Too Old Codgers

Statistics:
distance - 15.6 miles
moving speed – 2.9 mph
start – 8.30 am
finish – 5.10 pm
moving – 5h 20m

Mary was unwell overnight, so just had tea and toast for breakfast. Graham felt a little guilty as he tucked into his usual cooked breakfast. Over breakfast we got to talking with two other couples who were beginning the C2C that morning. One couple had a slower itinerary and were staying at Cleator that night – we wouldn't see them again. The other couple, the Tassie two from Tasmania in Australia, we were to see daily during our time in the Lakes before our itineraries diverged.

'Departing Stonehouse Farm B&B'

'Passing St Bees grammar school'

We started at 8.30 and set off for the seafront ritual wetting of our boots and picking up pebbles to carry back across England. The plaque at the starting point had been replaced since our first C2C in 2010. We soon found that the route had also changed – the path had been moved inland over large sections because the 2010 path had been washed into the sea, and in other places the path was now much closer to the edge of the cliff. England, already a small country, is being eroded into the sea on three sides. How long will it be before it disappears?

'Official start of the Coast to Coast – new plaque'

'Mary wets her boots, and avoids wetting her legs'

'Mary selects a stone to carry back to Robin Hoods Bay'

'Old C2C path washed into the sea, St Bees in the background'

Distant views from the cliff tops were hazy, either from sea mist or the heat haze – it was a very hot day again. After three weeks walking in England, hot was 25oC rather than 35oC at home. The Isle of Man was a vague shape on the horizon. Along the path there were many flowers blooming and birds flying – flocks of goldfinches were feeding in the pastures. We stopped at 10.45 on a seat on the cliff top for morning tea. It was a much longer walk to the quarry and turn to Sandwith than Graham had remembered.

'Climbing from Fleswick Bay'

'A wheatear (?) poses for the camera'

'Morning tea overlooking cliffs and the Irish Sea'

'Dandelion flower and hoverflies'

'Leaving the Irish Sea near Whitehaven'

Sandwith in 2010 was down at heel and the pub was closed. Now the pub was functioning, there were fewer cottages for sale, and some were being renovated. Our previous walk was at the low point of the global financial crisis for England (and the high point for Australia). All the villages we passed through were now looking much more prosperous, with renovation works common. Our next village, Moor Row, was similarly more buoyant. A new bakery on the western side of the village was doing a roaring trade with a queue to the door made up of C2C-ers and locals.

Before Moor Row we had walked near Stanley Pond. In 2010 there was water up to our ankles, but this time it was dry. We passed two young blokes coming the other way on their last day of an east to west C2C – they were excited to be so close to finishing. Near Moor Row a couple of C2Cers (we thought they were father and son) we had seen ahead of us all morning were posing for photographs in front of the C2C statue. They were also part of the queue in the bakery.

'Lane into Sandwith'

'Dry crossing of Stanley Pond'

'Signs of the economy picking up, Moor Row'

After crossing fields to Cleator we stopped for lunch in the porch of the lovely red sandstone church. It was cool in the porch and we enjoyed our view of the flowers in the church garden and a robin hopping about as Graham ate the bakery purchases and Mary had a cup of tea and a packet of crisps. Across the road the village green was adorned from end to end with washing hung out under the warm blue sky.

'Wash day, Cleator village green'

After lunch the climb up Dent was tough in the heat. The cairn at the top that had been calf high in 2010 was now head high. The father and son left the cairn just before we arrived at 3pm. We passed them on the way down Dent as they were adjusting their joggers to minimise blister pains. At the bottom we were able to walk through Nannycatch Beck rather than use the footbridges. The dry weather had reduced the Beck to a trickle and it was dry in places.

'Climbing Dent, St Bees Head just visible in the background'

'Steep descent from Dent'

'Walking beside the dry bed of Nannycatch Beck'

We took the footpath beside the busy road down into Ennerdale Bridge. We noticed the profusion of blackberries in the hedges – this morning we had seen a television story about the heavy crop this autumn.

At the Shepherd's Arms in Ennerdale Bridge we phoned the Stork hotel in the nearby village of Rowrah and arranged for them to pick us up in half an hour – time for a drink in the shady beer garden. The father and son arrived and sat at the next table. They had serious foot problems after their first day. They were also concerned that they had another five miles to go to their overnight accommodation at the Ennerdale youth hostel. We didn't see them again after our chat in the beer garden. We hope they made it.

'Passing time in Ennerdale Bridge'

As arranged, the van from The Stork transferred us to the hotel. Our room was small, but clean and comfortable. After showering and washing we went down to the bar for drinks (the Jennings Cumberland was good) and the usual pub dinner. The atmosphere in the pub was strange - there was only one other customer in the bar until 7.30 when some more locals arrived, but there were still only a few people when we went up to bed at 8.30. The landlord enquired next morning whether the noise from the bar kept us awake – we hadn't heard a thing. He explained that there had been a stag party and that it was quite rowdy later on. The bride-to-be worked in the pub, and the pub was to be closed on the day of the wedding so everyone associated with the pub could join in the festivities.

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