Started at: 9.30
Arrived : 3.35
14.1 miles
Ascent 1,545 ft
The late start today was due to our host in Danby Wiske not being available to accept guests until after 3.00 so, not only did we start late, we had a really lazy amble, taking full advantage of the first day of sunshine – at long last the sun cream we’ve been carrying has seen the light of day.
The first 8.1/2 miles were a lot more interesting than we were led to expect – this section of the walk was through lovely meadows and along riverside footpaths, all nice and dry underfoot. We stopped off at Bolton on Swale to see the lovely old church and monument to Henry Jenkins who lived to the ripe old age of 169 (large pinch of salt required here!) Almost immediately after leaving the village we hit the dreaded lane walking section, made even more boring because you couldn’t see over the hedges on either side. The irony is that, the first day we had decent photographic weather, we couldn’t see beyond the edge of the road! A mile and a half from Danby Wiske we seized the opportunity to leave the lane and take the sign-posted route across the fields … big mistake! Not only did this add about 45 minutes to the journey, we encountered some of the heaviest mud en route so far.
The village pub sign states that St Bees is 130 miles away and Robin Hoods Bay is only 60 – this means that we are now over 2/3rds through our trip ….
Farmland en-route
- Just 60 miles to go (allegedly)
