Day 24 -- Whitby to Staithes, by bus; Staithes to Runswick Bay and Return, 8 miles

Fridays walk from Robin Hood’s Bay with a heavy pack convinced me that I can’t carry that weight between towns – at least, not if the walk is to be enjoyed. This morning I took a bus to Staithes, checked in at my hotel, dropped most of the weight, and started walking on the Cleveland Way back to Whitby. On a beautiful Sunday, there were dozens and dozens of people walking on the trail, each one desperately looking for somebody to talk with. I was that somebody, and as a result of speaking with everyone on the trail, I barely made it to Runswick Bay. So, what was intended to be a 12 mile walk to Whitby and a return by bus, became a 4 mile walk to Runswick Bay, and a return by foot on the same route. As always, I met all sorts of interesting people – too many, in fact, for me to comment on or post their pictures.

Staithes is an old fishing village nestled at the base of neighboring bluffs. Its main street is called, oddly enough, High Street, although there is nothing high about the village. Narrow passageways predominate. There are a few shops catering to tourists, but not many tourists can crowd into the picturesque village. I was one of the lucky ones.

The route to Runswick Bay required a steep climb to the top of the bluffs, which the Cleveland Way skirts between farmfields and precipitous cliffs. The scenery is lovely on a fine day.

Runswick Bay is much the same as Staithes, except that it has a long, wide beach during low tide. The beach pretty much disappears at high tide, and warning signs and tide tables abound. Someone walking along the mile-long beach could easily get caught between the cliffs and the incoming tide. I didn’t go any farther than the pub.

 

Runswick Bay also has a very upscale residential area, well-maintained and inviting.