Crossing Ol’ Blighty – the Coast to Coast Path, England – Day 13

Date: Monday, 20 July 2026
Day: 13
From: Ingleby Arncliffe        To: Clay Bank Top/Great Broughton
Start Walking: 814am           End Walking: 255pm
Distance (Planned): 20km    Distance (Garmin): 19.5km
Progress: 241/306km
Ascent: 894m                             Descent: 723m
Weather: Clear, fine and hot. What a difference a day makes.
Stayed At: Wainstones Hotel, Great Broughton

General Comments:
• What a difference a day makes on every level. The scenery changed completely and the temperatures climbed along with us under blue skies. Such a contrast to yesterday.
• This morning we officially entered the North York Moors National Park and it’s a cracker. We were expecting some glorious scenery and we got that in spades.

• Today was also a day of climbing. I guess you can’t get those magnificent views without going up! 5 serious ascents and descents had us sweating buckets, but the outstanding views were the reward.
• At one stage we thought we could see the sea and when the early morning haze cleared, there was the blue water of the North Sea! It feels a bit weird to think we left one sea a week or so ago and now we are looking at a completely different one. How did that happen?😁

• The endless patchwork fields and innumerable small villages scattered about way below us was a lovely sight. The villages seem to be within only a couple of kilometres of each other and I guess that is just a historical thing.
• The sense of peace and wide open spaces up so high made us feel like we were on top of the World. There were quite a few people out walking today, but we rarely saw them in all that open country.

• At one stage, the PiC spotted a paraglider up ahead. There was one of them then 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. We hurried along to see them taking off from the top of Carlton Bank only to realise, once we got there, that they were taking off much lower down and catching the thermals up high. It was fantastic to see.
• One guy landed near us on top of hill and of course, we had to go over to have a chat. He said he had been to Australia paragliding many times and one of his mates actually owns a house there just to use as a base for paragliding. He also told us that some blokes were going to try to paraglide all the way to the Midlands today – about 200miles away!
• And then he took off in front of us! We were all ooing and ahhing! 😊

Top Tips:
• Food: There is a very nice café at the roughly half way point today. They were doing a roaring trade from hungry and thirsty walkers.
• Accommodation: There is no accommodation on the trail at this point and we are staying around 3.5km off trail. I understand that all the accommodation in the area offers a free pick up/drop off service from Clay Bank Top (where the trail crosses a main road). Nice one – especially after a long, hot walk.

Fingers crossed for another dry day ahead.