Day 16 – Egton Bridge to Robin Hoods Bay (from the beginning!)

I woke up with  a strange feeling , that after 2 and a half weeks this would be last day of pulling on my boots , my pants ( that could of walked in by themselves, all scent of Hilary’s laundering long gone) and my trusty faded cap.    I felt both thrilled and nostalgic at the same time .   The final day of this 16 day dream come true.   I headed off early knowing it was 18 miles and that I wanted to get into Robin Hoods Bay early enough to catch Simon and Mum, Dad and Em on the phone before they all went to bed.

I started off with a lovely final packed lunch , sandwich,  fresh strawberries picked from the Broom House garden and homemade slice for morning tea .  I’m not sure I can return to life without a packed lunch in a brown paper bag.  It has been one of the highlights of the trip.   Walking along and choosing the perfect spot to sit each day, and discovering the little treats added to the bag by the wonderful B&B owners.     It was a lovely clear day and I headed out of Egton Bridge and to the next village of Grosmont.   Grosmont is, at its centre, train paradise for train lovers.   It has a beautiful, age old  railway station  and crossing which runs through the middle of the village.    It is like stepping back in time .  I was lucky enough to see the steam locomotive arrive into the station and it was funny to see all the real train enthusiasts leap forward , grab zoom lens , and get misty eyed at the sight.

I then popped into the village co-op that had been serving Grosmont since 1867.    Everything felt like an old film set , this was the place used as  Hogwarts Express in the first Harry Potter film.   With my train spotting over I began the 700 ft climb up to Sleights Moor.  Wainwright didn’t think walkers should be eased gently into Robin Hoods Bay , no – he thought by now walkers should have the legs to cope with a good climb and maybe a bit of sea air to urge them on .   I could very clearly see The North Sea heading on up, up , up – not close enough to see a donkey but it was definitely the sea side .   On my way I passed several walkers sitting or leaning and a wide range of the expression best described as the grimace.   Blisters are the thing that seem to take down the most walkers on this route.   One man was crawling along , it looked like someone was poking him with a hot stick at
every step.   I thanked my feet one last time.  Last day and not one blister .  I felt so incredibly lucky, having heard of people having to stop walking after 4 days because of blisters.    My bag is half filled with blister treatment options having researched blisters extensively before leaving home.   I will thankfully take it all home with me.  So please , if anyone in the Perth metropolitan area gets a blister over the next 10 years please come and pay me a visit .  

The views from the final moor of the walk back down to Eskdale were beautiful.   Heading down
from the moor , I gave my knees a little pat of gratitude, and headed down into Littlebeck.  A tiny, pretty hamlet leading into what is described by my  now dog eared Stedman guide as the most stunning area of woodland on the route,  Little Beck Wood.    65 acres of woodland , so beautiful
And such a highlight of this final day.  The path winding through the wood leads to a 20 metre high waterfall , stunning and made even more so by The Falling Foss tea room by its side.  Time to stop for my packed lunch .. Oh those Broom House strawberries !! And I couldn’t leave without a piece of
the most delicious ginger cake,  sold in a little wooden hut overlooking the waterfall and a pot of tea .
   Oh, even people with blisters must have been loving life here in this hidden little gem of a spot.

It was here I was reunited with Glnnys from the first day of walking .  It was lovely to see her and
share stories from the past fortnight- she had crossed paths at different times with many of same people I had and she had walked with others the whole time .   I told her of my great enjoyment of solitary walking and then politely said I wad going to walk on to complete the final cliff top walk on my own .  She was beautifully understanding of this and I discovered one of the many benefits of being 40, not always worrying about what people might possibly think but doing what is right for you at the time.  This is how I wanted to finish, with my own thoughts, singing, grinning and committing the whole thing to memory as best I could .    Off I went , triumphantly reaching the dramatic cliff tops over The North Sea.  I walked on , it was blustery and fabulous!   I was all alone – so I woo hoo’ed for a bit and then spotted Robin Hoods Bat fleetingly.   I was flying along , I just couldn’t wait to get there – I rounded the corner, left the cliffs into the elevated streets of Robin Hoods a Bay and began the very steep walk down to the Bay .  Oh my goodness!!!!

   I made it down and was just edging towards the sea to take a breath, to dip my boots with gusto and find a bit of energy to give my pebble a good throw when I got the best surprise of my life .

Nothing could have prepared for this moment in my life.   It was unforgettable.

Alfred Wainwright wrote many guides on walking in England , this walk being one of his greatest achievements .  One of his other books on a long distance walk , The Penine Way is considered a classic .  For each walker who finished The Penine Way he said he would buy them half a pint in the pub- this was a promise he honoured till he died . It is said to have cost him thousands over the years.   He learnt his lesson and for coast to coasters said “you can get your own in!” …  Incredibly and so memorably my Dad bought me my pint,  but that’s more than fine with me Mr Wainwright – you have done more than enough for me already.

Xxxxxx