On Friday, after two and a half hours of frantic emergency housework (in preparation for my in-laws coming to stay) followed by one and a half hours of gentle driving, J and I arrived at the sea. This was a trip that had been booked and planned many months ago, a trip concocted by me in the midst of a very weary and busy summer period when I was feeling very much in need of a break. Just the knowledge of having these few days waiting patiently for me on the other side of Yarndale has been wonderful, sometimes I think the mere anticipation can be almost as good as the actual thing itself.
This trip was pretty much a repeat of the few days we spent away at this time last year - I've just looked back through my bloggy archives but sadly it seems like I just didn't get around to telling you about it last year. No matter, like I say, the two weekends were very similar. This was to be a precious child-free time for J and I to spend together, a few days beside the sea in gentle recognition of our wedding anniversary at the very end of September (16 years this year), and my birthday which comes in mid October (tomorrow in fact, and that'll be 49 years for me on this planet). Around this time of year I always experience a driving desire to be beside the sea, maybe you might remember a few of our past October trips to Robin Hoods Bay (here and here)? The pull is so strong that I feel almost powerless to resist it, and luckily for me, J knows my ways well by now and is happy to let me have my way.
So last year and this, we went to the North East coast and stayed in a quirky little hotel in Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The hotel is perched high up on the cliff side (you can just see it on the left of the photo above), with uninterrupted sea views which made my heart speed up a notch.
Arriving up there on the side of the cliff and taking in the familiar sea view made me feel all kinds of happy. I felt like I was breathing out properly and able to relax for the first time in ages. Precious indeed.
We'd decided before we arrived that we would do a short walk on Friday afternoon before settling ourselves into the hotel. I just couldn't wait to stride out along the cliffs - coastal walking is my very best favourite kind of walking. So after pottering a little way along the sea front, we quickly began to climb up and up....
....to join the Cleveland Way coastal path. The Cleveland Way is one of the Uk's National Trails and is 109 miles in length. I would dearly love to walk the entire trail one day (it's on my personal bucket list), but I am more than happy to enjoy little snippets of it whenever I get the chance.
This walk was just a short 4.5 mile circular route - a couple miles along the coast, then back inland a little way to return to Saltburn. It was windy on Friday, and the sound of the waves below us was noisy and joyful. I absolutely love love love to have the sound of the sea filling my ears, it makes me so happy.
I had read about this sculpture before we did the walk, but coming across it in real life was still unexpected somehow. It was larger than I thought it would be (around 5 ft tall) and managed to look so at home and so out of place at the same time.
This steel "charm bracelet" was designed and made by artist Richard Farrington around twenty years ago, and I love it very much. The dangling charms (which tell stories of local folklore) clank gently in the wind and the whole thing is just so simple and uncomplicated. There is a wooden bench close by, so it makes for a sweet place to stop and take a breather and ponder the delights of all things coastal.
The return part of the walk involves a steep climb up a blinkin' great hillock, with a trig point on the top where you can collapse and gasp noisily for the breath that has left your body during the assent. Climbing steep hills is exhilarating, no doubt about it, and I do quite enjoy the challenge to my poor weary, out of shape body.
Returning down to the flatness of sea level was rather lovely after all that exertion.
We took a stroll out along the old pier as the sea pounded onto the shore beneath our feet.
The sea at Saltburn is ever so wavy, and as a result it's a place where surfers come to well, to surf. I am fascinated by people who choose to do this kind of thing for fun, honestly, I am in awe. You couldn't pay me enough to throw myself into all that cold, frothing water, it just would never, ever happen. I truly adore being by the sea, and occasionally I can be convinced to ride on top of it in a boat, but I am most definitely not someone who enjoys being inside the stuff. I might paddle my toes on warm sunny days, but full body immersion?? Nope, never. And on a completely different note, aren't those beach huts beautiful? Bright stripy colours - just exactly my thing.
After our walk, I tucked my camera away and put myself thoroughly in the moment. We had a wonderful time, J and I. We enjoyed good food followed by a few cheeky cocktails in a local bar with a view right out over the sea. When it got dark and the tiredness set in, we took ourselves slowly back up to our hotel (oh so many steps!) to loaf about and indulge in being away from home and in a hotel no less. We don't get to experience hotels all that often, so it feels like quite a luxury really. We were able to open our window wide and listen to the sound of the sea below, which pleased me hugely.
The following day (Saturday), following an almighty Full English breakfast, we set out to walk a little more of the Cleveland Way. This time we were a bit further down the coast, starting out at one of my most favourite little coastal places - Staithes.
I've written about this village before, and I absolutely love it here. It's very charming and atmospheric, a rustic, ancient jumble of higgledy-piggledy cottages which tumble down the steep hillside to the sea.
Walking down through the little lanes is an absolute delight, and I am entranced each and every time I visit. There is just something about Staithes which draws me in and makes me not want to leave. We didn't stay as long as I'd have liked here, as J was keen to get walking - I could have spent hours just pottering around taking photos and soaking it all in...but that'll wait for another time....
We were soon climbing back up again and leaving Staithes behind (can you see the dog in the window? Aww!) By golly, the roads and paths along this coastline are seriously steep, and it takes much physical effort to get yourself up 'em. I was huffing and puffing like a steam train....
....but the sea views from high up on the cliffs are spectacular and so worth the effort.
After a few miles we came to another favourite little place - Runswick Bay. As with Staithes, I've written about this place before when we visited two years ago, and it was really lovely to be back. The walking route we were following didn't need us to descend the mega-steep road down to sea level, but at this point I suddenly really needed a pee, and possibly a hot frothy coffee too. So I twisted J's arm and we set about tackling the half mile descent - can you see in the above photo, the pavement on the right is so steep that it's been made into steps? Yeah, hold that thought while we go and pootle around at the bottom.......
....it's so lovely down at Runswick Bay, even on a very grey October day when the clouds decided to let loose the rain they'd been carrying over our heads all morning.
Lucky for us, there is a very cute little cafe right down at the edge of the beach, and we managed to squeeze into the corner by the window to enjoy a really surprisingly good coffee with a sea view while we waited for the rain to ease up.
Now, remember that thought I asked you to hold, the one that contained the half-a-mile of steeply stepped pavement? HALF A MILE!!! It's a shed-load of steps, way more than any person should have to cope with on a drizzly Saturday morning with a belly full of hotel breakfast and frothy coffee. But.......we made it back up to the top, heart pounding, legs screaming and really the entirety of my body feeling on the brink of collapse. Ahh.....you gotta love coastal walking, so pleasurable, so relaxing!! Haha!!
After Runswick Bay, the route began to curve inland away from the sea, and much of the walking was around very green, lush farmland.
At one point we rounded a bend in the track only to come face to face with a whole herd of dairy cows slowly ambling their way back to the farm for milking. There was no way I could make myself walk through the herd (I admit I am a little fearful of these hefty big farm animals in large numbers), so we opted to stand at a respectful distance and allow them to pass through.
Annnndddddd......twenty minutes and a gazillion milk-filled cows later, the path was finally clear for us to carry on our walk.
The last part of the walk was through a really lovely little bit of woodland - ooodles of trees growing very close together made it very shady and very green beneath the canopy. It was ever so tranquil and quiet, and when we stood still and listened carefully we could hear the actual sound of leaves dropping to the ground, how cool is that?
Although the trees are still looking pretty green, Autumn has definitely arrived here in Yorkshire.
I think this whole walk was around 7 or 8 miles in total and I loved every bit of it (with the exception of being breathed on at very close quarters by a huge nosy cow). Even the rather grueling climbs were exhilarating and although we arrived back at the car feeling completely exhausted, it was at least a sound, satisfied kind of exhaustion that I felt right down inside my soul. So so good.
Back at the hotel, and we had some time to just relax before dinner. Complete relaxation isn't something easily achieved during the day at home when you have children, so it does feel more than a little bit special when the opportunity presents itself. The very idea of just kicking off my boots and flopping out on the bed for the pure pleasure of just being horizontal for a while seemed suddenly very decadent and luxurious. Oh, the joy!
Our hotel room had these huuuuuuge floor to ceiling windows, the above photo only show the top half of them. I spent a while just laid on my back on the comfy bed, watching the clouds shift across the sky. It was so soothing, enjoying such a simple thing, with no interruptions and nobody requesting anything of me. It was almost as if time stood still for a while. J made us a cup of and we sat on the bed eating crumbly digestive biscuits and insanely good truffle chocolates, and all was so very happy in my little world right then.
After a bit I noticed the light had quite dramatically changed, so I dashed outside to take in the view.....
It was around 6pm, in that short passage of time where day is closing and evening just beginning.
The landscape looked so beautiful and rather dramatic with those deep dark rain clouds still overhead from earlier and the low slanting early evening sun making everything glow golden.
Our evening was rather blissful - a very delicious meal in the hotel restaurant, which was a big airy conservatory filled with plants and twinkling fairy lights. Then a long soak in a hot, deep bubble bath before climbing into bed to watch a film. I could hardly keep my eyes open, what with all the fresh sea air and exercise from the day, combined with the food, wine and then the scented bubble bath, gosh I struggled to stay awake beyond 9pm. But it was the best kind of feeling, one of total relaxation and a deep kind of happiness and gratitude.
We enjoyed two nights away, which in reality is only forty eight hours but it was plenty enough to really feel the benefits of a complete break from routine. On Sunday morning we had breakfast early, then set out to walk to the the giant charm bracelet on the cliffs again - sounds funny to say that doesn't it?! It was fabulous to take in those huge gulps of fresh sea air before we had to turn our back on the coast and set off back to our inland home.
Such a wonderful forty eight hours, and still very fresh in my memory (and my leg muscles) too.
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Your pics are lovely, looks like most days were cloudy and rainy.
Posted by: Jane | December 16, 2017 at 01:27 PM
Definitely on my walking list now. Thank you for an interesting ( as always) blog x
Posted by: Suzanne Smart | October 29, 2017 at 08:00 AM
Hi Lucy what a lovely meander in a fabulous spot we were here in 215 feels so long ago now and so far away from home. Saltburn is a brilliant place and I always thought a little quirky craft cafe would thrive here. It is calling is back from Perth Wa. Happy anniversary and birthday thanks for sharing
Posted by: Sheree Colley | October 22, 2017 at 01:27 AM
Hello Lucy - your post has moved me to comment as your visit was to the area I come from and as I have lived outside the UK for 10 years I soak up any little bits of home whenever and wherever I can. Lovely to see your photos and read your comments. Delighted that you love this gorgeous nook of the UK. You mentioned the Cleveland Way- hubby and I did this a few years ago during one of the rare hot Summers (or at least 10 days) the North had. After the walk we both said, handsdown, it was the best holiday we ever did. Friends and family joined us at different places along the way - our 8 years old son too - put that with the stunning scenery, fabulous hospitality at each place we stayed and super people we met on the route - it really was a little piece of heaven on Earth. Highly recommend it! Thanks for your super posts and crochet inspirations. Best wishes
Posted by: Caz | October 18, 2017 at 12:42 PM
Je te souhaite un très bel anniversaire, bises.
Posted by: Nadine G | October 17, 2017 at 12:22 PM
I always love the artistry of your photos and the way they become inspiration for the colours in your crafts.
Posted by: Elizabeth Wittig | October 17, 2017 at 11:09 AM
Belated Happy Anniversary Lucy & J - also belated Happy Birthday Lucy. I have loved reading about your weekend away, I felt that I also had been, your writing is so descriptive. There must be other ways of saying how amazing you are with words and I would support every one of them. Yarndale tales, excellent, in particular for those of us who are unable to make it to Skipton for the event - I live in hope!!! I have noticed that a few of your fans have asked if it would be possible to have the pattern for your lovely heart key rings. I would like to add my name to a no doubt growing list of people who would like this pattern - any possibility of sharing it anytime soon? Keep up the good work Lucy, your blog as well as your wonderful inspiration is truly an inspiration. Take care. Annette
Posted by: Annette | October 16, 2017 at 11:22 PM
The pictures of the smooth rocks by the sea give me a Feeling of how ancient your country is. How many ages went into making those rocks so smooth and so beautiful. Happy birthday happy anniversary! Wishing you many many more filled with happiness.
Posted by: Kathryn Ashe | October 15, 2017 at 08:55 PM
Wow Lucy, have to admit these photos are uniquely beautiful! The "charm bracelet" has a stunning climate on it...really appreciate your effort for shooting this great-looking images.
Regards,
Hipect Digital Agency
Posted by: hipect | October 15, 2017 at 06:47 PM
Happy Anniversary and Birthday Lucy. All your posts are wonderful but I LOVED this one. It is my old home turf (I lived about three miles from Saltburn in New Marske) so it was lovely to see it again from Ontario, Canada. :) Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Cath | October 13, 2017 at 07:20 PM
A wonderful way to celebrate so many events. I know the coastal scenes would have helped you to unwind. Lovely pictures, I love the charm sculpture not so sure about all that steep stepped pavement! Sarah x
Posted by: Sarah | October 13, 2017 at 07:16 PM
Sea, sun, cloud, and shadow - Your picture made me feel your happy experience. Thanks.
Posted by: Jane Nearing | October 13, 2017 at 02:05 PM
Buon compleanno e buon anniversario!💞
Complimenti per le foto e le bellissime descrizioni!
Il mio anniversario di matrimonio è in settembre e il mio compleanno è in ottobre!!😊
Posted by: Ileana | October 13, 2017 at 12:18 PM
Happy birthday and anniversary Lucy it was lovely reading your so descriptive post of your 48 hours away. Thank you for taking us with you through your photos.
This will set you up for the coming months.
Hazel c uk
Posted by: Hazel | October 13, 2017 at 08:25 AM
Happy birthday. What a fantastic venue to celebrate a birthday and wedding anniversary. Enjoy. X
Posted by: April lb | October 13, 2017 at 06:20 AM
Wonderfulhappy birthday.xx
Posted by: Barbara | October 13, 2017 at 01:57 AM
I had a 29 yr old son by the time I hit 49. My children had their children in their 30’s and I think both time frames have their distinct blessings. Happy anniversary and birthday 💞💞💞💞 I still love your blog and your beautiful pics. Yours was my first blog I followed.
Posted by: Peggy | October 12, 2017 at 09:41 PM
Lucy, so many Happy, Happy Happy times are wished for you. Your account of resting, celebrating, walking brought back some special times for me. I discovered the glorious little town of Saltburn at the beginning of the summer and had a very special week there. It felt good for the soul. Like brendaintheboro I hope you found time to visit Ripping Yarns - so many nice yarns to squidge. On top of all that, I've enjoyed "revisiting" the area through your words and photos. Thank you.
Posted by: misty | October 12, 2017 at 02:43 PM
Happy Birthday and Anniversary to you darling. Sounds like you needed the recharge after the whirlwind that is Yarndale. Well deserved! Best xx.
Posted by: Crystal | October 12, 2017 at 02:40 PM
Happy Birthday and Anniversary to you darling. Sounds like you needed the recharge after the whirlwind that is Yarndale. Well deserved! Best xx.
Posted by: Crystal | October 12, 2017 at 02:40 PM
So very lovely! It's a wonder you don't live in one of those seashore villages. Happy birthday Lucy and congrats to you both on 16 years together.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Posted by: Angela-Southern USA | October 12, 2017 at 02:12 PM
We are birthday sisters. You in the UK me in the States. Happy Birthday to us!
I wish you many happy returns of the day!
Posted by: Lacy | October 12, 2017 at 02:04 PM
What a lovely break for you after all the hard work of Yarndale. Your photos say it all.
Posted by: Carol | October 12, 2017 at 01:43 PM
What a wonderful respite and celebration of your marriage and birth day. A memory to hold in your heart during the busiest of times. Thank you for letting us in to see the beautiful countryside and the delightful charm bracelet.
Posted by: Kim | October 12, 2017 at 01:26 PM
Oh! Party! Congratz for both and you. I still think it's the best thing to do to keep things going well, on the road with the two of you. Lovely to read all the blissful things you've done.Hugs x
Posted by: Tinke | October 12, 2017 at 01:25 PM