Day 17 - Great Broughton to Blakey Ridge

A great start to the day today - the chef from Wainstones Hotel in Great Broughton, our accommodation overnight, drove us 4 kms back to Clay Bank Top to resume the Coast to Coast journey. Now that's service! Immediately we began a very steep climb on paved steps, for about 20 minutes.  It was a tough beginning to the day's walk but once we reached the top of Urra Moor (the highest ground of the North York Moors) the going was much easier.          

Rosedale Ironstone Railway, a century ago, serviced the iron mines and now this disused track provides walkers with a very easily  navigated pathway across the moors.

The Moors are home to many birds.  They nest in the low growing heath and feed among the many grasses growing on these isolated hills.  We saw a family of grouse and a golden plover but could hear many more birds, just didn't see them up close.

A golden plover was wandering close to our path.

 The sheep are still our companions, roaming freely on the moors.

'Le Tour de Moorland' passed by while we were having morning tea.

Throughout the day, from the higher tops of the moors, we skirted Farndale,  a beautiful valley which runs into the North York moors.

Farndale Valley 

Allan looking towards High Blakey Moor

Our walk today was one of the shortest of our whole journey and therefore the quickest.  Allan suggested that we relax and enjoy our day just meandering slowly. We may never pass this way again. Most of our fellow walkers passed us by, some stopping for a chat about the birds or the scenery before they continuing on towards the Lion Inn. We decided to take a quiet respite,  so we pulled up a nice comfortable rock, took off our boots, unpacked our lunch and enjoyed our beautiful surroundings. Several passing walkers commented on the luxury of such a pleasant restaurant. The Moors are rugged but beautiful, the colours  were lovely even though the heather wasn't flowering yet.  We're told that's another spectacular sight to behold.  I think it would just make our walk  slower with even  more photo opportunities.

We walked along three moors today, Urra, Farndale and High Blakey.  Our destination, the isolated  Lion Inn is located at the top of Blakey Ridge.  It is the fourth highest Inn in Britain.

Our first view of The Lion Inn.  

Our arrival at The Lion Inn - it was a bit windy!  I am holding on to stay upright!