I crossed the bridge and ‘turned right’ onto the Coast to Coast heading for Reeth and Home. A bit of effort required climbing up from Swinner Gill but once on top it was easy walking on the ‘new ’. Through experience I avoided the sign posted path across some rough boggy ground and was soon heading down to Gunnerside Beck. The early morning mistiness had cleared and I stopped for lunch, bathed my feet in the ice cold beck and laid in the grass in the warm sun.. Set off again climbing up the first of the hushes as there seemed to be a path and there was a large group of people (foreigners!) coming down. Any route up is as good as any other but this one actually came out at a sign on the road at the top so was obviously the ‘right’ path though not the bridleway shown on the map. Quick march all the way down to Surrender Bridge with only a brief pause to look at the ruins of the smelting mill about half way down. The chimneys are built up through the rocks in the side of the hill. This whole valley had been one enormous industrial site of gargantuan scale. At 3:50 I reached the beck at Cringley Bottom and once more stopped, dabbled my feet in the water and ate my orange. 3 miles further and I was entering Reeth. It was just after 5pm and the Tourist Information was already closed. I enquired at the shop about buses and discovered I had missed the last one to Richmond today and that tomorrow (Sunday) the only bus was at 8pm going to Darlington. I bought some provisions and sat outside drinking a milkshake. I had no alternative but to camp for the night and then tomorrow I might as well walk to Danby Wiske and then on to Northallerton on Monday morning. I rang Gemma from the phone box (no mobile reception in Reeth except apparently Orange!) to tell her the news. Walked down to the camp site (£5), set up tent and had tea. An elderly chap (ie my age!) camped next to me was from Birmingham and was doing the Coast to Coast over a period of three weeks. Needless to say we exchanged anecdotes. He must have thought I was super fit when I told him I had walked 22 miles today as was planning the same tomorrow. He said his limit was 16. Phoned Gemma again and she told me the last train from Northallerton on a Sunday was 19:49 so I decided that with and early start I might make home tomorrow after all. Was asleep soon after ten with the alarm set for 5am.

Woke just before the alarm and poked my head out. It was a cool but dry morning. Had a bowl of cereal and some orange juice and was away by 6am. Everyone else was asleep in there tents and caravans. A brisk walk along the road to Marrick Priory passing on the way two women out for an early morning walk (the Priory is an outdoor pursuits centre). Up through the woods and into Marrick where a farmer and his family were busy loading straw onto a lorry. Chatted briefly about the weather and how dry it had been and then out across the fields towards Marske. Passed the sign to ‘Elaines Teas’ and the bacon butty sounded tempting but it was still too soon for my first stop. I had almost reached a gate at the far side of a field when I noticed a large bull! He looked docile enough so I quickly took a photo of him. Just before the road down into Marske I stopped by the wall at the same spot as I had done almost exactly a year ago. I brewed some tea and ate a roll with cheese. An inquisitive cow wandered over and started salivating. As I was down in a dip he was standing some 3ft above me. When the rest of the herd joined him I began to get worried they might fall on top of me so I stood up and sat on the wall. At every rustle of paper or plastic they would salivate even more. The inquisitive one even came round and licked my stove! Through Marske, where I saw two more black rabbits amongst some ‘ordinary’ ones, and by 9:15am I was on the ridge leading into Richmond. I was making good progress and before long had reached the Tourist Information Office in the town centre. I enquired about buses to Northallerton. There weren’t any on Sunday! However there was one going to Darlington at 12:09pm. It was now just before 11am so I decided to walk up to the Market Place to locate the bus stop. Much to my surprise a bus was standing there with Darlington Station on the front. It left 5 minutes later and I found myself (and one other gentleman) hurtling along the A1 northwards from Scotch Corner on my way home! Caught a train to Doncaster and then on to Retford (ticket £21.40) where Gemma met me at 13:25pm.