Day 11            Catterick Bridge to Ingleby Cross

19 miles                       Fair and dry

We had asked for an early breakfast at St Giles Farm and left at 8.30am after saying our fond farewells to Henry the labrador, who had laid under the table at our feet whilst we ate dinner last night.

Goodbye Henry and St Giles Farm

We had a long walk ahead of us today but conditions couldn't have been better and we set off in mild, windless weather, but almost immediately had to cope with a couple of diversions caused by work taking place on the A1.  We photographed the notice giving details of our diversion but we needn't have worried as a succession of farmers, tradesmen and construction workers shouted directions to us whenever we paused for a second to check our route.  They must be very used to Coast to Coasters getting lost here!

Take a photo to to help remember the diversion

Poppies among the roadworks

The temporary bridge over the A1

Interesting posters along the bridge

These really are major works and there is a temporary bridge over the A1 with hoardings explaining the archaeological finds that have been made which we couldn't resist reading in detail.

The route then took us along the sides of fields, through enclosed paths and on tarmac for short periods and was largely flat and uninteresting.  Some farmers had made an effort to keep paths clear, others less friendly to walkers, had not.  Crops, like rape which had gone to seed, fell heavily across the narrow paths and the spurt of growth following the recent rain made some paths less obvious and care was needed.

Army through the ages, near Catterick

Striding out for 19 miles

We made two stops over the the day. The first, after only a couple of hours was at Kiplin Hall, once a hunting lodge of James I.  Here we were given a large cafetiere of coffee and tasted the second best scone of our C2C walk, the best being at Ravenseat Farm.   

Entering Bolton on Swale

The Jenkin's Memorial

Jenkins was reputed to have lived from 1500 to 1670, 169 years!

Coffee and scones in gracious surroundings at Kiplin Hall

Kiplin Hall

Roses at Kiplin Hall

Our second stop was to perch on rectangular hay bales to eat our trail bars and drink our own coffee at around 2.30pm, just as the Cleveland Hills came into view for the first time.

Another enterprising farmer offers refreshments

Scary stile, had sound effects too!

We saw very few walkers and the last couple of miles were hard as we were starting to tire.  We reached the A19 dual carriageway at 4.45pm and here had to make a scary run across the road in rush hour traffic.  We waited until there was a good gap but still got honked at by motorists who are shocked to see walkers crossing here.  As there are about 8000 - 10000 Coast to Coast walkers crossing at this point every year it would be nice if an underpass or bridge could be constructed.

Miles of field paths

The going was tough through overgrown crops

... and sometimes overgrown hedges!

We passed through Ingleby Arncliffe and then Ingleby Cross where the Bluebell pub was our stop for the night.  We approached the pub looking forward to a well earned pint and were pleased to see Keiran, AKA Big Pack Man, sitting at a table outside.  We swapped adventures; he had missed out Keld but had walked shorter days from Richmond to Danby Wiske and then Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross, thus rejoining our schedule.

Nearly there!

Weather vane at Ingleby Arncliffe

The Bluebell and Carole looks relieved!

I hope I never see that many steps on my pedometer again!

We got our beer and chatted to the landlord who told us that C2C walkers provided a steady source of income for the pub for 8 months of the year.  

Conversation over dinner was mainly about walking and we discovered that we now have new trail companions, having left behind the Americans and Australians we have been walking with, as they all took rest days at Richmond. 

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Day 12          Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top

11.6 miles                     Fine and dry

Our guide book warned us that there is over 1000 metres of ascent today and that we would be tired by the end of the 12 miles.   It was right!

The first five miles to Scugdale passed very pleasantly.  The weather seemed to have turned in our favour and it was sunny with very little wind.  

Walking out of Ingleby Cross

Ingleby Hall

Leaving Ingleby Cross we crossed the A172 and climbed towards Arncliffe Woods pausing to purchase flapjacks by the roadside.  We passed a few of these little stalls on the Coast to Coast Walk and let's face it, if you have up to 10,000 hungry hikers walking past your front door every year you have a good market for food and drink.

Flapjacks for sale

We passed a radio transmission station and noted the boulder marked LWW (Lyke Wake Walk) dedicated to Bill Cowley, who devised the walk. 

Superb views from Beacon Hill above Arncliffe Wood

Passing the telecoms station

This way for the Lyke Wake Walk

This Trig Point is the official start of the LWW

After crossing Scugdale Beck we decided it was time for coffee and found a bench to sit on; the flapjack was delicious.

The C2C shares the Cleveland Way footpath across the moors

Carole catches an American couple

Scugdale Beck

A handy bench for coffee and flapjacks

We liked this door in Scugdale

A steep climb from Scugdale took us to a long flagged path across the moor, reaching a large cairn at its highest point.  The views were outstandingly lovely in today's sun: Carlton Moor with its long flat top and the instantly recognisable peak of Roseberry Topping in the distance.  

The view from the escarpment

Trig point and standing stone on Carlton moor

Descending to Lords Stone

The Lord Stones on hill with Roseberry Topping behind, through gate in fence to reach Lord Stones cafe

We walked along the escarpment edge admiring the patchwork pattern of fields and the distant urban landscape.  The path passes the site where a former gliding club had its base and then descends quite steeply to pass alongside the Lords Stone Cafe.  Here we saw several of our C2C walkers among the visitors, taking the sun and scones and we decided to do the same, spending an enjoyable half hour before tackling the climb to Cringle Moor and the Falconer's Seat viewpoint.

Cream tea at Lords Stone Cafe

Carole reaches Falconer's Seat

The view from Falconer's Seat

Living in the area as we do, the remainder of this walk is very familiar to us, but continues to be testing with its climbs and descents to reach the large tumbled blocks of stone that are the Wainstones.  Here we found the Geordies and Keiran sitting in the sun on top of the Wainstones.  They seem to have really hit it off and from this point to Robin Hood's Bay became an inseparable team.

Crossing Carlton Moor

The Wainstones

On the Wainstones

One of the Geordies....

.... and Keiran with his big pack, at the Wainstones

We had been instructed to ring our B & B from here as there is a phone signal, a rare thing on these moors. We were told to continue to the car park at Clay Bank where we would find a car waiting for us. This worked exactly as promised and we were transported the 3.5 miles to Westcote Farm where we would stay the night.  We were told that a third C2C guest was expected and this turned out to be Brian, who we had last seen and chatted to briefly when climbing Boredale Hause outside Patterdale, and whose itinerary would now mirror ours until the end of the walk.  I am pleased to be doing this walk at 70 but Brian is 77 and today, rather than ring for a lift,  had walked the extra 3.5 miles to the farm from Clay Bank, making it a tough 15.5 mile day.

The view at Westcote Farm B&B.

Our host gave the three of us a lift to the Buck Inn at Chop Gate for dinner where we met another couple of C2C walkers and their border terriers Eric and Pip, and we chatted about the walk so far over our pints. 

To Day 13

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