Roseberry Topping

Today we did one last walk up to Roseberry Topping.  The National Trust say this about it - At just 1,049 feet (320 m) high, Roseberry Topping may not be the biggest hill you'll ever see, but it will certainly be one of the most distinctive. Its shape, caused by the combination of a geological fault and a mining collapse in 1912 has made the hill the most beloved landmark in the Tees Valley area. 

when I researched how it got it's name, I must admit I didn't really understand it, but the 'topping' bit,  is a Yorkshire dialect derivation of Old English 'topp' meaning top of a hill.


After walking the 4 miles up to the top and down again, we drove to Guisborough for coffee and a wander; then lunch was at a pub on the way back. - more food!!

Anyway, here are some photos of today's walk (note the blue skies!!), and with that I'm signing off until next year's adventure.  Thanks for the comments, messages and emails - for some reason some of the comments didn't show on the blog.

Alison xx

Rest day

Last night's celebrations.

Just a little blog today; we had a day off after having completed the Cleveland Way walk.  We drove to Staithe and wombled around this pretty village, having coffee and looking in a few different shops and art galleries.  We also played hunt the illusion picture, these were murals painted by Paul Czainski which were painted onto buildings around the village, we only managed to find about 3, but they are really clever.

See web site - http://www.staithesfestival.com/staithes-illusion-trail/

Staithes from the top of the village

- and from the bottom

We then drove on to Whitby and again had a good look around the town, had lunch and then came back via Stokesley and the Co-op - and to pick up the pies that we had ordered for our dinner!

Could this be the culprit from yesterday?

We will get our walking boots on again tomorrow and climb up Roseberry topping, as we missed seeing it close up on the day we went near to it - it was very foggy.  So check back then for some pictures, it should be a clear day.

Day 9 Scarborough to Filey

Today's weather was light winds (hooray) and some sunshine, although not that warm.
We had a long drive today as we had to get back to Scarborough which took about an hour and 15 minutes.

'Freddie Gilroy and the Belsen Stragglers' is a giant steel structure made by Ray Lonsdale an artist fabricator and sculptor and is now on permanent display thanks to the generosity of a local Scarborough resident. The sculpture is based on a retired miner Ray became friends with who turned out to also be one of the first soldiers to relieve the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the end of World War II.

We started out along the sea front, past freddie Gilroy, and around the headland, past the harbour with all the amusements etc.  and on to the end of the prom - amazingly that was 3 miles!  An amusing event happened in this time in that Steve Y got pooped on by a seagull!!  Lin, (who has everything in her rucksack including the kitchen sink) produced wet wipes to mop it off his hair; and the cap, which was old anyway (most things of Steve's are old!) went in the bin. Steve W and John had every sympathy for him!!

Walter enjoying mixed fish platter.

We left the seafront, and John and Pat who were driver and co-pilot turned back to get the bus and drive to Filey.  We started with the usual coast path routine of up, down, down a bit more, up again etc. etc.   We stopped for elevenses on a bank by some steps which was nice and sheltered, and a man stopped to talk, and advised us (try to imagine a northern accent) 'do you know about diversion - when you get to top of t'road, you has to go down real steep and the along a bit and up again real steep; just keep on t'road and it'll bring you out same place'.   - well we to t'road and sure enough the path went down; well in true hiker spirit, we went down as well, and glad we did as it was quite a pretty woodland part, and the up wasn't that bad - and that's me saying that who doesn't do ups very well at all!!

Steve W on the edge!

So we carried on plodding and eventually met up with John and Pat after about 8 miles.  They told us they had only been walking for about 50 minutes, so we decided to carry on and have lunch at the end.  The end gradually came in sight and a big cheer went up; we had finished the Cleveland Way walk - approximately 110 miles over moor, through forest and on the coast; a fabulous walk.

The finishing post.

We asked someone to take a photo of us all, and he informed us of the Guillemot and puffin colony just around the coast where the rocks changed from brown to white hard chalk - funnily enough the chef from the breakfast café had also mentioned that, and so we agreed that as it was only 1 o'clock we would drive round to see them.  So we had lunch first and drove round to the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs, which actually was probably a bit further than we thought - and it was in the wrong direction!  Anyway, I'm so glad we did because we saw the Guillemot, razorbill, puffin, gannet, and kittiwake (I think).  There were lots of people there with their telescopes and cameras, and they were very friendly pointing out the various birds and letting us look through their telescopes.

Jacqui took this fabulous photo.

After the birds, we started back for Chaple Garth via a tea stop.  We've got curry tonight and a toast of Prosecco, - I think the curry is using up a few things - Pat's team are in charge.

Tim has produced some statistics;
distance walked - 110 miles 50 inland and 60 on the coast.
18,250 feet climbed  (about 4 Ben Nevis')
18,200 feet descent.

Day 8, Robin Hood's Bay to Scarborough

Well I've only got one thing to say today - and that's wind!  There was too much of it today.  It was blowing at about 25 miles per hour and gusting a lot more than that - all the time.

We had about an hours drive to Robin Hood's bay - Steve Y and Alan were driver and co-pilot.  We were dropped off at the top of the village as it would be very difficult to get the bus down to the harbour where the path started.  The walk today was to be quite challenging in that there were some significant ups and downs, but it was made considerably more so by the strong south westerly winds which buffeted us from our right or we were walking into it.  There was not much rain thank goodness, and when you did get out of the wind like at our lunch spot it was really warm and sunny.  There were no nice little villages en-route just a lot of coast path, steps and slopes. Steve and Alan met up with us after about 8 miles, they had done well - but the wind was behind them!!

Looking back from the highest point, it's amazing to think we have walked the entire length of that coast line!

Plodding on!

 There was some lovely coast line, but I must admit I was very glad to see Scarborough!  Some of the boys enjoyed the walk as it was a challenge, but I'm with the girls in that it was our least favourite day, it was a long 14 mile slog.  Anyway we walk along the seafront in Scarborough tomorrow which is actually about 3 miles long, and then about 7 miles more of coast path to Filey and the finish.

Scarborough beach huts - sorry - chalets!

Dinner is cottage pie and rhubarb crumble, and it's already beer o'clock!

Day 7 Sandsend to Robin Hood's Bay.

Lovely weather today, just a few spots of rain first thing, and I even rolled my trousers up this afternoon!

We left the house at 7.30 am, which was slightly earlier than usual, and drove the 50 minutes to Sandsend again - and as planned yesterday had breakfast in this great seaside café. 

The breakfast café

 So we actually started walking at about 9.15.  Steve W and Jacqui were driver and co-pilot.  They started the walk with us this time as both had walked the end part as it was the same as the Coast to Coast route into Robin Hood's Bay.

Under the whale bones at Whitby with the ruined abbey behind.

  

We walked along the seafront and made our way for about 3 miles, to Whitby, across the river and up the 199 steps to the abbey.  Apparently it is difficult to count these steps, so everyone counted - apart from Steve Y who did his best to put everyone off!  Whitby looks a lovely place to explore, so we may go back in a couple of days when we have a free day.  Steve and Jacqui turned back at this point to walk back to the bus via the coffee and eccles cake shop! 

Whitby from the steps.

Counting the steps!

We carried on along the coast path, up and down a bit, but nothing too bad today; it seemed to go on for quite a while though.  

Tim contemplating - is that sign post really pointing left??

When we were about 3 miles from Robin Hood's Bay we met the coast to coast path where it joined the Clevedon Way path.  On we went eventually arriving at Robin Hood's Bay, where we had to walk down and down to the sea, finding Jacqui and Steve sunning themselves on the beach having had a paddle!!  A beer or two were called for at the Wainwright Arms as before (see Coast to Coast blog    )

On the beach!

On the way back in the bus, everyone was having a bit of a doze, when Steve W suddenly shouted and stopped - there was a great big cardboard box in the middle of our side of the road.  Tim nipped out and picked it up, finding that it contained parcel tape and lots of other stationery goodies from Staples.  There was an address on the parcel which happened to be up the road, so we dropped it off! The lady concerned was  quite amazed, we also then saw the delivery driver obviously looking for the parcel, so he was really grateful - our good turn for the day :)  

I must mention that our feet have been surprisingly good this year, I developed one blister a couple of days ago, and one or two others have small problems, but nothing too bad - but our sheeps wool that was collected last year was used to great effect - if you don't know about the sheeps wool discussion then do read last year's blog on Offa's Dyke. .  

Pat's team cooking pork in mustard sauce tonight with bread and butter pudding - yummy.  

Tomorrow sees us getting to Scarborough, the penultimate day; we will have a couple of long drives now, but being able to stay in one house has been lovely.

Day 6 Skinningrove to Sandsend

Must mention Alan again today as he was really on top form with Trivial Pursuit last night - although not on the winning side due to dice throwing, he answered a lot of questions - and last time no-one believed him when he said the ancient mariners wear albatrosses around their necks; and of course that was the correct answer!!

Today I was driver and Pat was co-pilot - and we hatched a plan that involved drinking coffee before starting any walking!

Steve W in a boat at Skinningrove.

We dropped the team at Skinningrove and they started off walking towards a steep climb up onto the cliff tops.  We drove to Staithe which was a pretty little village that could easily have been Cornish as we parked at the top and walked down through to the harbour. The walkers were going to walk through Staithe later Nothing was open at this time so after wandering around we walked back up to the bus and drove on to Sandsend.

Staithe

Once we parked we found a wonderful seaside cafe that seemed to have lots of people eating breakfast, so we went inside for coffee and cake - Pat had a lovely piece of lemon cake and I had an Eccles cake.  While we were sitting there, we thought that it would be good to start with breakfast in the cafe tomorrow, as we have a relatively short walk that day - so we thought we would put the plan to the group when we met up with them.

Well, - we thought we ought to do some walking, so set off up the path to the cliff top and walked 4.8 miles along relatively flatish terrain, and just as we thought we may have to go down to a village, we saw them coming towards us!  So that was great, - they had struggled up a lot of steps from the beach at Runswick bay.  We turned round, and found a nice lunch spot, then headed back to Sandsend, where a cup of tea or ice cream was called for.  The walkers climbed to the highest point along the east coast which was just above Skinningrove.

very large hill and steps from beach at Runswick.

Heading into Sandsend.

We headed back where I was on cooking duty with Steve W and John; we cooked roast chicken with roast veg etc. and Walt made some yorkshire puddings which rose a treat.  - I think we will all go home about a stone heavier despite the walking!!

Day 5 Captain Cook monument to Skinningrove

Today we started at the car park by the Captain Cook monument and walked up towards Roseberry Topping - a famous hill that we had seen for days and everyday it was gradually getting closer; however today we couldn't see anything due to the mist!  so unfortunately we couldn't see any views at all, and it rained most of the morning.
Here's a picture of Roseberry topping taken yesterday!

Roseberry Topping, as seen yesterday.

- And today - Which way?

Walter and Stuey were driver and co-pilot today, and they had the right idea - went in search of pies -  they bought a number of different ones - I don't think even Stuey couldn't keep up with Walt's number of pies eaten!

Today was a long walk; Tim had extended yesterday's a little and also extending today's to make tomorrow's 17.5 mile walk a little less; so today ended up as a 16 mile walk.  It should have been a little less but there were some coastal works going on and we had to divert a bit.

We had elevenses hiding from the rain and wind under trees, and plodded onwards until we got towards the coast.  We first saw the coast at Skelton, and then had to walk the next couple of miles to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, amazingly we walked through a chine like area and found this wonderful viaduct and running river.

 We met up with Walt and Stuey at the band stand in Saltburn-by-Sea - they had only walked about 4 miles and we had walked 12 ??  We had lunch there and then headed down to the sea and started the coast path walk south to Skinningrove.

The bank stand.

  The rain had stopped by then, but there was still a keen north easterly wind - but I'm sitting in glorious sun now writing this!!

Skinningrove was a strange place, it was dominated by the big iron works, and most of the village was houses for the workers.  Iron smelting was introduced and the railway built in about 1865; a jetty was built to carry so ships could carry the cargo.  Mining continued until 1958 and the iron and steel works finally closed in 1970.

Tonight we are having fish and chips as unfortunately it's Stuey's last night, he is heading home tomorrow.