C2C Wainwright’s D14 Clay Bank Top to Blakey Ridge

The Moors !!! Beautiful morning and we just beat the incoming ‘Front’- would have been far less enjoyable in the rain and wind!

Breakfast cooked by Wolfgang and then a lift back to Clay Bank Top – had to do 3-4 trips as so many of us who stayed at the Buck Inn preferred not to walk an extra 3 miles.

Listened to him waxing lyrical about kangaroo meat (no cholesterol in it?) and protein and not wasting anything in his cooking

Early morning steps – no warm up, immediately after drop off

… and looking back

… before the Moorland walk really began

Get used to this – there’s a lot of it today 🤭

A lot of grouse today – the “Dagga dagga dagga” of their call coming from all corners of the moor (not that there are many corners when you’re up there 🤣)

And one that was limping …

Picture of stones on the walking track – just for variation

… followed by more scenery

Some Moorland maintenance was in progress – digging trenches out to keep water channels flowing

Q. So why are the North York moors so boggy ?

A. (ChatGpT)

The North York Moors are so boggy because several factors come together:

Lots of rainfall – the high moorland catches moisture from Atlantic weather. The exposed western and northern slopes receive particularly heavy rain.
Poorly drained geology – much of the moorland sits on Jurassic sandstone and shale. Water can be held above less-permeable layers rather than draining quickly downhill.
Peat – this is the big one. Over thousands of years, dead heather, grasses and mosses have accumulated in waterlogged conditions faster than they decompose, producing deep peat bogs. Peat can hold an enormous amount of water.
Very gentle gradients – large areas of the moors are broad, relatively flat plateaux. Water therefore moves away slowly.
Cool conditions – decomposition of vegetation is relatively slow, helping peat build up.
Heather and moorland vegetation – plants such as heather and cotton grass thrive in acidic, nutrient-poor, waterlogged soils and help maintain the boggy environment.

… and for those of you who really care, a geology map…

Simplified geological bedrock map of northeast Yorkshire including the Vale of Pickering (mostly Kimmeridge Clay and Ampthill Clay formations) (after Powell 2010). Superficial deposits omitted. (Ref: Lincoln, Paul & Eddey, Laura & Matthews, Ian & Palmer, Adrian & Bateman, Mark. (2017). The Quaternary of the Vale of Pickering QRA Field Guide. Introduction.)

More scenery

The steady hike along the old track of the Rosedale Ironstone Railway and on fairly flat ground with the wind mainly behind us allowed us to contemplate a crucial hypothetical Question: “If you set up a BnB, what would you have ?”

… in the bedroom – bed/ bedside tables x2, bedside lamps x2, a foldable thingy to put case/ luggage on, chocolate on pillow(?), nice pillows , a duvet with correct weight , shower – proper one with nice gel/shampoo bottles , etc etc

…. On arrival for guests- homemade cake and cup of tea

… dinner opportunity – hmmm, all guests sit together to swap stories of the day or separate tables , definitely separate tables for breakfast (don’t want to talk to anyone at breakfast 😆)

… breakfast menu …

… boot room / drying room – how should it be set up ? Individual room labelled pegs and boot rack (?), washing machine /tumble drier …

… magazines or games in ‘lounge’ / lounge at all?

…. So much to think about

… old buildings / project, new building, how many rooms …

Answers for our decision will be found on C2C OUTTAKES at end of trip

Biscuit and cup of tea on the only rock for miles!

… more scenery

A car drove past – A JAGUAR SALOON with two people in front – had they followed the satnav incorrectly? / how were they going to get down those steps we had to do at the beginning? / was it James Bond and Moneypenny in disguise?