Pic: A very early export Nissan! 1966?? How far they have come...
Packed and ready to roll just before 7am into a quiet world of still sleeping (hung over?) tourists, heading north with a very strong, cold wind generally howling from behind or the left (west side) quarter. After less than 20 minutes the grey, low clouds released their threat of steady rain. Seemed to hit my face so hard that they felt like mini-hail stones. The views along this stretch of the coast are dramatic indeed, with the road rising and falling across massive headlands, that terminate at the sea-shore in high cliffs. The first major challenge of this day’s difficult walking was the massive steep (25%) hill rising from the tiny port village of Sandsend, rising eventually to the top of the next cliff top. At some points on the switch-backs, I felt that I was climbing stairs. The out-pouring of energy required to make the ascent effectively reduced my appetite/pleasure with the balance of today’s walk. The TV weather forecast of 11-13 celsius did not materialize during my walking day, seeming to feel through my soggy clothes to be nearer, to 5-6 degrees, less the wind chill factor on wet clothes. Due to the slow forward walking progress made today, along with the most unpleasant weather conditions, I turned away from my planned destination of Saltburn-on-Sea for the market town of Guisborough, positioning myself to pass through Middlesborough on tomorrow’s stage and across the River Tees into Hartlepool.
Landed for my overnight at the Three Fiddle’s Pub, whose landlord gave casebook credence to the reason for the fact that 40 pubs EACH week are closing down in England---no heating till 5pm, no food till 6.30pm.
25.2 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1188.6
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 7.0
Type of accommodation: 3 Fiddles Pub.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 28.50
Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.
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