Day Twelve - Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross - 5 May

Time Departed: 10:00am Time Arrived: 3:30pm Distance: 14 kms Cumulative Distance: 229.2kms Percentage Completed: 69% Weather: Overcast, cold with some rainy and sunny spells. Accommodation: The Blue Bell Inn

We were in no hurry to get away as the distance was short and easy. Neil, Henk and I met our very pleasant B&B lady when we went to breakfast. She painted a village which is pulling together to keep it going and it is dependent upon the walkers. The entire village meet each Friday evening at the pub and catch up with each other. No wonder the pub was busy! Danby Wiske is a very pretty little village and is the lowest point between the two seashores.

Before setting out for the day Neil, Henk and I walked to the Danby Wiske church which sits on the edge of the village. It goes back to Norman times and the daffodils in the church yard made a pretty picture. We met Ron and Chris just before ten on the green outside The White Swan. We walked under the pub sign which told us only 60 miles to go to Robin Hood’s Bay.

The day’s walk was predominately on the edge of farms or on minor tracks or roads. There was a lot of mud which we had to wade through. We came across a picnic table and more goodies set out for walkers with another honour box about an hour into the walk. As we weren’t in a hurry we took the opportunity to sit at a table.

We had our rain gear on and off during the day when the weather couldn’t make up its mind if it was going to rain or not. The closer we got to our destination came the Cleveland Hills which we will be climbing tomorrow to take us onto the Yorkshire Moors. We had lunch on the edge of a field only a couple of kilometres from our accommodation. Very close to Ingleby Cross we had to make a dash across the A19, a busy dual carriageway. We walked straight down a narrow road passed Ingleby Arncliffe which is alongside Ingleby Cross.

The cross is a war memorial in the middle of the small green. We were greeted by the publican’s four year old confident and delightful daughter, Izzy. Our rooms weren’t ready as we were early and we were given a cuppa in the pub lounge and we were entertained by Izzy. She took a shine to Chris and had him read one of her favourite books. I taught her the game, “The first one to talk is the monkey” as she was very chatty and she loved it.

We all had a turn of breaking the silence which she thought was very amusing. Dinner was at the pub and we all were feeling quite cold. The publican had only just started the fire and the pub had not warmed up. It was lamb shanks for all of us tonight. After a few days of easy walking we start to do some climbing again tomorrow. Frost is predicted overnight with a very cold day.