The South
Dene provides a good cooked breakfast at 7:30, our cab arrives on time, and the
journey back to the Honey Pot includes the shock horror revelation, via the car
intercom, that Ernie is in fact around today. We’re slightly delayed in the pub
car park by Gary having to make a call regarding some “suspicious activity” on
his credit card, but we’re under way at 8:50. The distance to Bridlington by
road is only 6 miles but, by the more circuitous coastal path, it’s about 10
miles further. As anticipated yesterday, Ben has decided to take an inland
route at least as far as Flamborough Head and, when we split up at Speeton, we
arrange to meet at the Flamborough lighthouse. After going alongside some
fields, the climb for John, Mike and Gary to the top of Buckton Cliffs is
certainly one which Ben would have found tricky at best, although the initial walk
along the cliff top itself (known as the Headland Way), whilst distinctly
breezy, isn’t too bad. The entire walk today proves to be above some pretty
spectacular cliffs and rock formations – to include the section beyond Buckton,
namely Bempton Cliffs which is an RSPB reserve and, accordingly, something of a
draw for the local twitchers to observe the huge amount of bird life on and
around the cliff faces. It is here that John takes coastal purity to a new
level by walking out to and around each of the four or five betwitchered
observation platforms along the path at Bempton. After leaving the reserve, our
lighthouse rendezvous soon comes into view, but the walk around the coast –
including the edge of the Flamborough Cliffs golf course – takes almost an
hour, so we don’t reach the lighthouse until just after 12, but only 5 minutes
later than Ben. We all walk out to Flamborough Head itself and turn south east
for the last couple of hours to Bridlington. But although the cliffs aren’t as
high as they were earlier today, the path is still close to the edge and, after
another 10 minutes or so, Ben returns to the lighthouse to continue along some
minor roads. For the rest of us, the immediate impression of the walk in front
of us is of a cliff top descending gently towards our destination. However,
this impression proves to be deceptive because there are several hidden inlets
with descents and ascents needed to cross them at South Landing, Hartendale
Gutter and Danes Dyke. But once we’re alongside Bridlington Links golf course,
the gentle descent becomes an actuality as we pass Sewerby Hall and Gardens and
eventually reach the Bridlington sea front. We finish at the harbour which is
conveniently close to Rags but we decide that, for our pre-departure
refreshment, it might be more prudent to find a pub closer to the station which
is half a mile away. An enquiry of a postman elicits the local knowledge of,
and directions to, the Fat Badger. Duly ensconced there, we contact Ben who is
just arriving at the harbour and joins us at the pub as we’re ordering our
second beer. The station (very traditional – like a small Marylebone) is only 5
minutes away. Ben and Gary, and John, catch a train via Hull to catch connections
at Doncaster and Sheffield, while Mike returns to York via Seamer. We reckon
that the rest of Yorkshire, together with Lincolnshire and East Anglia, will be
a cliff free zone, so hopefully we’ll be able to stay together on future walks
at least as far as Kent – and subject, of course, to the not too distant
problem of the Humber Bridge…..
Day 108 – Scarborough to Speeton
With Mike
now a permanent member of the group for our equivalent of the “Tour de
Yorkshire”, and with Sticky having been replaced by his slightly smaller sister
(Twiggy?) we again rendezvous at York station, and catch the 10:45 train back
to Scarborough. En route, John becomes so preoccupied with historic walk data
that our arrival takes him somewhat by surprise and he has to carry out the
donning of boots and puttees on the platform at Scarborough. However, this does
afford to the rest of us sufficient time for other preparations – i.e. loo
visits and the first sun cream smearings of the year. We’re back on the sea
front just before noon and, after a relatively short stroll along the
promenade, we make our first climb of the day up some steps and a concrete
pathway to reach Wheatcroft Cliff. Much of the remainder of the first hour
involves minor diversions away from the cliff top through trees, around a golf
course and then along a road towards Osgodby. However, having then descended a
steep set of steps to a small harbour and climbed back up to a path overlooking
Cayton Bay, we get closer to the cliff edge and Ben has to opt once again for
an inland route – despite this initially involving a rather undignified
crossing (with John’s assistance) of a barbed wire fence. We reckon that we’ll
be able to reconvene in Filey in about a couple of hours. John, Mike and Gary
continue along the coast, passing above Gristhorpe Sands and seeing a couple of
warnings of steep drops and cliff erosion which serve to confirm the prudence
of Ben’s decision. Ben arrives in Filey shortly before 3 o’clock by which time
the rest of us are to the north of the town walking round Filey Brigg – to
include in John’s case a short visit down to the rocky promontory extending
into the sea at the foot of the Brigg. However, this gives Ben the time to
purchase crab and prawn sandwiches which are available at a shack alongside the
sands when we meet up there at 3:15. Another stop a little further along the
sea front at Downcliffe House is necessary not only for some liquid refreshment
but also to allow an extra half an hour for the high tide to recede which means
that we get over an hour of beach action to get from Filey, below Primrose
Valley and Hunmanby, to Reighton Gap. At this point, the coastal route goes
inland to Speeton but, before we leave the beach, Ben casts a rather concerned
glance towards the approaching Buckton Cliffs and decides that he will probably
be staying inland during the initial stages of our walk tomorrow. In the
meantime, the final stages of the walk today take us alongside a golf course
and around some fields to arrive at The Honey Pot Inn, a pub just outside
Speeton alongside a minor road between Filey and Bridlington. Our arrival time
is just after 6pm, which is convenient given our intention to phone for a cab
to take us to Bridlington and to sample the delights of the Honey Pot while we
wait. Unfortunately, the Honey Pot isn’t available for custom – it appears that
it is shut on Mondays – so our phone call and wait take place in the pub car
park. Fortunately our driver, Ernie, arrives within 15 minutes, and we get to our
overnight stop, the South Dene B&B around 6:45. On the way, we arrange the
return journey to Speeton for 8:20 tomorrow morning. Ernie says he won’t be
around, and John’s call to book a cab is made at the same time as Ernie taking
a call from his office on the car intercom, so we hear the phone from John’s
call ringing in the background. Slightly weird. The South Dene is quite basic,
but perfectly acceptable for £25 each. Showers/baths are taken pretty quickly
and, on wandering down to the sea front, we discover that Wards, Ernie’s
suggestion of a good place for a fish supper, is a chippie rather than
somewhere we can sit down, so we continue to the harbour and discover Rags, a
hotel, bar and restaurant which has a table and fish/chips/mushy peas (very tasty)
available. This is washed down with beers and a couple of bottles which,
uncharacteristically, are both of a white variety. A Shiraz free trip for once,
but not sticky free. On our way back to the B&B, we call in at the
Southcliffe Bar for a large one each – with an occasional glance at the Belgium
v Costa Rica friendly on TV.
Day 107 – Robin Hood’s Bay to Scarborough
The
day dawns a little chillier than yesterday, but still fine and dry. After a
good breakfast, we’re on our way shortly before 8:30, and are soon warmed by
the long climb up a series of steps at the edge of the coastal slope to the
south of Robin Hood’s Bay. Once at the top, we don’t have too much time walking
on the flat before a couple of steep descents and ascents to and from sea level
at the wonderfully named Boggle Hole (passing a very smart looking youth
hostel) and at Stoupe Beck. Once back on the cliff top, the path continues to
climb, then diverts away from the coast and goes round part of a rather
under-manicured golf course before reaching the Raven Hall Hotel at Ravenscar.
It appears that the hotel is in the process of renovation and that its sole
function today is to host in its grounds some kind of classic car convention.
This merits only the most cursory of glances as we walk past the hotel and back
to the cliff top. Unfortunately, after a few more minutes, Ben experiences the same
discomfort which he felt yesterday afternoon, so again he and Gary walk
slightly inland to complete the 8 or 9 miles to the front at Scarborough along
a pretty flat cycle track, whilst John and Mike continue along the coastal path
with its periodic ups and downs. As with yesterday’s “separation”, the cycle
track for the most part runs parallel to the coast, but the distances of the
two routes today are pretty much the same. Therefore, on this occasion, Ben and
Gary arrive at the Scarborough sea front, by a bench just below the rather
smart North Cliff Golf Club, 10 or 15 minutes before John and Mike. We walk on
together around the North Bay, and Gary then realises that he’s left his
walking pole, fondly known as Sticky, by the bench. However, that’s now a good
mile behind us so there isn’t the time (or, indeed, the inclination) to effect
the Sticky recovery exercise which was last required at the refuge hut on the
Pennine Way back at the end of 2016. Instead, we continue Sticky-less for about
another mile around the north bay and finish, just before 2:30, on the sea
front below the Grand Hotel. A 15/20 minute walk up the hill, through some
gardens and along a few streets, brings us to the station about 50 minutes
before our train to York is due to leave. Plenty of time to sample the delights
of the bar of the Victoria Hotel opposite the station. Those delights comprise
the customary couple of beers/ciders and, for some, a sandwich. The train
leaves promptly and arrives in York in time for John, and Ben and Gary, to
catch their respective connecting trains, despite John getting unusually
exercised about the location of his arrival and departure platforms. Our tour
of Yorkshire seaside resorts is due to resume in three weeks time.
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