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Tuesday 27th September 2016
Woke up at 9am and thought I’d better just double-check that the check-out was 11am. It was 10am ! Dad was already starting some breakfast and Mum had started packing so it wasn’t too much of a problem. Rushed around a bit and got things sorted and left about 1015.
Headed to Filey and got there about 11am. Lovely place – nice gardens – nice prom – terrific sandy beach. Not so kiss-me-quick/amusement-arcadey as Whitby and Scarborough. Walked down through the gardens, along the prom, alng the beach and back up into the town where we left the car. A really nice place.
Moved on, looking for a view for a flask cuppa in the car. Found Primrose Valley and parked on the cliff overlooking the huge Filey Bay. Great views and great cuppa.
Moved on to Hunmanby Gap – still part of Filey Bay (about 3 miles long). Parked up and walked down to the beach, right down to the water, watched the mini-surfing-roller waves, and clambered back up the steep hill to the car. Very nice spot again.
Drove on to Bempton and to the RSPB centre on the cliffs - very friendly and helpful people at the RSPB centre. £3.50 each to get access to the managed cliffs – with proper constructed wooden ‘piers’ for viewpoints. Absolutely excellent place. Great views of the cliffs and the birds (mostly gannets) perched on the ledges and soaring in the strong winds – it was very blowy up there. We started out intending to walk to Thornwick Bay, but we were going quite slow because of the great views and the wind, and time was getting on – and I started wondering if the cafe would still be open. We turned back after a mile or so.
Drove to Thornwick Bay – arriving at 4:15pm. Cafe closed at 4 – good job we turned back. Enjoyed the views over the bays both sides, and pointed out the caves, etc.
Drove to North Landing. Cafe closed there too. Quick look at the nice bay and the big arch.
Drove to Flamborough Head. Cafe open – just! Grabbed 3 teas and went out to a seat on the cliff edge overlooking Selwick Bay. Great view of the bay with the stack and cliffs, and several seals popping their heads up from time to time. Walked out to the main cliffs and saw loads of seals and lots more great views.
Drove into Bridlington to look for fish ‘n’ chips. Parked in the harbour car park and walked north along the prom. Virtually everything was closed and the few bits open didn’t look tempting. Back to the car, and decided to look south – immediately found several nice looking fish and chip shops. Stopped and bought 3x f&c with onion rings. Drove up to north beach, parked on the prom, sat on a seat overlooking the beach (7:30pm now and pitch dark, but still very mild) and ate our enormous suppers. It was really great – the perfect and proper way to bid farewell to the Yorkshire coast.
Back in the car, set the satnav for the next house and hit the road for about an hour journey. Satnav took us all through the lanes. Dad was a bit concerned as there seemed to be a perfectly good A road going the right way, but I stopped and checked and it all seemed ok. Got to “Brecks Lane”, found a private road (as described in the message from the host) and drove down it. Went further than expected before coming to a big house we thought might be the right farm. We manoeuvred around a bit shining the car lights around looking for a house sign but couldn’t find anything. I poked my nose into the driveway but still couldn’t see anything. Then, as I reversed out Dad saw a woman coming out. Dad got out to chat and immediately jumped back into the car as 2x big rottweillers came running out. She hadn’t come out to greet us but to chase us off !! Things calmed down a bit and we did chat – she’d never heard of the farm we were looking for. After some fiddling about I discovered that I’d found a different “Brecks Lane” about 6 miles from the right one. How we laughed . . .
Found the right place, let ourselves in the gate, I knocked on the door and Pat and John welcomed us – and weren’t at all concerned that we were later than we said we’d be. They were quite an older couple and were very sweet. They very enthusiastically showed us around the lovely cottage. It’s a really nice little place – everything is in perfect condition and the place is spotless and very cosy and homely. Mum immediately wanted to stay an extra night – we’ll find out tomorrow if that’s possible.
Sat around reminiscing over the day over cups of tea and drinks for an hour, and called it a night.
A superb day. Great places, fantastic views, terrific wildlife, great supper in a great location, and a very cosy place to spend the night. Can’t believe this place cost us only £57 – less than £20 a head.
96 miles today: 851 miles total
Wednesday 28th September 2016
Found John in the garden after breakfast and asked about staying an extra night. He said it was fine, nobody else booked tonight, so that was great.
Sat around chilling out and drinking tea on our little patio in their nice garden and in glorious sunshine.
Went out to York about midday. Drove just a mile around the corner to the Park And Ride and got the bus into the city, as advised. Very easy.
Walked around the city a while and stopped at a nice Betty’s Tea Shop for expensive but very nice tea.
Walked up to Yorkminster and around the impressive cathedral.
Walked back to the centre where there was a food festival/market with all sorts of international dishes to look for some lunch. Had various brisket / pork in a bun or on chips – all very nice.
Went walking again down to the castle area. Nice tower on a hill. We climbed up the 60 odd steep steps but weren’t sufficiently interested to pay a fiver each to go in. Admired the views and climbed back down again.
Walked around some more until we decided we’d seen York and found the bus back to the car. And back home around 6pm – quite tired again after a fair bit of walking.
Had a cup of tea and I went across and sorted out the extra night with Pat. We just paid her £50 cash in the end as we couldn’t sort it out properly – we did try. They seemed pleased that we were staying. They’re quite new at this, we’re only their 5th guests, and they seem to be enjoying it. They’re very friendly and very chatty.
Decided to eat in and use up some scraps of food we’d been carrying around. Fried eggs on toast, ham, onions and tomatoes. Very nice too.
Quiet relaxing evening in watching a bit of tv and chatting.
Good day again. Tremendous history in York – some very very old stuff there – old streets – old buildings – and most still forming an active part of the main city.
12 miles today: 863 miles total
Thursday 29th September 2016
Up, breakfasted, tidied up, and ready to leave at around 1100. John had left a bag of apples and runner beans from the garden for us by the car. We said thanks and goodbye, they thanked us and wished us well on our way and set off.
Drove to the Lavender Farm at Terrington. It was a strange place but very interesting – half nursery and half kids playground, and with great views over the countryside. A bright and sunny day again, but very windy today. Walked around the shop, walked around the nursery area and through the Lavender Maze. Walked down the hill and saw the deer, and up the hill for a rest on a bench to enjoy the view. Then further up the hill where there were some good statues of cricketers. Back to the centre for posh tea and cakes – very nice and very lavendery (lavender loaf, lavender cake and lavender scone + lavender tea for Mum). And back through the shop where Mum bought some lavender conserves.
Drove into Terrington village centre and found the Village Hall that was the start of a 4½ mile walk we’d planned. Booted up and headed off on the walk. Walked through the village, through farmland, up a hill for great views and very strong winds! Through some woods and back through more farmland and up the road back to Terrington. A very nice walk though it seemed further than was claimed.
About 5pm back at the car. We went to look for a pub for tea and and a snack in preparation for the drive home – and I wanted to let the rush-hour pass. Drove around a while without much luck and then found the nice looking Blacksmiths Arms at Flaxton. They weren’t doing snacks and we easily persuaded ourselves to have a proper meal. We were a little early – food starts at 6:30 – and had a laugh about being late several times for food, and now we’re too early! 2x steak and kidney pies (with a side of onion rings!) and Mum had scampi. Excellent food – all very freshly cooked and all very good. They really know how to do onion rings in Yorkshire.
Hit the road about 8pm and started on the 185 mile journey. Stopped once for fuel and once for a tea/coffee break. Drove straight through (A1M) – no hold-ups, no traffic – a nice and easy journey. Got home about 1140.
Unpacked the essentials and flopped down in front of the tv and watched David Attenborough for an hour to chill out before bed.
245 miles today: 1108 miles total
Summary
Yorkshire is a great place. Lovely countryside and coast, and lovely views everywhere. Everyone was friendly and helpful.
Airbnb is a great way to travel. Great value, very convenient, and quite easy to arrange once you're set up.
A great 9 days and 8 nights!
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