Our break in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park
Walking along the cliffs above Robin Hood's Bay
As has become customary, the end of September saw the HWDR heading off to pastures new in search of new and interesting walks. This year 13 walkers and some additional spouses set off for Pickering in North Yorkshire, braving the yellow warning for rain which made the drive down quite hazardous at times.
We had arranged to meet at the Premier Inn where the majority of the group were staying, so after checking in to our various accommodation we headed there with wary eyes on the weather forecast to plan walks for the next few days.
Day one promised rain all day, so the majority group decided on a trip to York, where we had a wet but enjoyable walk around the city walls in the morning.
Our group outside the Victorian water tower on the banks of the River Ouse with Lendal bridge in the background
Wet walkers, enjoying? a walk round the city walls
Lunch had been planned to be in the famous Betty’s Tea Rooms, but the size of our group and the queues outside made this impossible, so we plumped for Costa instead. After lunch we considered visiting the Minster, but at £18.00 entry we decided to go to Jorvik museum instead. The rain had now mostly dried up, but it was still nice to be inside for an hour visiting York as it would have been in Viking times among the extremely lifelike animatronic figures and the sights, sounds and smells of ancient York.
In the evening, we all met up again for an excellent meal at the Fox and Rabbit, not far from Pickering and chatted about our day, and other nonsense. Some of the people who didn’t come to York had spent the day looking at the Steam Trains on the NYMR, or exploring the villages along the route.
Meal at the Fox and Rabbit
Day two all the walkers gathered at Pickering station and took the train to Goathland, a beautiful village made famous to some as the setting for TV’s Heartbeat series. There was plenty of memorabilia in the shop for fans to enjoy, and the village was beautifully kept.
Goathland, or Aidensfield, as it is in the TV drama 'Heartbeat'
We headed out of the village along a good track which soon led us down to a river, where we then followed along the side of the railway for a while. The weather was much kinder to us today, and we enjoyed a coffee stop at Beck Hole where there was a lovely pub, shop and toilets. After coffee we continued along good paths, enjoying the views of the rolling hills, and the frequent steam trains in the distance, until we reached Grosmont Station where we had our lunch.
Stanier class 5 locomotive reversing onto its train to Pickering at Grosmont
It was then a pleasant but steep walk up the roads and paths to the route across the moors which led us back to Goathland Station and our train. The train was running slightly late due to an earlier train breaking down, but we did get a free cup of coffee due the inconvenience. Great service!
On day three the weather was even better, almost summery again. We drove to Whitby where we caught the bus to Robin Hood’s Bay. A lovely fishing village and the official end of the Coast-to-Coast long-distance walk, which some of our group reminisced about having done some years ago. We spent a bit of time there, and weather was a great excuse for ice creams at 10.30 in the morning! We then made our way up the steep streets to the coastal cliff path which was so well kept and easy walking.
Walking between Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby in the sunshine – a contrast to the day spent in York!
The threatened gusty winds did not materialise and it was very pleasant walking along the cliff edge. As we got closer to Whitby, the path became a bit steeper with more steps and the occasional muddy patch which caught a couple of people out. We stopped for lunch soon after the lighthouse, and lay in the sun for a while. Setting off again, soon the caravans high on the cliffside appeared, and then Whitby Abbey, and then we saw a couple of the non-walkers coming to meet us up the 199 steps.
Walking down the 199 steps from the Abbey to the harbour in Whitby
Back in Whitby the majority enjoyed a delicious fish supper and then we made our way back to our accommodation to pack for the journey home. A lovely few days in a part of the world familiar to some of the group but not to all. Many thanks everyone.