C2C day 12 – Richmond to Oaktree Hill
We began the day with another light breakfast accompanied by the pills we got the day before. We set off under a brilliant blue sky, passed the sewage works and then were rewarded by a lovely walk through woods beside the Swale. Just before Colburn we took a wrong turn and ended up at Hipswell. When we asked a man on the footpath for directions to Colburn he told us that another couple of walkers had asked him the same question a few minutes before. We retraced our steps and stumbled upon Colburn.
The path went through or beside flat cultivation or pastures for most of the remainder of the day. We followed the Swale almost all the way to Bolton-on-Swale, which is no longer on the Swale so we assume the river has changed course. Where we left the Swale our senses were assaulted by the stench of a rubbish tip and blaring loud speakers at a nearby sports event. We escaped the unpleasantness then stopped for lunch on a bench outside St Mary's church, Bolton-(not)on-Swale. Much of the afternoon's walking was on tarmac, with views over farmland to the Cleveland Hills which we would climb tomorrow. Wainwright was scathing about this flat, agricultural section of the C2C across the Vale of Mowbray because of his preference for the high ground. Graham enjoyed the walk because of his background in agriculture but, even so, there were few subjects worthy of a photograph.
'Lunch at St Mary's church, Bolton-(not)on-Swale'
'One of many farms'
'David & Mary walking through farmland with views to the Cleveland Hills'
We stopped for a drink at the White Swan at Danby Whiske then resumed walking at a more leisurely pace over fields and roads to Lovesome Hill farm, about half a mile off the C2C route near Oaktree Hill. Our room and ensuite were the biggest and best we had encountered on the C2C, with views out to the Cleveland Hills. After a shower the owner Mary took Graham and a couple of other guests to Northallerton to buy beer and wine. We dined at the farm on home cooked lasagne followed by chocolate cake and cream.
'The White Swan tempts us to stop'