Coast-to-Coast Day 14

Clay Bank Top-Blakey Ridge. 9.5 miles, 5 hours. We were dropped off at Clay Bank quite early (0830)  by the landlord of the Buck Inn, so there was no hurry today. The weather was fine with clear sunshine but a brisk north-westerly breeze that got stronger as the day went on. Today's walk started with a steady climb up on to Urra Moor, but after that the walking is almost on the level right through to our destination for the day, the Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge. You really feel as though you are in the true wilderness of the moors on this section of the walk, with huge vistas across the open heather-clad moorland in all directions.  

The walking here is easy along a clear track, passing various stone markers, some of which have faces carved into them. The cairn at Round Hill marks the highest point on the moor at 454 metres. 

Shortly after Round Hill, the path drops slightly to Bloworth Crossing, where the Cleveland Way strikes off in a northerly direction and the C2C route carries on over Farndale Moor using the old trackbed of the Rosedale railway, built in Victorian times to serve the local iron mining industry. The route follows the old railway track for five miles, until eventually the remote location of the Lion Inn comes into view.   

The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge is the fourth highest pub in Britain and enjoys a stunning location on top of the moors overlooking Rosedale and Farndale. We arrived quite early, and had a nice room with a bath and great views over the moors. The staff are very helpful and friendly, but the food we found rather heavy and stodgy with the emphasis on quantity over quality. It is definitely worth staying there for the location and atmospheric interior, just don't expect Michelin star cuisine !