Hike report - 2010

Heavy snow over much of the country from Christmas on through January had put the hike in doubt, but conditions improved as the weekend got nearer. We had also had problems finding a B&B that was flexible about a possible cancellation, but Laurie came to the rescue with details of one in Scarborough that had just opened and met our requirements.

Laurie, having been tracked down following the production of ‘Forty Years on Foot’, was in fact returning to the fold. He had previously been involved in the 1974 (Bletchley) and 1975 (Rye) hikes – two of our less memorable adventures – and wanted to join us again.

Apart from the Hime brothers, who were not expected until Friday evening, we assembled early at the Aartswood Guest House. Graham had travelled up early in the day to do some bird watching, Geoff had travelled to Malcolm who then drove, picking up Brian on the way and, Phil had travelled up collecting Peter and Laurie in Cheshire. The proprietors, William and Maureen Lea, seemed a bit strange, asking us to provide deposits for the TV remotes – something we had never encountered before.

After sorting out the rooms we went off to look for a pub where we could get something to eat. Unfortunately by the time we arrived they had stopped serving food.

We then found an Indian restaurant that looked promising. It had just opened and was doing half priced meals but had a long queue. We decided to move on, but not before we had booked a table for Saturday evening.

We finally ended up at the Kam Sang Chinese restaurant, although it was somewhat expensive and the portions were small.

After the meal we found a pub close to the B&B where we drank and played cards before retiring for the night.

Friday

Following a hearty full English breakfast (allaying our concerns about the B&B), we headed for the starting point of the day’s hike. This was a car park off the A 171, just outside Harwood Dale Forest. This car park is actually the original route of the main road, since moved into a cutting, just to the north.

We arrived about 10.00am. The weather was poor and there were patches of snow on the hillside. After ensuring that we were properly attired we set off down an old concrete road that heads south west towards Jugger Howe Beck, with Jugger Howe Moor on our left.

Initially the going was fairly easy but when we reached the Beck and turned north west, alongside Brown Rigg Beck and past Wragby Wood on our right, things became difficult as the path by the stream was very indistinct.

The water level at Hollin Gill was very high and we found it very tricky getting across.

Unfortunately Phil injured his knee jumping across. He put on a brave face and we continued along the path in steady light rain until we reached a small farm just before noon.

As the first part of the hike had taken longer than expected we decided to cut the open moorland section short and head for Robin Hood Bay using a much more straightforward route.

We turned north east and made our way past Pond Farm, across the main road and tried to route march along the B-road to Fying Old Hall. However, with Phil’s knee beginning to hurt quite badly we did not move as fast as we had hoped. There was talk of getting Phil back to the cars but he insisted on carrying on.

At the Old Hall we headed north following the route of a disused railway. Upon reaching Robin Hood Bay we followed the road down to The Bay Hotel on the shoreline, arriving at about 1.30pm.

The Bay Hotel is the official end of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk. The Wainwright bar though was closed, but upstairs was very welcoming with an open fire and hot food. We reluctantly left at about 2.30pm in misty and damp conditions. After a quick visit to the beach we followed the Cleveland Way south, along the coast.

There was a lot of steep up and down and extensive cliff erosion that, in some places was almost up to the path. Peter had problems going up hills and Phil had them going down, because of the damage he had done to his knee.

We passed the Boggle Hole Youth Hostel at a very pretty cove and at the next cove watched an active cliff fall partly caused by the steady rain.

When we reached a road Graham decided that we should again shorten the route. Instead of continuing on the path to Ravenscar we took the road heading roughly south.

We made slow progress, it was getting dark and it was 4.00pm when we reached the disused railway track that led us back to Fying Old Hall. From there we retraced our journey along the B-road until we reached the A171. At the junction we turned left onto the main road and finally arrived back at the cars using the old road that passed the Flask Inn. It had been a longer route but an easier one that ensured we avoided hiking across open moorland in the dark. It was 6.00pm, it was dark and we were very wet and tired having walked over 20 kilometres.

Graham vowed that he would never again plan a route that long for a short January day, especially as we were no longer 20 year olds.

We drove back to the B&B, and waited for Martin and Simon who arrived soon after 8.00pm having got off work in the afternoon. We went to the local pub for a drink but didn’t stay long as they were preparing for a karaoke evening. Unable to find anywhere suitable to eat, the restaurants being either too posh or too grotty, we decided to go to the Tikka Tikka Indian restaurant with a view to possibly cancelling Saturday night.

However, the meal was very good and reasonably priced, as well as the staff being very friendly and welcoming; we decided to keep our booking for Saturday.

Saturday

At breakfast Peter was told that he could have scrambled eggs instead of fried ones but not with bacon. Upon recalling the strange behaviour of our hosts Martin, who had, upon his arrival the previous evening, experienced the request for a deposit for the TV remote, has suggested that of all the places we have stayed, it was the closest to being ‘Fawlty Towers’.

Phil’s knee seemed to be getting worse and found that walking was quite painful. He rightly decided that there was no way he could undertake a full day’s hike and gave his apologies. Peter and Laurie thought it would be a good idea if they also stayed behind to keep Phil company.

We arrived at the car park near the Hole of Horcum at about 10.00am. Geoff recalls that Martin was wearing a shirt, sweater, fleece and hat, part of his original kit from 20 years earlier.

After we got kitted up ready to leave Malcolm could not find his keys to lock his car. There was frantic searching in his pockets and rucksack but with no success. After he emptied out most of the boot he finally found that he had put them in his spare boots for safe keeping.

There was fog, deep snow in places and ice on the tracks – we were ready to go.

With the weather improving we walked along the Old Wife’s Way to the Bridestones. Owned by the National Trust the strange and fascinating rock shapes are considered geological wonders. They are the remains of a sandstone ‘cap’ that was originally much higher, Jurassic sedimentary rock deposited some 150 million years ago. They are layers of hard sandstone, alternating with softer calcareous layers that have been eroded by wind, frost and rain over thousands of years.

While most of us climbed the small rocks Simon decided to demonstrate his climbing ability by ascending one of the more difficult ones.

We then followed the paths down to Dove Dale and met the main road. We crossed over, passed the cemetery and walked through the village of Lockton. We continued along the road and headed north past Levisham Mill Farm up to the Horseshoe Inn, having watched Phil drive past us, on his way to the lunchtime stop.

It was about 1.30pm.

It was a nice pub with good food, puddings and beer. After the customary group photos at about 3.00pm., Phil, Laurie and Peter departed and the rest of us walked north to the open moor.

We then turned east down Dundale Gill towards Levisham Beck.  We followed the Beck north and the footpath into the Hole of Horcum and past Low Horcum.

The weather was quite good and the sun had not set. We made good time and it was not long before we reached the bottom of the steep slope where the path went east to the edge of the woods and then up, through the woods, to the viewpoint and car park. It was a steep hard climb of about 100m which had Graham suffering. We arrived back at the car park before 5.00pm and drove back to the B&B to meet the others.

As planned we went back to the Tikka Tikka Indian restaurant but without Phil who was giving his knee a rest. It was decided that everyone should have something different and Geoff recalls having duck tawa, described interestingly in the menu as “the distinct combination of ingredient probe mouth watering dish spice lover”.

After the meal some of us went to find a pub that did not have karaoke or a live band. We finally found a normal pub with a pool table, so played a few games before retiring.

Sunday

After breakfast we packed, returned our TV remotes and said goodbye to Phil, Peter and Laurie who were driving back in the morning.

We headed for our short walk in Broxa forest, arriving at the car park at about 9.30am. It was not raining but the weather was poor as we took the track south west from the car park. After a short while we turned onto a path heading north west, but it was not easy to follow as there was a lot of mud and some fallen trees. We then met the path that would have been the direct route from the car park to our destination, and walked along to the top of the slope.

The view to the north was blocked by trees; we stopped at a gap but were still unable to see much because of the weather. To no avail some of us walked a little further in the hope of seeing something. We returned directly to the cars, getting back at about 11.30am.

The official viewpoint, shown on the map and on the opposite site of the road from the car park had been no better. The weather also having prevented what would have been a lovely view over the moors and woods to the coast.

It was a bit early to find a pub for lunch so we split up. Brian returned to London with Simon and Martin, Geoff went with Malcolm, and Graham went to Whitby in search of a black throated thrush.