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.

Day 106 – Runswick Bay to Robin Hood’s Bay

Mike has joined us again for this outing, and the four of us rendezvous at York station to catch our cab (pre-ordered for 10:35) back to Runswick Bay – although the word “cab” doesn’t adequately convey the nature of the transportation. The BMW in which we were taken to York on day 105 was a bit of a squeeze for four passengers and so Mike has ordered a people carrier for today. But the vehicle which picks us up is more akin to a mini-bus and, indeed, bears the words “Executive Coaches” on the side. We therefore enjoy a considerable amount of space, which is just as well because the driver follows a few more country roads than we experienced on our last trip, so the journey takes somewhat longer. We arrive at Runswick Bay at 12:15 and, with the tide going out, are able to set off along a slipway and onto some shale at the top of the sands to reach a break in the cliffs about half a mile away. This leads to some steps which climb steeply up the hillside to reach the appropriately named High Cliff. We stay on the cliff top – with occasional diversions through farms, fields and, briefly, along a disused railway track – for an hour or so, and then walk down through trees to reach Sandsend. Here, appropriately, we get our first beach action of the day and, because we’ve struck lucky with the tides (not for the first time), we’re able to walk round a headland and stay on the beach for a good two or three miles until we get to Whitby. Alongside the harbour, we encounter the temptation of crab sandwiches, which is not resisted. Equally, having heard that it will take a few minutes for the sandwiches to be prepared, we don’t resist the temptation of whiling away that time by having a pint at the nearby Ship Inn. Duly refreshed, we collect our sandwiches which are eaten as we cross the swing bridge over the mouth of the River Esk and before climbing the Church Stairs (199 of them) up to Whitby Abbey. The coast path runs along the perimeter wall of the Abbey and eventually leads to a holiday park. On leaving the park, we rejoin the cliff top path but, as this continues, Ben becomes uncomfortable with its proximity to the cliff edge and decides to take an inland route which can be accessed from a former Fog Signal Station near Whitestone Point. Gary accompanies him and they walk along a road and over some fields to get to a cycle trail near Hawsker which runs pretty much parallel to the coast all the way to Robin Hood’s Bay. Meanwhile, John and Mike stick to the coastal route and, although this dips down to/rises up from a number of streams, it’s slightly shorter than the inland diversion and they arrive at our overnight stop, Fernleigh B&B, around 6 o’clock and about 20 minutes ahead of Ben and Gary. We are introduced to the comforts of Fernleigh by our hosts, Chris and Jane, which include drizzle cake and bottles of water in the lounge/breakfast room, and millionaire shortbreads in the bedrooms. And when we reconvene in the lounge before popping out for supper, we discover that we also have access to a decanter of sherry which we decide that it would be churlish to ignore by way of aperitif. Chris and Jane have suggested the Grosvenor as a good pub food place to eat, and it’s certainly popular when we get there. All the tables are occupied, but it looks as though some people are coming to the end of their meals and so, for the second time today, we have a drink while we’re waiting, and it proves to be a wait of only a few minutes before a table is available. We’re told that the popularity of the pub this evening is in part explained by the prospect of live music which is due to start at 9 o’clock. The band are setting up as we finish our meal (which matches up to the advance publicity given by Chris and Jane) and, rather than supplementing the bottles of white and red already consumed with music filling our ears, we repair to the Victoria, an equally friendly pub along the road down to the Bay, for a double sticky each. Then back to Fernleigh for a very good kip.     

Day 105 – Redcar to Runswick Bay

The distance to Runswick Bay is about 17 miles and involves several climbs. Strong gusting south-westerly winds are also forecast, although Ben is at pains to point out that most of the walk is in a south-easterly, and sometimes easterly, direction so we shouldn’t be going directly into the wind. However, to reach Runswick Bay in time to meet our pre-ordered taxi at 2:30 will necessitate an 8 o’clock start, and breakfast is available at O’Grady’s at 7. In yet another break with tradition, Mike orders beans with his full English. It’s been a very good place to stay and we’re on our way, with a complimentary bottle of water (flavoured) each, in time to get back to the sea front just before 8. The exertions of yesterday, and perhaps the prospect of those of today, have created a slight weariness within the team, but thankfully the first five miles are flat and scarcely affected by the wind. John is keen to spend as much time as possible on the sand (or shingle), but the rest of us stay on the sea front until the end of the first hour when we join John on the beach at Marske and continue to Saltburn. We now have our first climb – some steep steps onto the cliff edge path, followed by a relatively gentle ascent to Hunt Cliff. Here we encounter the predicted strong gusts of wind but, as forecast by Ben, they tend to be from our right rather than in our faces. For a while, the path runs alongside a railway (a mineral line serving a potash mine further down the coast) but then moves back to the cliff edge. We come back down to sea level at Skinningrove, and go through an old jetty and the village itself before again going up some steep steps to the top of the hill on the south east side of Skinningrove and then climbing the hillside to reach the cliff top at Hummersea. Thankfully, this is followed by a reasonably flat mile or so before we have to climb again to reach Rock Cliff which, at 203 metres above sea level, is apparently, the highest point on the east coast of England. It suddenly strikes us that this is our first cliff top walk of any length (with intervening descents and ascents) since the South West Coast Path, but our climbing for the day is not over. We come back to sea level at Boulby, and walk through Cowbar into Staithes where a steep lane leading out of the very attractive village, and a track to our left, lead us back up to some hillside fields and the edge of a farm. To rejoin the coastal cliffs, we need to walk along a fenced path of about 150 yards in length between two of the farm fields. This should be a grass path, but it is almost entirely filled with what looks and smells like slurry. John’s comments about the farmer as we spend nearly 5 minutes squelching our way through the muck do not bear repetition. Needless to say, much of the next half an hour is spent walking off piste wherever we can to find some long grass which might take at least the surface dirt – and some of the smell – off our footwear. Our attempts are reasonably successful and we’re soon through Port Mulgrave (without, despite its name, having to descend again to sea level) and approaching Runswick Bay shortly after 2 o’clock. A hotel comes into view where the end of the track meets the road at Runswick but, unfortunately, this is the Runswick Bay Hotel (and is closed) rather than the Royal Hotel where we’re supposed to be meeting our taxi. We need to go down a hill to the bay itself where we find our driver waiting. It’s not quite 2:15 and he’s perfectly happy for us to go to for a drink before we leave. The Royal takes a bit of finding (it nestles among some tightly packed cottages) but we have time for a pint and a change of footwear before returning to our transport at the appointed time of 2:30. A very cosy drive over the moors and through Pickering to York is accomplished by our Romanian driver (what’s Romanian for Colin?) in just under 90 minutes which enables us to have a farewell drink with Mike in the York Tap at the station before John’s train leaves. Ben and Gary manage to squeeze in a further half before their train leaves 15 minutes later. First walk of the year, and 35 miles accomplished. Not bad.