Glaisdale to Littlebeck - August 27, 2013

Our eight mile walk today turned into an eleven mile trek because our lodgings tonight and last night were each off the path by a mile and a half. Those bonus miles plus the staggering climb up Grosmont, our highest peak since The Lake District took a toll on Joe and Toni's knees. We were rewarded for this thousand foot climb by  spectacular views of the valleys below and our first clear view of the North  Sea at Whitby.

Our first stop along the way was the Beggars Bridge in Glaisdale, built by a local beggar that made his fortune at sea and returned to marry a rich mans daughter. 

We walked through a beautiful forest along the River Esk and sat on a bench dedicated to a pair of well-loved dogs.  We stopped to visit a rare Catholic  church, St. Hedda's in Egton Bridge.

We walked the Egton Estate toll road and were lucky enough to pass by while the toll taker was out.

In the village of Grosmont we came upon a working steam train line, now used for tourist excursions.  It was straight out of the Harry Potter movies.

After a quick lunch at the art gallery/tea room, we began the dreaded Grosmont climb mentioned earlier. Signs indicated the grade out of the village was 30%. On the positive side, the walk was on smooth Tarmac  road shoulders.  Many false peaks teased us before Whitby and the North Sea came into view.

The descent into Littlebeck was a relief until we realized we had to climb back uphill 1 1/2 miles to Intake Farm, our lodging for the night.  Too late we understood we should have taken a short cut across the fields before going down to Littlebeck.  Our frustration was somewhat relieved when our host offered to drive us back down to the village to start tomorrows walk.

The farmyard was occupied by some very noisy geese who objected to our intrusion, by several generations of black and white cats who couldn't care less, and by a sheep dog who offered us the owners cane to play fetch.

We were rewarded by hot showers and a large and delicious dinner shared with a Danish couple also headed for St. Bees.

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is our last walking day.  It has been a journey exhausting but well worth taking. We have experienced beauty, misery and friendship beyond our expectations, and we are still walking.  One more day to come...