Too Old Codgers

At the end of each day of our walk we recorded statistics from the GPS and start and finish times. So these are actual distances and times, not the estimated distances shown in the itinerary. Moving time excludes times when we were stationary for lunch and tea breaks, taking pictures, admiring the view, or having a breather going up a hill. Our average moving speed (distance/ time moving) excluded those times when we weren't moving.

Statistics:
distance - 10.4 miles
moving speed – 3.0 mph
start – noon
finish – 5pm
moving – 3h 27min

From the bus stop at Robin Hoods Bay, we walked down the crowded street to the crowded beach under a brilliant blue sky. The tide was a long way out, so we set off along the beach to a point where the sea was closer to the cliffs for the ritual wetting of our boots. We picked up our pebbles from the beach to carry from the east coast across to the west coast. The logic of carrying pebbles from the east to the west, throwing them into the sea, then picking up another lot to carry from west to east for a zero nett effect may appear crazy. However, the act of throwing the pebbles into the sea assumes great significance after two weeks of carrying them across the country – if you don't understand, try it!

'Robin Hoods Bay looking towards Ravenscar'

'Weekend crowd, Robin Hoods Bay beach'

'Wetting our boots in the North Sea'

We walked along the beach past Boggle Hole, then climbed the cliffs at Stoupe Beck. The Cleveland Way path that we followed along the cliff top through farmland under a warm, blue sky with a cooling westerly breeze was very pleasant. After passing the old alum works, the path climbed steeply through woods to Ravenscar. And there was the view that we had admired for years on the cover of the Harvey map – from the Ravenscar hill looking over the cliffs, bay and Robin Hoods Village under a blue sky, a postcard picture.

'Robin Hoods Bay from Ravenscar'

Through Ravenscar we went back out onto the cliffs, and soon stopped on a bench overlooking the sea for a late lunch of cheese, biscuits, pastries and cups of tea (our lunch for much of the walk if we didn't take a lunch from a B&B). We continued our walk along clifftops through farmland to Hayburn Wyke where we descended lots of steps to the top of a waterfall. Graham climbed down the rocks to the gravel beach for a look at the falls, while a group of teenagers frolicked over the gravel and into the water. We then had another long climb back to the cliff top – Mary was tiring by this stage. We continued to Cloughton Wyke then followed the bitumen lane inland through fields into the village and caught the bus back to Scarborough.

'Hayburn Wyke beach'

'Cliff top walking near Hayburn Wyke'

'Lane to Cloughton to catch the Scarborough bus'

Next >>>>