Date: Saturday, 18 July 2026
Day: 11
From: Richmond To: Danby Wiske
Start Walking: 837am End Walking: 215pm
Distance (Planned): 22km Distance (Garmin): 23.4km
Progress: 206.9/306km
Ascent: 148m Descent: 242m
Weather: Overcast all day. Warm to start and then cooled off with the lightest sprinkles of rain!
Stayed At: Ashfield House
General Comments:
• I am happy to advise that the Great Cream Tea Hunt of 2026 has finally met with success! We rewarded ourselves with a delicious morning tea in Richmond and the PiC finally got her scones. I opted for a Manchester Tart (what or whoever that is) and it hit the spot too.
• I also had my first full English breakfast for the walk. I needed to have at least one on this walk and now that I have ticked that box, I can return to a more normal breakfast intake. Sorry Traditionalists, I couldn’t come at the black pudding!
• It was goodbye to Richmond this morning. We had had a good and relaxing rest day, and our bodies appreciated it. I would have enjoyed another day exploring this fascinating town, but there is a path to walk.
• It was also goodbye to the River Swale. We have been walking alongside or near it for the best part of 4 days and it was time to change the landscape and views.
• And it was very different again today. Much flatter for one, but also an immersion in some more serious agricultural pursuits, especially cropping. It was a bit of a surprise to be walking through fields of wheat, oats, canola and lupins. Some were harvested and some still slowly ripening. I wonder what this extended warmth and dry spell has done to the farming calendar?
• Today was a bit of a freestyling day. Quite often the signs disappeared or were overgrown with weeds and when we checked our app, it was not happy and showed us way off track. We suspect that now the Coast to Coast Path has been designated a National Trail, the track has been altered a bit and the app simply hasn’t been updated. It wasn’t a huge problem as we knew we were still heading in the right direction, just not quite on the official track.
• Being a Saturday, there were lots of new people on the trail. New Coast to Coast walkers who started from Richmond, day walkers, and cyclists. It’s all very social.
Top Tips:
• Route Assumptions: Today was not as straight forward as expected. It looked very clear in the guidebook and on the app, but on the trail, it was a different story. Check you have the latest version of both to save yourself a bit of standing around, scratching your head.
• Church at Bolton-on-Swale: This is a lovely church and even better, they welcome walkers. You can make yourself a cuppa, they have snacks and a toilet. They also acknowledge the life of a man who claimed to be 169years old before making the Church graveyard his home. Believe it or not! 😄
And for us, it’s hard to believe we only have 5 walking days left. Time flies and all that…
Life...one big adventure 
Now that’s what I call a scone, Mel. Puts mine to shame. I don’t really do English breakfasts- especially floating in bean juice- ugh! But I love Richmond. We’ve spent many happy days by the river there xx
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I think I’m a once-offa! One scone, one Full English. Neither really agree with me. 😊 And Yes, Richmond definitely deserves a return visit. Have a good evening, Jo. Melxx
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What on earth was on that scone? A classic cream tea is a warm plain scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream. Fruit scone and raspberry jam are acceptable, and I have even had a ginger scone and a lemon scone. But classic is the best. I’m glad to see Roddas clotted cream ❤️
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🤣🤣 there were so many scones to choose from the PiC got quite bedazzled by the range and quickly said Yes to one on the long list the waitress was rattling off!😅 Sacrilegious I know, but that scone was covered in white chocolate!
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I don’t think Id be able to walk after your English Breakfast Mel, but the scones looks tasty. Maggie
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I am sad to say that I didn’t finish it all (the breakfast) for that very reason, Maggie. I hate to waste things.
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Finally, the well-deserved scone and a full English Breakfast – the Coast to Coast Path mission complete 😁. Love the sheep sign! Only 5 walking days? It feels like you just started yesterday. Enjoy the last few days!
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We certainly have ticked a lot of boxes on this walk – both culinary and scenic! 😊😁🎂
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That scone!!!!!
Love that they are concerned about ‘worrying’ their sheep 🙂
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We would call it “attacking” sheep in Australia, but maybe they don’t want to alarm anyone over here!😁😉
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The best sign to date! Doesn’t it make you wonder about why they have even had to post a sign like that?😂. And that scone!!!
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Yes, it’s a bit sad to have to state the bleedingly obvious, but there are SO many dogs here and not all of them have responsible owners…
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Yay, cream tea , manchester tart. Full English. Happy days. Yes I am quite food orientated!
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🤣😅 hiking all this way, food is pretty important to us too!🎂🍫☕🍻
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Aww I’m so pleased you go a cream tea and Manchester tart! I don’t blame you with the black pudding, I like it but it took me a number of tries. I also love the “sheep worrying” sign, they are becoming more and more common – our signs are always so polite!!
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Yes, it’s all so English. 😁 I think we would be a bit blunter in Australia!😅
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