Weather: Cloudy but dry.
Distance:
18 km (11.2 miles) Total Distance: 3010 miles
This
was one of the most dismal days walking on this whole challenge. The only
consolation was that it was a fine day and that at least I did not have to
battle through rain or wind.
Margaret
and the boys dropped me off and she soon changed her mind about joining me on a
short stretch. Straight from the off I was in the midst of the steel works and
from then on till the end of the day I walked through industry for virtually
the whole time. The instead family left me and
went off to meet our host and her girls at Whitby where they spent most of the
day.
After
walking beside the railway for a couple of miles I came out on waste land,
passing a transit van with a mean couple of guys in it looking as if they were
on their way to do some illegal dumping.
I took a footbridge over the railway and was then in industrial estate
country for many miles till I was on the opposite side of the Tees.
I
chanced upon a transport café and popped in for a coffee and a stale piece of
slab cake but it was very cheap and certainly friendly. Past some more industrial estate and then I
came to the Riverside Stadium – Middlesborough’s comparatively new football
stadium. Compared with the rest of the day this was a moment of
excitement.
I walked over a bridge which
was in effect a sealed up dock and was surprised to see a boat still inside, now in effect trapped in there for the rest of its life. It was the Tuxedo Junction.
I think this is the ship that used to be moored on the Tyne next to the Tyne
Bridge and the boat on which I once attended a conference after the incident
where I was poisoned by a cup of dishwashing liquid, thinly disguised as a
coffee, whilst staying in a hotel in central Newcastle.
After
another half mile I came to the Transporter Bridge. I had already made the rule that I was not
allowed to cross by this means as it was a moving platform, when I came across
the only other transporter bridge in the UK at Newport, Gwent. I therefore had
to head upstream to the next bridge.
This meant more walking through industrial estate until eventually I
arrived at a right turn that took me down through a park to the riverbank. It was a park dedicated to the old steel
works that used to be on the site. Every
so often there was a board with pictures of the old works and it was easy to
imagine what it must have been like. At least I now had something to look at
even if it was a rather bleak river.
As I
neared the bridge, another classic iron structure, I could see the flashing
lights of a police car and a fire engine. I never did find out what they were
up to because as I approached they both drove off. Once over the bridge I soon took a right turn
and entered the Billingham chemical complex.
What I guess was all ICI at one stage was now owned by a range of other
chemical companies, though ICI still had a presence. The only thing positive to
say I guess about this stretch was that there was a pavement keeping me safe
from all the passing lorries
After
about three miles of this I came to a community of new houses that appeared to
be a mix of council and private accommodation.
The one thing that struck me was how isolated this community appeared to
be, stuck out in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by industry. I tried to go into a couple of pubs but they
looked very desolate and threatening so gave them a miss and then tried a café
but couldn’t find a way in or any sign of life.
My
plan was to come back over to Middlesborough via the Transporter bridge, but I
was early too meet Margaret and still had a bit on energy left so decided to
head north up to Seal Sands. This
section had the advantage that there was no industry around but the
disadvantage that there was no pavement and it was a pretty busy road. Once I got to Seal Sands (nothing more than a
desolate fire station!) I thought I would get a bus back to the transporter bridge and one
soon arrived to charge me 47p for the privilege. I had to wait approximately 15 minutes for
the bridge to come over but it was well worth the experience. I paid only 30p and it only took a couple of
minutes but was a great experience.
I then went
to the railway station and then to the bus station. I was told that the bus did
not stop there but by the shopping centre so I ran to the shopping centre only to
have it pull out just as I approached so walked briskly back to the railway
station, bought a ticket only to find a 10 minute delay. Anyway I got the train back and found Signals
café still open and had an excellent flapjack and cup of tea. Margaret arrived exactly at 5.00 to pick me
up and we went back to our friends for tea and a nice hot bath.
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