Coast-to-Coast Day 13.

Ingelby Cross-Clay Bank Top (12.5 miles, 5.5 hours). This last week we have tried to escape from lock down and complete our C2C walk. We picked up where we left off last year at Ingelby Cross, to cover the last stretch over the North York Moors to the finish line at Robin Hood's Bay. Once again, we stayed at the Blue Bell Inn in Ingelby Cross - a nice place to stay with reasonable food/drink and accommodation.  

This was actually quite a tough day's walking for the first day of our resumed C2C walk with lots of ups and downs over the escarpment edge of the Cleveland hills - there is more than 1000 metres ascent on this day according to the guide book, so that is a Mount Snowdon almost from sea level !. The walk starts up through  Arncliffe Wood, passing above Mount Grace Priory, which is a diversion off the route recommended by Wainwright and several guide books. However, we found all paths off the route leading down to the priory were blocked off, or festooned with 'no right of way' notices. We pressed on up through the wood, to where the C2C meets the Cleveland Way, which the route follows for the next day and a half.     

Climbing out of the woodland (said to have spectacular bluebell displays in spring), we soon passed out on the moors proper, crossing Scarth Wood Moor, with views over Middlesbrough  (not that great unless you like chemical factory and refinery chimneys), but with the pointy peak of Rosebery Topping (the Yorkshire Matterhorn) visible in the distance.    

More ups and downs follow, over Live Moor, Carlton Moor and Cringle Moor. There is then a steep descent followed by the final energy sapping climb of the day, up on to Hasty Bank and the impressive rock outcrops called the Wain Stones.    

Another steep descent then follows to meet the road at Clay Bank Top. There is no accommodation at Clay Bank, but there are various options nearby at Great Broughton or Chop Gate, many of which will pick you up at Clay Bank and drop you off there again the following morning.  We stayed at The Buck Inn in Chop gate, which we would definitely recommend for comfortable accommodation and excellent food, with a slightly different menu to that offered by most local pubs (the pub is run by a German-English couple). Quite a tough day, but we had a good first glimpse of the North York Moors, with better to come.