Day 12: Ingelby Cross to Clay Bank Top/Chop Gate (July 5, 2007)

Accommodation: West Cote, Chop Gate (the best stay on the walk!)
Distance Walked: 12 miles

Looking back on the Vale of Mowbray
as it meets the Cleveland Hills

How do I feel? Pretty good today. It seems I walked through the soreness of last night. Always some kinks but overall I feel pretty good which is ideal for a 19 mile walk tomorrow. I'm going to get up early and try to get out of here by 8:00. Walking alone tomorrow. Ron offered for me to walk with his friend and him but they won't be getting off till 9:00 and I just want to go and not get in too late. I can walk with him for the last stretch. Today, Bre, Ron, and I started off around 9:00 and continued down the forest track and then up onto Scarth Wood Moor. Waking up today there was barely a cloud in the sky, and for most of our walk it continued to be pretty nice, although the clouds did keep creeping in throughout the day until it got to be quite windy and slightly raining by the end of it. One thing about walking all day, everyday, is I'm really starting to notice how the clouds move and able to see different types of weather systems approaching and retreating. There can be so much variety in a day, and being outdoors the whole time just makes it that much more noticeable. I'm so glad it was nice out though because it actually made going through the heather moors quite nice. It was kind of tough though going up to Scarth Wood moor and then back down again. Steddy made another mistake here on map 73 with the Cleveland Way sign and the stone marker - switching them up. He really must have been getting anxious around here!

Purple heather on the moor
I can't even imagine how amazing it would be to see it in full bloom!

Anyway up the moor, back down, through the forest, then up to Live Moor, back down and then up to Carlton Moor where the heather was actually starting to bloom purple and I got a little taste of how beautiful the heather could be when it was all out in full bloom. Then back down and a little rest at the Lord Stone's Cafe, this great little cafe built into the side of a hill. Very hobbitesque!

The Lord Stone's Cafe - built right into the hillside!

After a nice break for lunch with Ron buying drinks , he sure is a nice guy, we went on, hiking up again to Kirkby Bank. Something about walking uphill seems to bring out everyone because I just started running into all sorts of Coast to Coast walkers, including two women who I hadn't seen since Patterdale! But what goes up must go down and so we went on, only to go up again to Hasty Bank through these funky rock protrusions called Wain Stones that looked like funky birthday candles from Alice in Wonderland or something. And then finally down to Clay Bank Top where Judy, our host for the night picked us up. What nice people they are. Coming to pick us up, taking us to the pub and back for dinner, giving me a ride back to Clay Bank Top the next day. And just welcoming us in their home. I'll have to say that some of the cheaper places we've stayed have been my favorite, this one topping them all. They live on a farm that dates back to Elizabethan times, and Judy told us all about the history of the area and the people. It was great! Tonight at the pub we had a long wait...apparently Marianne, the cook, can be a bit finicky, showing up when she wants, taking time, so Judy informed us! I love little towns.

MORE PICTURES FROM DAY 12!