Danby Wiske to Lord Stone's (non) cafe

We left Danby Wiske already knowing that we were going to walk further than originally planned in order to shorten the 20 miles predicted for the following day. Initially it was another day of flat walking through fields of cereals and drying rape seed. The first couple of hours passed with ease.

We reached Ingleby where it was too early for lunch so we pressed on. Just after we passed the church we came to our second honesty box of the day – this one containing homemade flapjack of various flavours, so one all round please.

Into Arncliffe Wood we stopped for lunch. It started to rain so out came the waterproofs but they weren’t on long. Then they were off, then back on again, the weather was playing with us. 

At Scarth Moor Wood, just before we got onto the moorland, it became apparent that full waterproofs were now needed (we could see the weather closing in) and so, for only the second time on this walk we had coats and trousers on.

It then rained, stair-rods, for the next couple of miles (about an hour ) as we passed Huthwaite Green and climbed up on to Live Moor. It was warm so as soon as possible they, the waterproofs, all came off again and, for us, the sun returned.

Having reached the moor top we walked the length of Carlton Moor to reach the trig point on Carlton Bank where we had our first views of the North Sea (over Middlesboro). The vista here was a full 360d on the Cleveland Hills and plain. 

The Lord Stone’s Cafe is closed for renovation – so no cup of tea. Instead we walked down into Carlton in order to collect the car (before the next band of rain) and our onward drive to Blakey Ridge.

Strange things you see on a walk. The skull was pretty unusual too.