The Walk - Stage 12 - Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross

I apologize for not getting the blog sent out yesterday. Due to my fatigue and the lousy internet access, I didn’t get it finished until 4:30 am here (10:30 pm for you) and didn’t think you would appreciate getting a ding ding on your phone that late. Lest you think I stayed up that late working on it, rest assured I did not. I went to sleep at 7:30 and woke up at 1:30 am (probably the longest I’ve slept since I left home). 

We heard the sound of wind and rain this morning, however, a quick look at the weather says it’s soon to end with no more in the forecast today. Pray they are correct. 

Besides the interesting sign in the shower last night. We had a lamp on the one nightstand in the room that was purely decorative as it wasn’t plugged in and couldn’t have been, since the closest outlet was 20’ away. 

Easier rural walking brings the perfect time to relax and plod on happily, in preparation for the effort that the hills and moors to come will demand. This is a gentle, soothing stretch, where everything is in its place, birds call constantly from flower-decked hedgerows, cows peer at us inquisitively as they go about their daily munching, and all the villages are neatly trimmed and washed. 

Robin Hood’s Bay 60 miles - start of our walk today 

Single arched bridge over the River Wiske

Beginning with some unavoidable road walking, it is a brief passage that prepares the way for the grand finale of this stretch, Inleby Cross to Clay Bank Top, which is on the agenda for tomorrow.

East coast railway line.

Oaktree Hill

The clouds are the star of the photos today. 

Through the fields we go. 

Hmmm that looks a bit tight.  It was over my head. 

At one stretch of walking on tarmac, the cars and trucks were whizzing by. Very uncomfortable. 

This area had thorn-covered viney things that grabbed our hair while ducking through, and if our hair wasn’t getting caught, spider webs were snaring our faces. 

And on and on we trod. 

These cows have the right idea. 

Love the homemade C2C signs. 

Just on the horizon you can see the Cleveland hills - we will be at the base of the hills today. 

One of those bridges Jo Anne doesn’t like. 

Cleveland Hills getting closer but still just a shadow in the background. 

Honesty box

Very well stocked 

Even had bug spray and plasters 

They also had quite the Halloween setup. 

Beware the wife sign 

I don’t like that trail going through there.  

Better!

We stopped to rest on this log for a few minutes. It had been raining lightly on and off. Put the rain coat on, take it off, put it on, take it off. 

Yep. Have walked through a bit of mud and wet grass. AW said, “Don’t bother to clean your boots before leaving Richmond. There is mud, glorious mud ahead.” He was correct!

Had to walk under the crackling electric lines again. Creepy. 

Help! Put it on, take it off. It was coming down pretty good right here. Jo Anne didn’t think it was so funny. 

We’ve seen sheep, horses, cows. Now there are sheep and cows together. 

Another overgrown path. The one thing that has been consistent on this walk is the wild blackberries. I’ve found that I have an extreme sensitivity to the spiky hairs on the blackberry leaves. The second day of the walk, while I was opening one of the many many gates we’ve gone through, some leaves brushed my hand. Immediately I felt like I had stinging nettles in my hand and it burned and stung the rest of the day as my hand began to swell. It was swollen for a couple of days. Then I had one other incident where my leg brushed up against some of the leaves and I felt it through my pants on my knee. It tingled and stung for the next day. So I was very leery about going through overgrown paths such as this one.

You can do it Jo Anne. 

Path through very tall and very wet grass. 

Getting even closer to the Cleveland Hills. 

The scenery for the whole crossing from Danby Wiske has been entirely pastoral, and walking of the easiest kind, with barely a gradient anywhere. Yay! 

Some of the flora and fungus we’ve seen on the path. 

A mushroom village 😁

Love this one

And baby grey ones. 

And yes. Cathie, there really are red ones, even with white spots. Looks like something took a bite out of this one. 

Elderberry

Common European Ivy. 

Policeman’s helmet - impatiens

Nandina 

Privet honeysuckle 

As we look back, the view of the hills of Swaledale seem far, far away, while ahead the Cleveland Hills are almost upon us. 

Crossing the busy dual carriageway (4 lanes) linking Northallerton and Stockton-on-Tees, is probably the most hazardous moment of the whole walk. It was more like a race way! The cars were zooming by with a splash. I was hoping the C2C didn’t end abruptly on this race way as I could envision myself sliding down while running fast with my backpack on this slick motorway and getting squished by a race car! We waited on the side of the road for quite a while until there was enough lull in the traffic. Then 1,2,3 ready, set, go!…we sped off together and crossed over it in the nick of time. The final "sting in the tail" is crossing this major highway. It was terrifying and we were both praying for safe passage. As we got to the other side and looked up…

…the Lord said, “I’ve got you.”

We can’t look at the photo without tears of peace and joy overwhelming us. 

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

Water tower at Ingleby Arncliffe

It was the eve of World War I and the mayor of Middlesbrough was worried. Specifically, Mayor Hugh Bell was worried that the war may cause a water shortage. So he came up with a solution. Bell hired the Arts and Crafts architect Walter Brierley to design a small water tower that would provide water to the towns of Ingleby Arncliffe and Rounton in the case of a shortage. The tower is still being used today for a small village and some cattle troughs. 

Ingleby Arncliffe is another interesting name. Ingleby comes from old Scandinavian meaning “farmstead of the Englishmen”. Arncliffe is Old English and means “eagle’s cliff.”

Ingleby Cross welcomes the walkers to the final leg of the Coast to Coast. 

Unbelievable!

Tonight we are staying at the Blue Bell Inn, a traditional 'free house' family run establishment (by brother and sister Christopher & Samantha with help from their parents Dave and Sue).

We can’t check in util 3 pm and we actually arrived in Ingleby Cross at 11:30 am. Shocking! We walked 9 miles in less than 4 hours. 

We passed The Joiners Shop coffee and kitchen across the road and decided to tuck in there for some lunch and to rest awhile. Great decision!

Parsnip, carrot and apple soup. Delish! A bacon. Spinach and sun-dried tomato sandwich to share. 

Salted caramel cake

Gluten-free coffee and walnut cake (guess who’s eating that one)

Todays stats

24,120 steps

10.3 miles

10 floors

Probably not enough to burn off all those calories we just consumed!

Our room is the last one on the row and I can only get wifi sitting outside so I will end the post today with this verse that Kim just sent me.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27