Rest Day - Grosmont

Started off the day with tea and melon (a first for a breakfast offering)

Then came porridge, toast and warm croissants. Talk about carb overload. 

And the “hurricane” saga continues. The young man who helped us before mountain rescue arrived, wrapped an orange hoodie around Jo Anne for added warmth. When he was leaving, Jo Anne tried to take it off to give back to him. He said no, keep it, it’s one of those £4, “mop up the mud in the floor” things. Carolyn, one of the rescuers, tied it onto the back of her backpack when she put one of her jackets on Jo Anne. When we got to the hotel I asked Jo Anne about it and she said Carolyn had it. Well, long story short, the sweatshirt was waiting by our breakfast table this morning at the Grosmont House. Inside each front pocket was a new emergency blanket to replace the ones we had used. One of the rescuers dropped it off here last night.   

In their all-conquering manner, the Romans built a road through Grosmont and a fort to protect it, taking advantage of its strategic position at the confluence of two rivers, the Esk and the Murk Esk.

The building of one of the railway lines, in 1836, exposed a rich seam of ironstone, of the highest quality, which ultimately yielded over 100,000 tons of ore each year before the mining ended in 1871. The ore was transported by rail to the coast at Whitby, for shipping to the Tyne, and the presence of railways still features largely in the everyday life of touristy Grosmont.

The Whitby-Pickering line opened in 1836 as a horse-drawn tramway to help the development of the timber, sandstone and limestone industries and ran until 1965.

Looking down the road to the train station. 

This is the grade 

Train station at Grosmont 

Tree growing out the side of a wall

A 'proper' train at Grosmont station

The Sir Nigel Gresley steam train - our ride for today. 

To keep Sir Nigel Gresley in service, a major overhaul is needed every 10 years. The last one took place between 2015 and 2022 at a cost of £1. 

Once the steam cleared we could go find our seats. 

Ready to go

Leaving the Grosmont train station

Inside the vintage car

Goathland train station - the celebrity station, known as Aidensfield in Yorkshire TVs Heartbeat, and as the Hogsmeade in the first Harry Potter film. It is the newest station on the railway and opened in 1865. 

Steps up to Goathland moor

Round the bend we go 

Coming into Pickering station 

We were given a goodie bag on the train 

Gingerbread train

Tunnel ahead

Going into the tunnel

Coming out of the tunnel

Back in Grosmont 

We walked up to see what this bakery was all about. I thought it was a doggie bakery for treats. Nope. It’s for humans. Very happy about that as the only other place to get something to eat was the co-op. 

They had roasted carrot, sweet potato and cumin soup with ciabatta roll. 

Delish!!!!

We ate at the tavern last night. It’s the only place open for dinner and I wouldn’t go back even if it had been open today. Not so good. 

One of the best parts of our English experience has been staying among the locals, off the beaten path, doing what they do, eating where they eat, and going where they go. I've learned so much just sitting and observing and listening. I love listening to them! 

I am so sad that our walk ends tomorrow. We miss our family and friends terribly, but it has been such an amazing expedition. Life is a journey and we are only pilgrims and sojourners. We will never pass this way again. Like water in a river, once it is gone, it is gone. I love constantly moving from one place to the next on our hike from one coast of England to the other. Walking this long distance walk is like real life. Once we pass through this moment, we can never do it again. We can't become complacent and just stop moving, growing, learning and walking the path God has planned for us. It's upward and onward, one day at a time, until our life on earth is over. Just like the walk will end tomorrow. As long as there is life, keep walking the walk. 

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Acts 20:24