Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross (14.5km)

*APOLOGIES we had no internet last night in Danby Wiske so I couldn't update this blog.  Be sure to scroll down and check out yesterday's post as well and the tales of Bolton on Swale, barley and bullocks!*

Day 5 - Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross

Today was the shortest day of the C2C so far.  We covered the remaining fields in the Vale of Mowbray and walked as far as Ingleby Cross at the foothills of the Cleveland Hills.  Happily all the fields we crossed today were crops or pasture and cattle were safely behind fences.  A fair amount of the trail was also along country lanes or minor roads which made for quick and easy walking.  Even though we left Danby Wiske at 9am and dawdled, making stops for elevenses and lunch, we still managed to reach our destination by 1pm.

Our fellow Coast to Coaster from Lincolnshire set off independently but even so we kept crossing paths during the morning.  There were yet more examples of the kindness of strangers as we passed an honesty box and esky of cold drinks and flapjacks left along the trail beside Moor House farm.

More traipsing through fields of barley - you could almost hear the whispers, 'If you build it, He will come'.... I did try it out while walking but Ross reminded me that The Voice came to Kevin Costner in a field of corn and not barley (point taken).  I must admit that the signposting was particularly exquisite in one barley field - surely the best waymarked field along the entire route (that's a sign with an arrow pointing ahead that you can see next to Ross below).  

Ross in the signposted barley field

The only major revelation along today's path was the approaching Cleveland Hills which we will be climbing tomorrow.

Cleveland Hills on the horizon

Rather unusually we will be at the same B+B until Thursday and as it is off the trail, we were instructed to contact the owner once we reached a service station along the A19 to arrange pick up.  We were ridiculously early and I tried phoning several times but the number refused to connect.  Just as we were beginning to despair and seriously consider walking another 3km along the A19 to get there ourselves, success!  We were duly collected  by our hostess, Christine and transferred to our base for the next two nights at the roomy and comfortable Swan House.  

Although today was a ridiculously easy walk, the short journey was very welcome.  Our afternoon was blissfully spent catching up on essentials like laundry (me), and reading UK Car Magazine (Ross!) and more importantly, resting poor little feet for tomorrow.  Hopefully the fine weather holds because if visibility is good tomorrow we might be blessed with our first glimpse of the North Sea from the top of Carlton Moor...