mutteringhousewife

Today was the kind of day someone who hadn’t done any research into or training for the Coast to Coast walk might imagine the whole thing is like. If you haven’t read the rest of the series, go have a look.

It dawned sunny and bright as we popped into the village shop at Reeth to stock up on Kendal Mint Cake. I’m going to have to bring about three kilos of it home with me, aren’t I.

We walked down the road, past lovely little stone cottages to where the River Swale bubbled its peaty brown way over the rocks and continued beside it under shady trees for a while. We then turned off and started to climb over farm land, but quite gently. The grass was dry, the sheep were chill, the series of gates well signposted.

We passed Marrick Priory, which is pretty well preserved and is currently being used as an outdoor recreation residential facility, whatever that means, and isn’t open for visiting. But we could climb the Nun’s Steps behind the priory, winding their way up the hill towards more farmland.

The Commander had heard a rumour about a farm near the track serving tea to walkers. We had been disappointed before, but this time we hit the jackpot. Elaine saw us coming, welcomed us in, showed us the toilets and had a cream tea (that’s what a Devonshire tea is called in England we’ve discovered through trial and error) in front of the Commander and a slice of apple pie in front of me in the sunny garden before you could say aren’t you worried about the cat attacking that chicken.

Elaine had herself done the Coast to Coast some years ago and was in complete sympathy with us about the lack of cream teas along the way. I was unable to tempt out the feral kittens under the bushes, so, fuelled up, we were on our way across more picture book farmland. Almost the only villages we had seen on our walk so far were the ones we spent the night in, but further along our track we walked into Marske. Marske not only had a Hall (privately owned), an ancient church with enclosed pews – something I’ve only ever read about, but further up the street was a front yard full of apple trees, with surplus fruit sitting on the front fence for hungry travellers and they were juicy and delicious.

It did end up being an eighteen kilometre walk today, but mostly on surfaces kind to feet, very little in the way of steep climbs (there are never going to be none), and we could see Richmond Castle from quite a way off. Our destination was The Castle Luxury B&B so it was an easy landmark to aim for.

The Castle Luxury B&B is very nice, and they did give us a complimentary beer on arrival and will be washing our clothes for us tomorrow, but we’ve got a bit fussy since Frith Lodge. There is a lot of French Provincial furniture about the place, a giant bath and a comfortable sitting room. But if you’ve got the word Luxury in your title, you are setting up expectations. I’m sure we’ll be very comfortable here for TWO nights because my joints are saying hallelujah we’re having a rest day tomorrow.