Day 16 - Grosmont to Robin Hoods Bay

Distance today 15 miles

Total distance coast to coast 205 miles!!!

Yesterday, we'd walked 4 miles beyond our intended accommodation in Glaisdale to reach Grosmont so as to reduce the rather intimidating length of the final day's walk - the arrangement being, that after breakfast, our hosts would give us a lift back to rejoin the trail to restart the final day at Grosmont.

Having last night, 'exchanged views' with our host (a mad-keen motorbiker) on the rights and WRONGS of allowing scrambling motorbikes' access to Britain's precious "green lanes" we have to admit to some nervousness as to whether the offer of the morning lift would still be honoured.

Well!!! Better than that, we were given a lift - not only to Grosmont but also to the top of the 1 mile long, 1 in 3 incline from the centre of Grosmont so that we were able to start our final day - fueled with porridge and as fresh as daisies!!!

It was difficult to suppress our self-congratulatory glee, looking back down from Black Brow while admiring the sign!!!!

In all directions we were back on top of the moors.

As we walked down a coarse track off Sleights Moor, Sally spotted a deer a second before it spotted her. They exchanged glances before it took off bounding over the furze and gorse.

Lower down the track we came upon a grass snake warming itself in the sunshine

and a few minutes at later an adder lazily slid into the undergrowth close by.

By now we'd rejoined a narrow tarmac road and as we dropped down Daisy Bank we were met by a fleet of 30 or more tractors straining smokily up the steep hill on their 'drive-out' to a St. Andrews Hospice charity event at Whitby.

Each of the drivers waving as their tractors laboured noisily uphill.

At Littlebeck we stopped at a comfortable bench for a coffee 

to drink-in the marvels of the morning before walking through the very pretty Little Beck wood

towards The Hermitage carved out of solid rock

and on 

to the waterfall at Falling Foss

Then back out on the final moor across the very boggy Soulsgrave Slack and Graystone Hills - we decided definitely best tackled in the bright sunlight!!! 

It seemed to us that even in the boggiest of places there's beauty

A cooler breeze had been picking up throughout the morning and with the impossibility of finding anywhere bog-free to sit for our picnic lunch,  

we eventually took shelter in the gorse and hedges near Rigg Farm.

Rejuvenated, we found a promising signpost

What goes well with buttercups?? ....

...a tribe of friendly goats. In fact, very friendly goats!

And then at long last, the misty horizon over the sea.

and a steep drop down to the final stretches of the blustery cliff path 

A blackbird joined in to cheer us on for the last few yards along the cliff

before our first sight through the sea haze of Robin Hood's Bay

followed by a steep STEEP descent through the pretty village

 to end up on the slipway.

The tide did seem a  l o n g  way out but we found our way out to the nearest wave to toss our pebbles in to the sea.

... auspiciously, just as a Coastguard rescue helicopter hovered overhead!!

We, of course celebrated with a pint or two  of Wainwright's Best bitter at the Bay Hotel

and met a few others in congratulatory mood who'd also finished today. 

We signed the 'Finisher's book' at the bar and slowly retreated our way back up hill to our accommodation before finding our restaurant for the evening and eventual deep deep satisfied sleep.