Wintringham to Ganton - 8 miles - to Staxton Hill and back - 4 miles

We awoke early. The comfort of kettles, tables and sinks allowed us to breakfast quickly meaning it was well before eight when we walked out to icy puddles, a matching wind and blue sky for a short day's walk. Frozen ground gave firm footing as we followed the escarpment edge, at first along woodland and then through fields with views far below of the main York-Scarborough road. We dropped down the slope in legs to eventually join a track that headed to the village of Sherburn where we had planned to take a break. However, with the next village only a gentle three mile walk away and it still being early in the day we decided to continue. After crossing fields and pasture we reached Ganton, our stop for the night, but again decided to press on. This time it was with a view to eating into tomorrow’s final leg. As it turned out we saved a climb around and up the fields to the top of Staxton Hill and the entrance road to RAF Staxton Wold radar site. Tomorrow morning we would get a lift to this point to start our day but for now we had to walk back to Ganton.

 

We arrived to find a closed pub but with a handy bus stop opposite. A short ride to Staxton village, a hearty meal in a roadside fish and chip restaurant and the ride back killed enough time to allow us to get into our rooms second time around. Soon after we were joined by Mike, a colleague from our RAF days, and it was only the fact that neither Shaun nor I were drinking that saved us from an evening that would have brought regret in the morning.