Day: 228 13/6/00 Briddlington to Reighton Sands

Weather:  Bright, breezy & sunny intervals

Distance:  22.0 km (13.7 miles)    Total Distance:   2932 miles

I had a morning meeting at Grimsby before which I had had time on the way up in the morning to call in the Buttie Box for a sausage and bacon roll so once the meeting had finished I could change and head straight off over the Humber Bridge, though Beverly and up to Briddlington.

I drove through the centre and parked near where I thought I had stopped last time. It turned out I was pretty close.  There were some small groups of people braving the beach and more on the promenade. 

Once out of the town the path climbed onto cliffs that gradually became bigger and bigger.  The path changed from one that crossed parkland to a real cliff top path. This was great especially as the sun came out and the wind died down.  There were even a few steep falls and climbs. This was getting to remind me of true cliff top walking.  I passed a couple of sandy inlets but most of it was sheer drops into the sea of the cliff tops. 

The lighthouse at Flanbourough Head gradually came into view across lush fields of crops.  Once at Flanbourough Head it was spectacular to say the least.  The bird colonies were nesting on the cliff ledges and the rocky pinnacles offshore with clear water between. It had been a while since I had seen clear seawater!  I sat and savored the view for a while kicking myself for nor bringing the new camcorder. 

I walked towards the lighthouse then north past the golf course and past more colonies of birds. Why were the paths not crowded with people looking at these spectacular views?  I was glad to get around the golf course area OK because there had been signs up saying the path was closed but it turned out not to be.  This northern side of the headland was even more spectacular, lots of bird colonies and ups and downs. 

At North Landing the path cut inland to take in the bay.  An enterprising person had set up along the path by his shack, a series of jokes written on all sorts of bric-a-brac, and asking for money for the local hospital cancer unit.  I say ‘him’ because it was pretty obvious from the jokes that it was a male.  I read some of the jokes & put 30p in the box and headed off. It would have been nice to stop in the café at the bay but I was starting to get concerned about the time.  I did not start walking till 2.00 and the last bus back to Briddlington was something like 19.50.  It seemed to have taken a long time to get from Flanborough Head to this point so pressed on.  There were a few more climbs and falls on the west side of North Landing before the path got flatter. 

I was soon at Bempton Cliffs that turned out to be an RSPB reserve with lots of good vantagepoints to look down on the nesting colonies of sea birds  and more spectacular views.  I later looked up in a library book and discovered that I was looking out on gannets and razorbills.  I half thought of stopping here and getting a bus back to Bridlington but the fact that the weather was good, a nice bright evening, and the fact that it would mean getting three buses to get back to my car the next day, meant that I pressed on. 

This last third of the walk was pretty wild and obviously not that often walked.  The undergrowth got gradually longer, or had I just been spoilt by the well-kept paths on Flanbourough Head?  The climb up to Steepton Cliffs lived up to its name and it seemed to take ages for me to get to the point where I had a good view of Speepton Sands.  I started to get a little concerned because it was not obvious from the map if the was a complete path between here and Reighton Sands where I was heading. 

It turned out that the path dropped down onto Steepton Sands itself.  I was reassured to find it was some sort of official path – something like Head Walk.  I lost confidence in it however just some 20 feet before I got down to the beach! – the path had zigzagged down the cliff but the last part had been washed away! I discovered this when I was following it only to sink into deep mud near a landslide! In the end I scrambled down the last 20 feet of very steep grey dried mud knowing that if I slipped it was not too far to fall.

The last mile or two of the day was along the sands in the evening sunshine on a deserted beach – it was most pleasant.  I was a little nervous that there was no access up to Reighton but I need not have been because there was a steep tarmaced track leading up to the caravan sight.  I was feeling pretty tired by now and did not fancy the trek all the way to Reighton itself.  I was therefore more than relieved to almost literally bump into a bus on the caravan sight indicating it was going to Briddlington.  I must have looked a bit odd waving it down especially as I was only 10 yards from the official bus stop!  I decided that this was the advantage of walking in the summer, a good bus service, even if I was the only person on the bus!

I was back at the car, having stopped at a shop to get a drink and a pint of milk in no time. I drove to Scarbourough to register in the Youth Hostel, was given two tea bags free, and then headed off to town to get my tea.  I had a pretty mediocre take away curry and took it back to the hostel.  Made myself a pot of tea and was drinking it outside at 10.00 at night and then headed off to bed.