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Whitby, England

The Cleveland Way, Day 7, Staithes to Whitby

Expected Mileage: 11.0
Actual Mileage: 12.5

Accommodations: No.7 Guest House
Rating: Very Good, location is excellent
Date: Sunday, May 13, 2018

Hello Mike and Leslie,

Today is Day 7.  I think I was confused yesterday and we don’t want to repeat days (apparently in the title of the email I sent to Leslie yesterday, I said that yesterday was day 7)!  Staithes had a steady rain overnight. We woke to a heavy fog and a questionable weather forecast. We packed full rain gear and mentally prepared for the worst but the rain held off and we hiked under mostly cloudy skies.  

Soggy morning view from our second floor room at the Roraima House in Staithes.
We said good-bye to Staithes under cloudy skies with a seagull soaring overhead. As you can see, the tide was out.

Today’s walk took us 12.5 miles from B&B to B&B, mostly over cliff tops overlooking the sea.

Never got tired of the sounds of the sea rolling against the cliffs, the seagulls soaring in the air currents and the sound of wind rustling through the grasses.
This picture is a little dark but honestly, we hiked under gray, threatening skies most of the day and the landscape was at times dark and dramatic.
Sometimes the path wound around the ravines amongst the cliffs….
Sometimes the path dropped down around a ravine then a series of steps led us up to the next cliff.

Every few miles we would drop down near the sea and pass through a little fishing/tourist village with such names as Port Mulgrove, Runswick Bay, Sandsend and finally our destination, Whitby.  The villages were fun to walk through and in the case of Runswick Bay, our path took us across the beach and back up a cliff on the otherside.  We did a little beachcombing and picked up small stones for our rock collection. Lots of steps again today!

The path down to Runswick Bay
We were warned the shore at Runswick Bay might not be passable on during high tide on a stormy day but we obviously hit low tide. It was fun to walk in the sand and search for shells.
What goes down must come up on this trail and here is John headed up the steps out of Runswick Bay.

We saw more people on the trail than in past days. Most were up from a nearby villages out for a walk with their dog (s). The miles went by reasonably quick and my feet did not hurt as much till toward the end of the day.  Both of us were ready to be here about 2 miles before we arrived.  

Looking back on Runswick Bay
A proper English countryside estate.
Throughout the 10 days of hiking the path led us through farm fields. We saw many types of gates and crossings. This was an interesting crossing we scrambled over on this day. Beyond the crossing, the path continues on the right-side of the field. We were always respectful of a farmer’s property and appreciative that right of ways were provided for The Cleveland Way.
Seaside village of Sandsend coming into view.
Below the seawall at Sandsend
Sandsend is a charming village. We observed several hotels, restaurants and a golf course on the outskirts of the village. From here we walked along the road to Whitby. The tide was coming in so we could not follow the shoreline at sea level.

Whitby is the largest village we have been in since York.  Like the rest of the seaside villages, it sits on a hill with a steep decent or ascent to get to or from the water.

Arriving on the outskirts of Whitby.

Our B&B reminds me of some of the old hotels I have stayed in NYC, elegant but very small rooms.  We can almost touch wall to wall if we reach our arms out and forget leaving suitcases open, we couldn’t get around them.  However the shower is good and they have a set of the item we most miss on this trip, the washcloth.

View from the window balcony of our B&B In the distance on the hill are the ruins of Whitby Abbey.
Whitby is a picturesque tourist town!
A wide boardwalk follows the seawall from town to the sea.

Whitby reminds us of a Gatlinburg type town in the area around the water with arcades, ice cream stands and lots of people. The rest of the city appears to be a normal seaside village. We had fish and chips for dinner at a restaurant called Magpie Cafe.  This is my 3rd meal of fish and chips and I am over it!  Why do I think I like the heavily breaded, greasy, tasteless fish?  No more for me!!

We keep eating fish and chips….. I said “no more” but there will be more!
Our restaurant, The Magpie Cafe
The Whitby tourist strip crowded with people, ice cream shops, t shirt-gift shops and restaurants

Well, I can see from our large picture window in our room, the streetlights have turned on.The last of the pink sunset is fading on the horizon beyond the sea and Whitby is rolling up it’s sidewalks on this Sunday evening.  It’s about our bedtime.  Six miles tomorrow to Robin Hood’s Bay (yes that Robin Hood) and we then have to decide whether to hike the 15 mile day or take the bus.  Talk to you tomorrow…

Love,
Beverly

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