Blakey Ridge to Egton Bridge (19km)

*APOLOGY* Another day without internet yesterday so remember to scroll down and read more about the moors from Day 7.

Day 8 - Blakey Ridge to Egton Bridge

We awoke to the sound of rain hitting the window panes but fortunately the rain stopped by the time our B+B host, Andrew drove us back to the Lion Inn at 8:30am to continue our walk.  Even so big black clouds hung over the moors and we were again buffeted by the wind as we retraced the route along the road that Andrew had just driven us down.  Finally we turned off the road onto a track and the Lion Inn quickly receded into the distance.

Before long we were walking through Glaisdale Moor and skirting the head of Great Fryupdale (a corruption of the words Freya (Norse goddess) and hop, the old English word for remote valley).  This section of the walk would have to be one of the most beautiful along the Coast to Coast – the heather clad hills were blushing purple, below us unfurled the stunning valley and on the horizon, the sea.

C2C marker

We passed the disused shooting lodge of Trough House and numerous grouse butts fringing the path.  The poor unfortunate targets of all this recreational shooting were the plentiful grouse we could hear calling from the depths of the heather and occasionally making a show.  Ross did some grouse shooting of his own… with his camera.

Trough House - the blue sliver on the horizon is the sea! 

Great Fryupdale

Shooting grouse

After walking a slightly boring stretch along another minor road we rejoined the track through Glaisdale Low Moor and headed down a gentle slope towards the village of Glaisdale.  Before we even reached the village limits we bumped into a naturalised Yorkshireman bounding up the slope towards us with a huge smile.  In his broad Scottish accent (as he’d only lived in England for 45 years) he remarked that he noticed the Australians coming (based on Ross’ hat!) and pointed us in the direction of the village. 

Now in the warmth of the midday sun, Glaisdale proved a very pretty spot to stop for lunch under a shady oak tree planted by the villagers to mark the new millennium.

Lunch under the oak tree in Glaisdale

After lunch there was more kindness from strangers which left us convinced that the residents of Glaisdale must be the friendliest in the whole of England.  On our way out of the village, not one but two locals spotting our walking poles, volunteered us directions and wished us a happy afternoon and safe journey. 

It was then a pleasant walk through East Arnecliff Wood to the tiny village of Egton Bridge, our destination for the day.

The path through East Arnecliff Wood

“A strong competitor for the accolade of prettiest village on the Coast to Coast, Egton Bridge is a delight, a hamlet of grand houses surrounding an uninhabited island on the Esk.  Everything about the place is charming, from the bridge itself… to the stepping stones that lead across to the island and the mature trees that fringe the settlement.”

(H. Stedman Coast to Coast Path (2012), p229)

We made our way first to the Old Mill B+B, another labour of love on the part of the owners who have spent 11 years refurbishing it to its present high standard.  And joy of joys – a bathtub!!

A bathtub! 

At the Old Mill B+B

An afternoon stroll through the village revealed some more hidden gems like St Hedda’s Roman Catholic Church.  The village was the home of the martyr, the Blessed Nicholas Postgate who was hung, drawn and quartered in 1679 during the last period in Britain when Catholics were legally put to death on account of their faith.  The church houses his relics and a striking stained glass window is dedicated to his memory.

The window of the martyr Nicholas Postgate - St Hedda's Church

Dinner was a skip over the stepping stones to the Horseshoe Hotel before another evening of blister care and shoe repair.  Having exhausted my supply of superglue, Ross resorted to some borrowed bathroom tiling adhesive to stick the soles of my hiking shoes back together.  He is convinced my shoes will catastrophically fail before I reach Robin Hood’s Bay tomorrow.  I’m determined to prove him wrong.  Come on little shoes – just 25km more!

The stepping stones over the Esk

The Horseshoe Hotel