We had asked for breakfast at 7:30am but at 7:10 a knock on
the door announced it was waiting for us! The four Australians were already
at the table as they were eager to get under way to complete their walk today.
They said goodbye and left before we finished breakfast. By 8:55am we had
paid(£36) and said thank you to Mrs Mortimer and headed off to regain Glaisdale
Rigg. A steep climb and we were back on the Coast to Coast by 9:30am.
Shortly after we met our first Coast to Coaster heading east. We passed several
more before we stopped for elevenses at dead on 11:00am. There was a
cold wind blowing but fortunately for us it was from the east and we barely
noticed it although we had both put on our fleeces. We set off again and there
was nothing of note just a steady trickle of eastward bound Coast to Coasters.
The going was easy enough and before long the Lion Inn was in view.
Unfortunately it was still more than two miles away via the circuitous route
along the road. We passed White Cross, Youg Ralph Cross and the Flat Stone.
About half a mile before the inn we spoke to a group of four who were intending
to still walk to Grosmont that day. This seemed almost an impossibility
given that it was now almost 13:30pm and they were not travelling particularly
quickly. It would almost certainly be after dark before they arrived! On
reaching the Lion Inn we were directed to Room 3 which turned out to be a large
triple room with en suite. The rest of the day was spent lounging in the
bath and generally taking it easy. Hopefully it would fully refresh us for
the coming three days. The Lion Inn serves food all day and I reflected on my
father's account of his Coast to Coast 29 years earlier:
Inspecting my map, I saw "Lion Inn" - about
7miles away. It was just after noon. So I put my best feet foremost -
contemplating a glorious pint and some fodder if I got there in time. It really
was splendid walking. The Lion Inn was a lonely building on a road high on the
moor, but geared obviously to the motor traffic of the day, with lots of subdued
lighting and gleaming bars and a painted doll of a barmaid who couldn't care
less. I ordered my pint and asked for a meal (three plates of grub were just
being handed out to three yobbos) but the response from the maiden was
completely negative. Not only was I too late for a meal, but she couldn't or
wouldn't offer me any food at all, not even a packet of crisps, so my stomach
was doomed to wait. Leaving this abortive inn I plodded on. A narrow track contoured Great Fryup Dale and
took me along a ridge and down into Glaisdale. I arrived at the village after
about 7miles of excellent walking, just before 6pm. And sat on a seat outside
the "Mitre" until it opened. Here was a very different kind of barmaid who
provided me with an excellent plate of food and a pint of delicious ale and
listened sympathetically to my tale of the Lion
Inn.
The Lion Inn still has subdued
lighting but the hospitality is greatly improved. Sadly the Mitre in
Glaisdale is no more since two of the three pubs have been shut
down leaving only the Arncliff Arms. We ate around 19:00pm and were in bed by
22:00pm
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