farmers fields, forest tracks, rolling hills, boggy ground, rocky outcrops and old stone circles suddenly felt quite homely, resembling Dartmoor, and pretty in a different way, particularly as the rain began to ease and the sun tried to come out occasionally. We also passed Robin Hood’s Grave, according to the map, but there
was no signage to suggest this so not sure on the accuracy of this; still, I decided a pile of rocks in the valley dip must be it.
With the wet weather, and lack of sheltered spots, we didn’t really stop today, and so after just a few hours, we had completed the 13.38km and arrived in Orton. Straight to the cafe, for a hot drink and some lunch, (Scar cafe-was tastey!), followed by spending 20mins in the local shop with the owner chatting away to Paul (turns out Orton has big plans for the Jubilee), and another 10mins in the specialist chocolate shop deciding which ones to buy for pudding later (expensive but tastey), before heading back on public footpaths and road to the nearby campsite.
New House Farm, in Raisbeck, owned by a lovely old lady, is basic but all you need. The toilet and shower were surprisingly good, despite their shack-looking exterior. They also offered us to pitch up in their barn for shelter, which, although not raining any more, was most welcome to get out of the strong winds. With no one else here (yet), it’s a pretty perfect spot for the night.
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