11.7 miles
With a forecast of another very warm day, we left Danby Wiske early – I really don’t like hiking in hot weather. Much of the day would be spent walking along quiet, but paved roads.
This was our second day of walking across the Vale of Mowbray which sits between Swaledale and the Cleveland Hills. It is reputed to be the least interesting part of the Coast to Coast Path, but I found hiking through the wide-open countryside, the animals and farms to be a relaxing experience. We did have a view of the Cleveland Hills, hills that we would tackle the following day.
Occasionally, a farmer put an “honesty box” along the trail containing food and cold drinks. The assumption is that payment would be deposited for anything removed.
Some farmers were looking for a little entertainment by watching hikers’ reactions to realistic, plastic rats that had been attached to a stile on the trail. We could not avoid them and had a good laugh!
As the heat of the day mounted, a flock of sheep took cover under a tree.
We took a 1-mile side trip to visit Mount Grace Priory, founded in 1398 and purpose-built for a Carthusian Order of monks, each living a solitary, vegetarian “quiet life” in one of twenty-five cells with private gardens. After the Order left this facility in 1539, the priory was saved by the new owners, who purchased it at that time. In 1899, the adjoining 17th-century manor house was combined with the priory and the owner began further restoration of the priory.
The manor house’s gardens contained a stunning abundance of flowers.
A very handsome rooster sauntered out to greet us.
Upon returning to the C2C path, we shortly left it again to head for the village of Osmotherley and the Queen Catherine B&B.
Our British friends, Jean, Peter, and Graham met up with us here and would continue with us on the next day’s walk. A delicious dinner was enjoyed by all at the Golden Lion.
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