Issuu c2c run

COAST2COAST : A run from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay

The Coast to Coast route is a 192-mile unofficial and mostly unsignposted long-distance footpath in Northern England. Devised by Alfred Wainwright, it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park.

This book is a photographic journal of our Coast to Coast run that started on the west coast in St. Bees on 15th March 2014 and ended on the east coast at Robin Hood’s Bay on 7th March 2015.

Our route was broken into seventeen comfortably runnable legs, roughly planned at monthly intervals over the period of a year. Splitting the route like this allowed us to run Wainwrights original route without major impact on our busy family and working lives.

This split also provided us with something to look forwards to throughout the year amongst our more normal local weekend runs.

It marked the beginning of our distance trail running adventures and rekindled our love of exploring the beautiful wild landscapes of Northern England.

Leg 1 : St Bees to Cleator Moor SAT 15th MARCH 2014 : 9.4 MILES

Wainwright encouraged everyone to dip their feet into the Irish Sea before setting off, and again in the North Sea at the end. Also to collect a pebble at the start and leave it at the beach at the end - it’s the tradition. Happy to oblige we excitedly ran to the sea and wet our feet, hunted around for a suitably precious pebble and headed off to start our run with a steep ascent of the coastal cliff path. The Coast to Coast starts in style, rising high up on the cliffs and running around them towards Whitehaven provided thankfully amazing views. Turning inland after St Bees Lighthouse saw a very different landscape and the tempting glimpses of the Lakeland fells in the distance. We were very excited at the prospect of what lay ahead over the coming legs. Underfoot the terrain turned rather soggy with water logged fields, small lanes and farm tracks and we ran steadily, all the while being vigilant with the map reading. The furthest some of us had run previous to this undertaking was 6 miles and we had another day of running tomorrow to consider so times ranged from 13 minute miles to 10 minute miles which provided a very comfortable pace with plenty of time to look around, chat and, of course, to faff.

Coast to Coast : Leg 1

Coast to Coast : Leg 1

KEY MEMORIES : First weekend away, collecting a pebble and having a dip in the Irish Sea, the excitement of starting the journey, following the coastline, the beach at St Bees Head, Wainwrights statue, the lovely Cleator, Walney Island excursion‌..

Coast to Coast : Leg 1

Coast to Coast : Leg 1

Leg 2 : Cleator to Ennerdale Bridge SUN 16th MARCH 2014 : 7 MILES

After a very comfortable second night at the lovely Ghyll Farm B&B we were excited to tackle our first notable climb of the Coast to Coast - Dent Fell.

We were promised by various guidebooks that the views from the summit were spectacular and we were giddy at the thought of seeing all of what lay around. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t going to play ball and we set off in a landscape that was shrouded in mist, fog and drizzle. Undeterred we headed out of Cleator, after the usual relocation of cars to the end and start, and found ourselves climbing up through pine woodland to our first cloud enveloped summit. Needless to say we did not experience the amazing panorama of Whitehaven, St Bees, Sellafield, Scotland and Ireland on one side, and a fine introduction to the Lake District on the other - shame. Dropping down the steep slopes off Dent Fell was a shock to the knees but this lead us into the lovely valley of Nanny Catch Beck. Although damp and foggy we thoroughly enjoyed our run through to Ennerdale Bridge in the anticipation that we would soon be heading off into the Lakeland fells proper. Tempting glimpses of Ennerdale Water marked a happy ending to our first C2C weekend.

Coast to Coast : Leg 2

Coast to Coast : Leg 2

KEY MEMORIES : Lovely B & B, great pub meal and breakfast, Nanny Catch Beck, Kinniside Stone Circle, Fog and puncture on the way home‌.

Coast to Coast : Leg 2 1

Coast to Coast : Leg 2

Leg 3 : Ennerdale Bridge to Seatoller (Borrowdale) SAT 19th APRIL 2014 : 13.7 MILES

Today’s run was our first big challenge of the Coast to Coast as we were scheduled to hit a very steep climb after 10 miles of uphill running. I think we were all a mixture of excitement and trepidation as we headed out of Ennerdale Bridge. The sun was shining and the skies were blue as we set off along tarmac roads to reach Ennerdale Water - what a dream of a day. The views over the lake were spectacular from the rocky path along the southern shores and the running was a joy. It was a wrench to leave the lake behind and cross the valley to follow a road along the edge of Ennerdale Forest. Much of the dense forest plantations, that Ennerdale was once renowned for, had been sensitively cleared to leave a more open landscape with views up the towering peaks all around. Passing Black Sail Youth Hostel we finally arrived at the foot of our first major climb at Loft Beck. To our great relief we found the climb a breeze and at the top were rewarded with the most wonderful panoramic and sun filled views of the Lakeland fells and valleys below. The remaining run to Seatoller, in the valley of Borrowdale, skirted Brandreth and Grey Knotts before dropping down through the intriguing slate mine workings at Honister Pass. A wonderful day all told.

Coast to Coast : Leg 3

Coast to Coast : Leg 3

This was a wonderful day in the lakes and set the bar high for the following trips. Many things had come together on this leg from Ennerdale Bridge to Seatoller - it was the first time for us all to have run 14 miles for a very long time and we were pleased to have done it so comfortably. The climb up Loft Beck wasn’t as threatening as we had thought and the rewarding stunning views across the Lakeland fells made the whole run so perfect. How could the rest of the Coast to Coast live up to this we thought?

Coast to Coast : Leg 3

Coast to Coast : Leg 3

KEY MEMORIES : Fantastic weather, scenery along the valley to Black Sail, Alpine views, black butterflies, Ennerdale Forest, feeling hot, heading up Loft Beck, descending from Honister, old lead mine workings, run 14 miles for first time in ages, nerves on the day‌..‌.

Coast to Coast : Leg 3

Coast to Coast : Leg 3

Leg 4 : Seatoller (Borrowdale) to Grasmere SAT 10th MAY 2014 : 9.5 MILES

I am sure, somewhere in the guidebooks it stated that today we would cross 17 water courses. I am not sure whether this figure is right or indeed where it came from but we definitely had our fair share of water! Compared to the last leg that we spent under clear blue skies, this run was going to provide a whole different experience. Car shuffling was made easier with Piers agreeing to run the leg in reverse, dropping us off at Borrowdale, we were then committed to running a speedier than usual leg to Grasmere, in time to collect the car and return to Borrowdale to pick up Piers. So we stuck in despite relentless rain. We certainly did cross at least 17 water courses (most in spate) and many more vast, brim-full bogs. Even with thick cloud and fog obscuring any distant view we did get some glimpses of the Borrowdale valley as a steep ascent took us along Stonethwaite Beck, up Greenup Gill and Lining Crag to the head of Greenup Edge. Here we were greeted by a wonderfully remote, windswept and disorientating landscape and had to rely on good navigation to find our route across this featureless plateau down to Grasmere via the Easdale valley. Although soggy - today’s run was thoroughly enjoyable and we were very much looking forward to our next leg - hopefully in sunshine.

Coast to Coast : Leg 4

Coast to Coast : Leg 4

The ascent out of Borrowdale included many crossing of the tributaries of Stonethwaite Beck and Greenup Gill..

Although the weather was gloomy our spirits were high and we looked forward to meeting Piers, somewhere midway, running in the opposite direction.

Coast to Coast : Leg 4

Coast to Coast : Leg 4

KEY MEMORIES : Waterfall crossings, Helm Crag, top chauffeur, passing Piers along the way, beauty of Borrowdale, hearing you reminisce (Hil), poor weather……

Coast to Coast : Leg 4

Coast to Coast : Leg 4

Leg 5 : Grasmere to Patterdale SAT 17th MAY 2014 : 8.7 MILES

What a difference a week makes - this run was going to be a scorcher! The excitement about today was amplified by having another member of our team in the shape of Mrs ‘Gazelle’ Macdonald. The official C2C route took us up out of the Grasmere valley and down into Patterdale crossing over Grisedale Pass with its beautiful mountain tarn. The intention was to drop down into Patterdale via St. Sunday Crag, but as happiness levels increased on the way up Little Tongue Gill and general euphoria took hold at Grisedale Tarn, a giddy sprint up Dollywagon Pike ensued. It was only on nearing the top did we realise that we had giggled and galloped our way up the wrong fell! On such a wonderfully sunny and clear day thankfully this unplanned detour was not troublesome and we found ourselves surrounded by spectacular Lakeland peaks and far reaching panoramic views.

St. Sunday Crag would have to wait for another day. The run down Grisedale valley to Patterdale, bathed in sunshine, topped off a completely wonderful day out had by all.

Coast to Coast : Leg 5

Coast to Coast : Leg 5

KEY MEMORIES : Guest appearance from Mrs Gazelle Macdonald, Grisedale Tarn, fantastic weather, sunshine and warmth, St. Sunday Crag NOT Dollywagon Pike Hilary durrhh!!!, Race to the top and down again with random man joining in, wonderful distance views, the Helvellyn Range, optical migraine (oh dear Jacqui), descent into Patterdale, giggles, giddiness and laughs‌..

Coast to Coast : Leg 5

Coast to Coast : Leg 5

Leg 6 : Patterdale to Haweswater SAT 21st JUNE 2014 : 9.4 MILES

The day was set to be fine and sunny and perfect for running our next leg of the C2C through the Lakeland fells. Today’s run would take us out of the Patterdale valley to Boredale Hause, past Angle Tarn, Satura Crag, The Knott and on to the slopes of High Street. From here we would gain the highest point of the whole C2C in the shape of Kidsty Pike before heading off down to Haweswater. Yet again the car juggling was simplified by Piers agreeing to run the route in reverse and we looked forward to meeting him midway again en-route. Climbing out of Patterdale provided lush vibrant green views of the valleys and mountains beyond and as we climbed higher these views just got better and better. Temperatures were soaring so a dip in Angle Tarn was obligatory and we were all looking forwards to a refreshing jump into Haweswater at the end of the days run. Reaching the top of Kidsty Pike was the highlight of a terrific day with magnificent panoramic views and our first proper sighting of the Pennine hills in the distance - our future goals. Dropping down steep slopes towards Haweswater we soon realised that a plunge in the lake would require the navigation of knee deep mud! Our hopes were dashed but our spirits were high as we looked forward to our next leg starting with an attractive traverse of the lake’s northern shore.

Coast to Coast : Leg 6

Coast to Coast : Leg 6

Spirits were high and our energy levels were even higher allowing us to make swift progress up the long and arduous climb out of Patterdale that the guidebooks described. Although the climbing was indeed long it turned out to be very enjoyable and the miles just ticked by.

Coast to Coast : Leg 6

Angle Tarn is often described as the most beautiful mountain tarn in the Lake District. In the heat of the day it was a no brain-er to stop and splash around for a while.

Coast to Coast : Leg 6

KEY MEMORIES : Glorious weather, top chauffeur, passing Piers, Bumbanks (!), Kidsty Pike, being called girls, descent into Haweswater, Mid-Summers Day .......

Coast to Coast : Leg 6

Coast to Coast : Leg 6

Leg 7 : Haweswater to Orton SAT 26th JULY 2014 : 17.3 MILES

‘Leaving the Lakes’. Today’s run was to be one of the longest and hottest on the whole C2C and we felt almost sad to be leaving the beauty of the Lake District Fells behind.

In order to feel that we were still in the lakes for at least one more run, we chose to start the leg with a traverse of Haweswater’s northern shoreline with beautiful Lakeland fells still in sight. Upon reaching the end of the lake however the landscape completely changed through woodland to rolling fields, tracks and roads and we felt that we had definitely left the lakes behind. We continued on, heading for the village of Shap, past Abbey Bridge and Shap Abbey until finally arriving at Shap itself where the local Co-op provided us with cold drinks to quench our thirst and ice creams to cool us down. The temperature was sky high making running quite an undertaking. Keen to press on towards the Pennines we ran beyond Shap, over an impressive M62 footbridge and on through a strange mix of pink granite and limestone escarpments towards the village of Orton. The last 6 or 7 miles took on a whole new character over undulating ground and wild moorland. This stretch seemed to take an age to navigate before finally arriving at our destination just outside of the village of Orton. A very long day indeed with unusually high temperatures making this leg a very challenging and memorable run.

Coast to Coast : Leg 7

Coast to Coast : Leg 7

KEY MEMORIES : Leaving the Lake District, 28 degree heat - felt like an oven running round the lake, passing the runners doing the 100 mile Lakeland Ultra Challenge, longest leg of the route - what an achievement.......

Coast to Coast : Leg 7

The landscape approaching Shap and then on to Orton changed in character enormously from that of the previous legs in the lakes.

This run was a milestone on the C2C - marking the end of the Lakeland section and the beginning of the Pennine Hills and the Dales of Yorkshire.

Coast to Coast : Leg 7

Leg 8 : Orton to Kirby Stephen SAT 6th SEPTEMBER 2014 : 13.1 MILES

Summer holidays now behind us we cracked on with the next leg of the C2C - on the way towards the Northern Pennines. This leg set out from a small car park above the village of Orton and took a high level traversing path over gentle limestone escarpments, through patchworks of fields, green valleys and sections of roads and tracks on the way to Kirby Stephen. We amazingly managed to dodge most of the cows en-route through luck rather than judgement and were pleased to get the ‘tiptoeing through fields’ sections firmly behind us. Most of the run took us over gently undulating moor, heath and pasture land and provided distant views of the Howgill Fells to the side and, in front, the menacing dark bulk of the Northern Pennines.

The surprising highlight of the run came in the form of Smardale Beck, Bridge, Viaduct and Fell all in sweet succession with Smardale Fell marking the highest point of the day’s run. This summit provided an excellent viewpoint over the Pennine Hills ahead and town of Kirby Stephen nestled welcomingly at their foot.

Coast to Coast : Leg 8

Coast to Coast : Leg 8

KEY MEMORIES : Heading for the Dales, disused railway viaduct, heather, sculpture at farm, good day descending wise, avoiding cows, great cafe stop and another great weather day .......

Coast to Coast : Leg 8

Coast to Coast : Leg 8

Leg 9 : Kirby Stephen to Keld SAT 27th SEPTEMBER 2014 : 11.3 MILES

The Kirby Stephen to Keld leg marked a significant point on our journey so far - it was on this run that we crossed the central watershed between the North West and North East of England ..... And what a very watery watershed it was! The weather for this leg was certainly more autumnal with grey skies and rolling fog patches making for a very atmospherical run. From Kirby Stephen we headed up a long steep climb to the very distinctive Nine Standards Rigg. The exact reason why there are nine giant cairns on the hill top is not known, although one theory believed plausible is that they were placed there to make it look like an army was camping there should the old “marauding Scots� try to invade, and the shape of the cairns does suggest tents and sentries. On a finer day there are few places that give a wider, more inspiring panorama, but today however was not to be one of those days. From this point the ground turned significantly mushy! Such are the erosion problems on the peaty, boggy moorland, that the Yorkshire Dales National Park requests that Coast to Coasters go by different routes depending on the time of year, thus helping the land to recover. Our blue route took us directly over the flanks of White Mosey Hill through the remote valley of Whitsundale and on towards Keld in the beautiful valley of Swaledale, our final destination for the day.

Coast to Coast : Leg 9

Coast to Coast : Leg 9

KEY MEMORIES : Nine Standards Rigg, bog trotting, crossing the Dales watershed, lovely waterfalls on way to Keld, misty weather, mad sprint to the car, Tricia getting changed‌‌

Coast to Coast : Leg 9

Coast to Coast : Leg 9

Leg 10 : Keld to Reeth

SAT 4th OCT 2014 : 11.2 MILES

Keld marked the half-way point on our run of the Coast to Coast. It might not look much but Keld is a crossing point for two great journeys. Travelling west to east is the Coast to Coast, and going south to north is the granddaddy of UK long distance paths: The Pennine Way. Wainwright gives two routes from Keld. There’s a low level route which provides a lovely and gentle amble along the mighty River Swale, and there’s a high level version which takes in something quite different – the ruins of old lead mines; the legacy of an industrial past and this was the route we chose to run. Today was a magical day - a mix of sunshine and rain, but stunning scenery all the way. Our route took us past the ruins of Crackpot Hall with wonderful views down the valley to Muker, past the old lead mines of Swinner Gill onto the moorland plateau of High Stone Man and Lownathwaite.

Dropping down into the high regions of the Gunnersdale valley was spectacular and brought with it a hail of bullets from a local shoot and a sharp rain storm from the west. The old mine workings at Blackethwaite Mine were hidden yet impressive with an almost cloister like look and feel, giving the impression that we had stumbled across the ruins of some long gone church, cathedral or monastery. The rest of the route to Reeth continued to be steeped in old industrial relics and made for an interesting and enchanting run.

Coast to Coast : Leg 10

Coast to Coast : Leg 10

This high level route from Keld to Reeth was a roller coaster of barren wasted moors interspersed with deep cut river beds and industrial ruins.

The hills of Swaledale have rich veins of lead ore that were exploited from at least Roman times onward. This run took us through areas of past intensive lead mining, with evidence of dammed streams and water releases that scoured soil off the surface and revealed lead ore seams. The resultant scars are known as hushes.

There were many ruined buildings along the route, one of which was Crackpot Hall - the ruined remains of a seventeenth century farmhouse. The name is derived from Old Norse and, disappointingly, refers to a connection with crows and a nearby pothole.

Coast to Coast : Leg 10

Despite its rural location, Keld was once home for lead miners and their families and its population rose as high as 6,000 people during the middle of the 19th century.

Coast to Coast : Leg 10

KEY MEMORIES : Grouse Moors, geology, getting shot at‌., old lead mine workings, lovely Swaledale, Surrender Bridge, Calver Hill

Coast to Coast : Leg 10

These bottom four photos and the one above are taken from our approach to Reeth from the Old Gang Smelt Mills; to and past Surrender Bridge, up Novel Houses Hill beyond, fording Bleaberry Beck and over the lower slopes of Calver Hill, past Healaugh and Riddings Rigg, to the village of Reeth, with the Swaledale valley down on our right.

The Old Gang smelt mill valley, near Surrender Bridge, probably has the biggest concentration of lead smelting mills in the country. The first mills were constructed in the 17th century and for over 200 years this now peaceful valley was a hive of industry.

Coast to Coast : Leg 10

Leg 11 : Reeth to Richmond SAT 1st NOVEMBER 2014 : 10 .7MILES

Today was the first day of a wonderful weekend of running - made more special by sharing it with Sally and Fizz. The stretch from Reeth to Richmond was to take us out of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and on towards the North York Moors. Setting off out of Reeth we had nearly 11 miles of green, rolling fields and valleys to navigate before arriving at Richmond. The weather was unseasonally warm for November, although not especially sunny, it was mild and dry, making for an enjoyable and very sociable run. Leaving Reeth behind, along the River Swale, through Fremington, we passed by Marrick Priory, an old home of Benedictine nuns until Henry VII got into his strop with the Pope and shut the place down. Some of the old priory buildings were still intact but we didn’t stop to look for long as we headed off over undulating farmland to the village of New Marske. We were leaving the hills and dales behind with the days route continuing on through mostly rolling farmland and steeply undulating tracks. A final climb took us to Applegarth Scar and from here we followed a high level traverse, north of the River Swale, through heath and woodland, before dropping down through green fields to the delights of Richmond town. Wainwright kept the Coast to Coast away from big towns, but with Richmond he couldn’t resist the lure of its history. The drop into Richmond was spectacular and well rewarding with views of the North York Moors in the far distance enticing us on.

Coast to Coast : Leg 11

Coast to Coast : Leg 11

KEY MEMORIES : Guest appearance from Sally, unbelievable weather, saw a hare, girly weekend away, visit to Swaledale MTB cafe, bumping into Lloyd and co……

Coast to Coast : Leg 11

Founded by the Normans in 1071, Richmond is a leafy, vibrant market town with an impressive Norman castle, Georgian architecture, a vast cobbled market place, museums, monuments and abbeys. It was the end of our day’s run and marked the end of our route through the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Coast to Coast : Leg 11

Leg 12 : Richmond to Bolton-on-Swale Sun 2nd NOVEMBER 2014 : 9.8 MILES

The second days run on our November weekend away was over flattish ground, going through and along fields and down country tracks. To be quite honest this wasn’t going to be the most interesting countryside to run through but we weren’t expecting much from the description given in Wainwrights guidebook. Many Coast to Coasters do this day and the next leg in one big effort, but running 25 miles on our second day out wasn’t that appealing. We planned instead to run this leg as a 10 mile step to Bolton-onSwale and keep the next 15 mile leg to Ingleby Cross for another weekend. We set out from Richmond along the banks of the River Swale, through woods and farmland and, as yesterday, the weather was warm and dry which made for another comfortable days run. The route followed the course of the River Swale for much of the run but took some loops away to gain higher ground. This offered tantalising views of the North York Moors in the distance which spurred us on. After a detour for roadworks and the crossing of the A1 the run continued through more and more farms and country tracks. Spotting a Little White Egret whilst running through fields near Brompton-onSwale kept out spirits high along with the banter and general enjoyment of running with friends. A mad sprint to the cars at the end finished the day with smiles all round.

Coast to Coast : Leg 12

Coast to Coast : Leg 12

KEY MEMORIES : Girlie’s weekend away, the start if the long slog out of the Yorkshire Dales, Fizz joined the team, distant hills, flat land, lots of banter, views of the River Swale, just about still warm, sprinting at the finish......

Coast to Coast : Leg 12

Coast to Coast : Leg 12

Leg 13 : Bolton-on-Swale to Ingleby Cross SAT 6th DECEMBER 2014 : 14.3 MILES

Today was going to be a slog however you looked at it - fifteen wintry miles of boggy, flat farmland and small winding roads to run on with no particular viewpoints or features along the way. The banter and great company however shone through and made the day much more enjoyable than anticipated. Sally joined the team for this leg and spirits were high as we set off on the monotonous miles of mud and endless roads and tracks. So inaccessible were farm paths due to missing stiles, barbed wire, angry farmers and bulls in the field, that Wainwright routed much of this section along roads. Thankfully due to the work of the council and landowners much of the road route has now been eliminated, although the route was still fairly tarmac intensive. From our start point at Ellerton Hall, just outside Bolton-on-Swale, we ran through the small villages of Streetlam and Danby Wiske, past farms, rivers and railway lines on our way to Ingleby Cross. The roads linked miles of running through fields which were fine but after a while got a bit tedious. We did, however, have plenty of giggles along the way as the clay from the bare muddy fields built up on the base of our shoes - making forward progress almost impossible and reducing us to fits of laughter. At least the sun shone for most of the run and the prospect of reaching the foot of the North York Moors at the end kept us going.

Coast to Coast : Leg 13

Coast to Coast : Leg 13

KEY MEMORIES : The dreaded long slog, boring landscape, mud clogging ground, Hopeful views of North Yorkshire Moors ahead, .....

Coast to Coast : Leg 13

KEY MEMORIES : Frozen lakes, fast trains from York, and disused (we hoped) railway lines to jump, skulls and plastic ducks, Tricia’s hot elderflower cordial, Jacqui feeling off colour, being grateful this leg was over……

Coast to Coast : Leg 13

Leg 14 : Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank SAT 11th JANUARY 2015 : 12.2 MILES

Today’s run was excitedly anticipated, marking the start of our run through The North York Moors National Park. The weather wasn’t particularly sunny or bright, but thankfully it was not raining nor too windy - all in all not bad for mid January. We set out of Ingleby Cross with smiles on our faces, eager to gain some altitude again and enjoy some distant views. After crossing the busy A172 we headed up into the woodland of Scarth Wood Moor zigzagging our way up towards the masts of the WT&TV station and Trig point. The day’s route followed the northern edge of the North York Moors escarpment and offered wonderful views and interesting features all the way. The path rolled along the tops of the moors and dipped into small cols and pretty valleys along the way. It was a very lovely day and one of our favourite legs.

This route to Clay Bank was worthy of a run in it’s own right, starting from Ingleby Cross with views over Mount Grace Priory the path lead us over Scarth Wood Moor, Scarth Nick, Near Moor, Scugdale, Live Moor, Holey Moor, Carlton Bank, Lord Stones, Busby Moor, Cringle Moor, The Wainstones, Hasty Bank and down into the car park at Clay Bank. Twelve miles of good paths through wonderful scenery, with panoramic views and great company - well worth another visit someday soon.

Coast to Coast : Leg 14

Coast to Coast : Leg 14

A National Park since 1952, a sense of space and solitude marks the North York Moors.

Ridge upon ridge of purple heather moorland extend into the distance. The deep secret valleys which cut the plateau come almost as a surprise and the warmth of their redroofed villages contrasts with the upland solitude.

Coast to Coast : Leg 14

Coast to Coast : Leg 14

KEY MEMORIES : North Yorks Moors, back into the hills, great views, heading for the sea, helicopter search and rescue, Hilary’s childhood reminiscing, surprisingly steep climbs and sharp descents, easy to follow route……

Coast to Coast : Leg 14

Coast to Coast : Leg 14

Leg 15 : Clay Bank to Glaisdale Rigg SAT 7th FEBRUARY 2015 : 14.5 MILES

The first day of another amazing weekend away. Snow had covered much of Northern England for the past month and it was touch and go whether we would actually be able to get to the North York Moors at all. Luck was on our side as all roads were clear and there was a lovely covering of crisp snow across the tops. We were also blessed with sunshine and a forecast for settled weather for the whole weekend. The sun was out and the snow was deep and fluffy as we headed out of the car park at Clay Bank and started on our first climb over Urra Moor to Round Hill. At 1,490ft, Round Hill is the highest point of the North York Moors and once we’d done this initial climb it was mostly flat going, although arduous given the deep snow. At Bloworth Crossing, a mile or so on, we headed off on the trackbed for the Rosedale Ironstone Railway that was constructed in 1861. Although flat, this section was incredibly exhausting given the covering of snow. We had over 9 miles of ‘knees-up’ running before we reached the road on Blakey Ridge. The sunshine and blue skies more than made up for the leg sapping conditions and offered us beautiful views into the surrounding valleys and dales. A mile or two on tarmac took us to Rosedale Head junction where we again took to snow covered trails. The final strenuous snowy run took us past Trough House and along Cut Road trail back to the car that we’d left on Glaisdale Rigg - just in time for a beautiful sunset.

Coast to Coast : Leg 15

Coast to Coast : Leg 15

KEY MEMORIES : a dream of a run, v knackering but so memorable, unexpected snow, unexpected sunshine, deep and crisp, going over unbroken ground, Trish’s pink soles, the sky, ...........

Coast to Coast : Leg 15

MORE KEY MEMORIES : Trough House to Glaisdale Rigg, digging in deep physically and mentally, fading light........

Coast to Coast : Leg 15

MORE KEY MEMORIES : Getting back to car and scrabbling around to get warm again, great B & B, great meal, slight sadness at being close to the end ..‌

Coast to Coast : Leg 15

Coast to Coast : Leg 15

Leg 16 : Glaisdale Rigg to Littlebeck SUN 8th FEBRUARY 2015 : 12.4 MILES

Today was another fabulously sunny day and the last day’s running for this weekend away. We couldn’t have planned a more invigorating trip. Today’s run started out from the top of a snow covered Glaisdale Rigg where we enjoyed magnificent views across the valley of Glaisdale and on into the distance to our destination twelve and a half miles ahead.

Although tired from yesterdays leg sapping 15 miles we were feeling rejuvenated by the sunshine and scenery and set a good pace all day. Dropping down the length of Glaisdale Rigg for over 4 miles provided a welcome start to the run with temperatures beginning to rise as we dropped into the green valley of Eskdale. The weather was glorious and we were soon too hot to be running in winter clothing - this didn’t feel like a snowy February day - it was wonderful. From the bottom of the Rigg the route roughly followed the River Esk through the pretty villages of Glaisdale and Egton Bridge to the very picturesque village of Grosmont, home to the North York Moors Railways. Being energised by the previous 20 plus miles of beautiful weekend running we tackled the 2 mile long, 1-in-3, climb out of Grosmont with extra vigour amazing ourselves with our energy levels. The views from the top of Sleights Moor made the climb worth while with the North Sea beckoning and our final stopping point at Littlebeck only a short distance away.

Coast to Coast : Leg 16

Coast to Coast : Leg 16

KEY MEMORIES : Great breakfast, less snow but still lots of sunshine, feeling unexpectedly good, 1 in 3 out of Grosmont, cafe/art gallery in Grosmont, seeing the sea, lovely Littlebeck……

Coast to Coast : Leg 16

Coast to Coast : Leg 16

Leg 17 : Littlebeck to Robin Hood’s Bay SAT 7th MARCH 2015 : 11.6 MILES

This was the final leg of our Coast to Coast run and we had mixed emotions. We didn’t want this adventure to end yet were eager to arrive at Robin Hood’s Bay with just short of twelve miles of running across mixed terrain. Although not quite as stunningly sunny as our last two legs the weather was kind enough and with no rain predicted we could look forward to a bright yet windy run. Today’s route took us out of Littlebeck in a southerly direction through Falling Foss Wood (an obviously busy tourist attraction in the summer months) towards the May Beck picnic spot at the head of the Littlebeck valley. We passed many features in these woods including The Hermitage, Falling Foss waterfall, board walks, stepping stones, old stone packhorse bridges, Midge Hall, tea rooms and a random high heel - quite a collection. From here we took a sharp left bend heading north and upwards to Fylingdales Moor. This soggy piece of bleak and windswept moorland was to be our last taste of Coast to Coast wilderness and provided miles of wonderful waterlogged pathways and peat bogs before dropping down into the green and rolling coastal landscape around Hawsker. From here on the route took us directly to the high cliffs above the North Sea and our final few miles of enjoyable undulating running along the cliff path to Robin Hood’s Bay. Our last steep descent through RHB took us to the cobbled slipway at the Bay Hotel where, with smiles all round, we celebrated by dipping our feet and throwing our pebbles into the Sea.

Coast to Coast : Leg 17

Coast to Coast : Leg 17

KEY MEMORIES : Last leg, lots of emotions, Falling Foss Woods, heel of a shoe, wind, being silly, arriving at the sea, rounding up lambs, messing about in the sea at the end, signing the book ......

Coast to Coast : Leg 17

MORE KEY MEMORIES : The poem, girl who said ‘it was lovely to watch you being happy’, being the first to complete the C2C in 2015, celebrating with champagne batter fish and chips .....

Coast to Coast : Leg 17

MORE KEY MEMORIES : Sense of achievement, choosing another pebble, souvenir shopping ....‌

Coast to Coast : Leg 17

Coast to Coast : Leg 17

Our Coast to Coast run has been a wonderful journey through many of the natural and cultural highlights of Northern England. The pleasure gained was not only derived from the landscapes we passed through and the joy of being able to run as free as the wind - but, most importantly, from the friendship, camaraderie and shared experiences along the way.

The Coast to Coast route is a 192-mile unofficial and mostly unsignposted long-distance footpath in Northern England. Devised by Alfred Wainwright, it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park.

This book is a photographic journal of our Coast to Coast run that started on the west coast in St Bees on 15th March 2014 and ended on the east coast at Robin Hood’s Bay on 7th March 2015. Our route was broken into seventeen comfortably runnable legs, roughly planned at monthly intervals over the period of a year.

Splitting the route like this allowed us to run Wainwrights original route without major impact on our busy family and working lives. This split also provided us with something to look forwards to throughout the year amongst our more normal local weekend runs. It marked the beginning of our distance trail running adventures and rekindled our love of exploring the beautiful wild landscapes of Northern England.

JACQUI FOSTER : HILARY BARBER : TRICIA GILL