Date: Tuesday 24th July 2007
Mileage: 25 miles
Weather: Warm and sunny
What a day! Feet, ankles, knees - everything was hurting and protesting by the end of it. We arrived in Osmotherly at half past seven - it's a perfect place with lots of character, stone cottages, a couple of shops, a cafe, an eccentric B&B, good pub - The Queen Catherine Hotel. On our travels today we saw a couple from Leicester who we had been seeing on and off since Reeth and were destined to finish the walk with on Friday. We also met a lady with her two daughters and their dog who are camping.
Today was what seemed like an endless trudge across the Vale of Mowbray. Interminable road walking and dreary field walking along muddy, slippy, boggy paths. At one point there was the unmistakeable smell of a pig farm and it lingered in the air for three or four miles - rank. The only bright point of the journey was passing through Danby Wiske - what an excellent name for a place. Not much there but it does have a pub, the White Swan. Ice cold drinks and a nice sit down for half an hour revived spirits - only another 12 miles to go.
Danby Wiske may have been the one highlight of the walk but crossing the A19 dual carriage way certainly woke us up and got us moving. Fast and manic driving, lorries, cars, vans, noise, fumes. D grabbed my hand, we waited for our chance and legged it to the centre. Then after a few heart stopping moments with speeding traffic behind and in front we ran to the safety of the other side of the road - sore feet and aching joints forgotten. Shortly after I saw that the Leicester couple had safely made it across. I suggested a pelican crossing should be introduced for Coast to Coasters or even a lollipop lady. D didn't think either idea would work.
Now for the last three miles of the day - uphill! We were now heading into the Cleveland Hills and entering our third National Park of the walk - the North Yorkshire Moors. Osmotherly was just around the next hill. When we reached the top of the hill we looked back and we could see all the way we had come and in the far, far distance we could just make out the Yorkshire Dales. It felt like quite an achievement. 25 miles and still standing - just.
Today was what seemed like an endless trudge across the Vale of Mowbray. Interminable road walking and dreary field walking along muddy, slippy, boggy paths. At one point there was the unmistakeable smell of a pig farm and it lingered in the air for three or four miles - rank. The only bright point of the journey was passing through Danby Wiske - what an excellent name for a place. Not much there but it does have a pub, the White Swan. Ice cold drinks and a nice sit down for half an hour revived spirits - only another 12 miles to go.
Danby Wiske may have been the one highlight of the walk but crossing the A19 dual carriage way certainly woke us up and got us moving. Fast and manic driving, lorries, cars, vans, noise, fumes. D grabbed my hand, we waited for our chance and legged it to the centre. Then after a few heart stopping moments with speeding traffic behind and in front we ran to the safety of the other side of the road - sore feet and aching joints forgotten. Shortly after I saw that the Leicester couple had safely made it across. I suggested a pelican crossing should be introduced for Coast to Coasters or even a lollipop lady. D didn't think either idea would work.
Now for the last three miles of the day - uphill! We were now heading into the Cleveland Hills and entering our third National Park of the walk - the North Yorkshire Moors. Osmotherly was just around the next hill. When we reached the top of the hill we looked back and we could see all the way we had come and in the far, far distance we could just make out the Yorkshire Dales. It felt like quite an achievement. 25 miles and still standing - just.