Day 6 - Shap to Orton

 Distance today 7.9 miles

Total distance so far 77 miles

With the prospect of a shorter day today, we had a more relaxed start. Shap is located on an obvious crossing point through the mountains. It’s also at a high point on the railway line and M6.  The morning was bright as we followed a footpath to pass through a short tunnel under the West Coast main line and then on a footbridge over the M6.  Quite a visual and audio contrast to the deep countryside! 

The Royal Mail post train! (We also saw a Tescos train)

Crossing the M6

Leaving Shap, we left the Lake District and entered the Yorkshire Dales. 

Open moorland for miles

The route to Orton traverses Southwards only slowly parting from the line of the M6 but soon we were clear and walking on open moorland away from the madding crowd.  This was a beautiful walk in very different countryside from what we’ve been enjoying so far.  The sheep were also different - Swaledales not Herdwicks!

After a couple of hours we stopped to sit in the sun and enjoy a flask of coffee to the sound of the skylarks overhead.

Going down to Orton

Honesty (maybe?)

Marsh marigold

The old stocks in Orton!

Orton lies only a short distance off the main C2C route so it was an easy decision to defer a lunch stop until we arrived at the Orton Scar Cafe - a community initiative, supported by the Yorkshire Dale's Park.

We sat in the sun for a while before having a look around the pretty village and visited the church with its bells dating from 1530.

The Orton chocolate factory. They make all their own chocolates in here!

Our accommodation for the night was just a few miles away in Tebay so we adjourned to the pub to await our taxi at 5.

And then…. we’d booked supper at the ‘haunted’ Cross Keys - noted for its poltergeists and things that go bump in the night. Disappointingly, despite having a starter….a main course …. and a pudding we left unscathed by the experience. But they say that on a moonlight night……an icy chill descends……