C2C day 13 – Oaktree Hill to Osmotherley
Breakfast at Lovesome Hill was the best of the trip – fresh fruit salad followed by the full English with superb black pudding.
Today was to be a short walk, so we took our time preparing to leave. Eventually we headed off at around 10am on a cool overcast day with mist obscuring the tops of the Cleveland Hills. We walked along roads and country lanes and across ploughed fields and train lines. We passed through Ingleby Arncliffe and Ingleby Cross looking for somewhere to sit for lunch. The best we could do was a stile near Arncliffe Hall; protected from the wind by trees and with the soft sound of clucking chooks nearby it turned out to be a pleasant place to stop.
'Leaving from Lovesome Hill Farm'
'Misty Cleveland Hills from Lovesome Hill Farm'
'Crossing one of many ploughed fields'
After the break we climbed steeply on muddy paths through the Arncliffe Woods pine forest. We had planned to detour from the forest to see Mount Grace Priory, but a large forestry sign declared there was no right of public way from the forest to the Priory. So we continued through the dreary forest to the top of the hill where we had misty views across the Vale of Mowbray that we had crossed during the last two days.
'Vale of Mowbray from Arncliffe Woods'
At the hilltop we turned off from the C2C to briefly join the Cleveland Way down to the pretty village of Osmotherley. We checked into the Queen Catherine Hotel at 2.30. It was still packed with patrons enjoying Sunday lunch. We then did some shopping for lunch items at the village shop, and called at the coffee shop for afternoon tea with scones, jam and cream. Mary had a sleep back in the hotel while Graham explored the village; just outside the hotel is a market cross and a barter table where John Wesley preached. The anti-inflamatory drugs were working for Graham as he was able to walk today without pain. Mary was also feeling well again. We took time out from the routines of the C2C to watch a James Bond film on TV before heading down for dinner.
'Osmotherley market cross, barter table and Queen Catherine hotel'
'Pretty Osmotherley cottages'
The highlight of the day was the Tees Hot Club band playing great, driving blues in the pub bar area. It was well worth staying up until 11pm for the music. Graham still wears a Tees Hot Club T shirt bought from the band that night.
'Tees Hot Club blues band'