Friday 17th April 1998

Leaving the villages of Ingleby Arncliffe and Ingleby Cross pass by Mount Grace Priory as you climb onto Beacon Hill. There then follows an exhilarating roller-coaster walk over six fell tops as you proceed along the Cleveland Hills ridge. At Clay Bank Top you have a road walk of two miles to Gt.Broughton to obtain  accommodation unless you are carrying a tent.

Route: Ingleby Arncliffe to Gt.Broughton via Ingleby Cross, Carlton Moor,The Wainstones, Clay Bank Top

Distance: 14 Miles

Difficulty: Fairly Strenuous: with numerous ups and downs along the clear tracks over the hills..

Facilities: Good: There are numerous guesthouses in the village and a number of pubs. I stayed at Newlands House in Gt.Broughton which was very comfortable. I ate in the Bayhorse pub, which is the first one you pass as you walk into the village from Clay Bank Top, the food was very good.

Day 10

The previous evening I had walked the short distance to Ingleby Cross and the Bluebell pub. As I sat at the bar eating, the soldier I had spoken to outside Reeth walked in and joined me. He introduced himself as Rod whose family home was Chinley in the Peak District and he was currently on leave from his base in Germany. As we chatted, he told me that after leaving me at Ridding Bushes, he had visited the Post Office in Reeth and posted his entire camping gear home and booked into a guesthouse. He was now finding walking much easier with the lighter load and the luxury of a proper bed at the end of each day. Now, as I passed the pub, it was silent and I looked forward to seeing Rod again at the Arncliffe Arms in Glaisdale as he had booked a room on discovering that I would be staying there. The weather forecast was not promising and as I passed Mount Grace Priory spots of rain began to fall which combined with the strong wind did not bode well for the day ahead. As I climbed onto Beacon Hill, the wind strengthened and it began raining more steadily. Despite the inclement weather, the visibility was quite good and I could see quite a distance across the flat vale I had crossed the day before. The rain was now being driven into my left side as I reached more exposed ground and I decided that I would head for the Lord Stones Café which was marked on the map. I wondered if it would be open on such a day but the thought of a hot cup of tea spurred me on anyway and I made good time along the roller-coaster hills. (Above: The Cleveland Hills seen through the rain)

Eventually, I arrived at a minor road where I expected to find the cafe but could see no sign of it. I began to wonder if it was still in existence when it suddenly it  appeared in front of me. It was built into a bank in the hillside and completely invisible from the direction I had approached it. I went inside and stripped off my wet gear and ordered a sandwich and a mug of tea. Once I had settled into my chair I was pleasantly surprised to see Rod appear at the door and he ordered a mug of tea and joined me at the table. He had had the same idea as myself based on an improving weather forecast for the afternoon. The plan was to get to the café and sit out the bad weather and then hopefully carry on to Clay Bank Top in better conditions. We ordered a beer and sat chatting as the rain beat against the café window. Three beers later and with still no sign of an improvement in the weather we decided we had better leave before we were incapable. Stepping outside it soon became clear that if anything the weather had deteriorated and we set off along the path with our heads bowed against the elements. It was unfortunate that we were experiencing such poor weather, as the hills would have provided marvellous walking on another day. We eventually arrived at the Wainstones but did not hang around to explore this rocky outcrop. Soon, we arrived at Clay Bank Top and at the road we parted company. Rod was booked into a guesthouse in Osmotherly and myself in the opposite direction in Gt.Broughton. I followed the road downhill for a mile or so where the weather was much calmer and it was no longer raining. Looking back up to the Cleveland Hills I could just make out the shapes of the Wainstones in the mist and I was glad to be lower down and heading for a hot bath and a meal. Tomorrow was the penultimate day and I would be entering my final National Park of the trip.