| Information | Introduction | Postscript |   |
Days | 1-3 | 4-7 | 8-11 | 15-18 | 19 |
Day 12. Colburn to Danby Wiske - 11 miles
It actually rains over night but it looks like another hot day. It is odd to wake up in a pub garden. There are lots of birds and butterflies as we eat our breakfast and take advantage of the garden furniture. We are off around 9.30 am.
Surprisingly,my leg is showing no sign of damage.
We hope to pick up some lunch at Brompton but there is no shop. Hard luck. We cross the A1 and after a while have to endure 6 miles on tarmac. It must be the hottest day of the walk so far!The tarmac is melting, you can smell it. There is not much shade. We focus our minds on each tree in the distance for the amount of shade it might proffer as we pass beneath it. Today we average only 40 mins per session before we have to have a break and a drink. We pass a house with people in their front garden and I ask for our water bottles to be filled. We arrive at Danby Wiske, hungry and thirsty. There is no shop, once more. It is 4.45 pm and the pub does not open till 7.00 pm. There is nothing for it but to sit on the grass outside and wait.
A small boy comes to talk to us. He asks what we are doing there and we explain. He disappears for a moment and reappears with a slice of toast for us! He also says that he is sure his Mum would take us to Robin Hoods Bay in her car.We finally get into the pub and are rewarded with a nice meal. The camping field is full of chickens and two elderly sheep. We are told the temperature exceeded 90F today.
An owl hoots all night - is it the same one?Day 13. Danby Wiske to Ingleby Cross - 9 + .5 to Park Lodge.
Today it is raining! This is such a relief and it is still warm so we walk in T-shirts all day and revel in it.
We leave the pub armed with a pack lunches provided by the landlady, not wanting to repeat the mistake of yesterday. We meet many interesting people along the coast to coast path.
We arrive at Park House, about half a mile past Ingleby Cross at around 2.pm. The camp is completely empty. We cannot even find any staff so we hunt out the showers and laze around for the rest of the day. It feels like a day off. A crowd of Dutch people arrive, absolutely soaked. They hang everything out on the fence, even the contents of their sacks and all the tents. They are walking the other way and must have encountered more rain than us.
We have a restless night probably due to lazing around all afternoon or it could be that owl. Is it following us?
Day 14. Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top - 12 miles
We wake to blue skies and sunshine once more but leave Park House later than we hoped, as there is a heavy dew and we wait for the tent to dry a little. We are off at about 9.30 am and climb through forest to the top of Beacon Hill.
The view seems to stretch to infinity.
We leave the cooling breeze atop Beacon Hill and descend through heather and then steeply to the road at Scarth Nick. We cross the flanks of Coalmire through a plantation and then descend steeply, once again, into the valley of Scugdale. Once in the valley it is stiflingly hot. We proceed up the valley and after a stiff ascent through another plantation reach open moorland. We look back from Live Moor and are glad to feel the breeze again!
The way now is unmistakable and the path stretches beyond and behind us as we begin the gentle ascent of Carlton Moor.
Time to take on some more liquid. We stop for a cup tea made with the last of our water and admire the view. A hang glider wafts past like a paper aeroplane. This calm, serene atmosphere is broken when I kick my tea over. I haven’t drunk any of it and we haven’t got anymore water! It’s too hot to make a fuss so I just shrug but inside I am distraught.
We descend Carlton Moor to Carlton Bank and are surprised to find a café. I can have that cup of tea after all. Not only that, a fruit scone with blackcurrant jam to go with it! Even better, there is a natural spring to fill the water bottle. Charlie has a piece of quiche and some apple pie. Not wanting to be outdone and wanting to make the most of the serendipity, I have a banana split and we both have another cup of tea!
The scenery is breathtaking.
Later, we sit on the heather for another cuppa, (well, it is hot) looking down over the plain. My head spins. It is like sitting on the edge of the world. My hat blows off and fortunately lands about six feet down, hooked on the heather. Charl goes down to retrieve it. I hold my breath. I’d rather he left it there!
The path behind and the way ahead is always clearly visible. 
We reach the wainstones and it is nice to clamber over a few rocks - a contrast to the rest of the day. We now tackle the last descent of the day to Clay Bank. It is the steepest of all and there have been many. It is a question of “carefully does it” with a heavy pack and tired legs. On reaching the bottom, we are very pleased to see a large, spanking new notice declaring the existence of the aforesaid campsite. It is one of many which we follow to a field.
Is this it? The field is completely empty but at the far end we can just make out a portacabin. It must be. As it is a new site, probably no-one else knows about it yet. We put up the tent and go for a shower. It’s been a hot, strenuous day. We open the door. It is full of flies. We try to shoo as many out a possible. The shower is a bit primitive but we finally get it going. There is no hot water!! Luckily the sun has been shining on the water tank and we have warm water for a short while then it runs cold and feels freezing on sunburnt skin. There is no loo roll. There is no mirror. We were expecting more. The notices, being so large and new, promised more. Never mind, at least it’s here! We only have a banana sandwich for dinner. A woman comes to collect money and acts as if it is the best site in the world. She even inspects the inside of the tent for more walkers as she is charging per person!
