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Yorkshire”, and with Sticky having been replaced by his slightly smaller sister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.
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.
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