THE NORTH YORK MOORS - A Northern Coast to Coast Walk: From St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay - page 124

roofed houses so small and narrow that they have a 'coffin window' above the door
designed to enable coffins to be removed.
At high tide the sea runs into the village street, and comes in alarmingly quickly. At
low tide the Scars, a layer of harder rock underlying the soft boulder clay, run far out
to sea, and are full of fascinating rock pools over which to gaze before returning to the
prosaic ways of everyday life.
That's it - well done, you've finished. You can stop now… unless, of course,
you dipped your boot in the sea at St Bees, or carried that pebble all the
way across, in which case the necessary ceremonies must be observed.
Good organisation will see to it that champagne awaits the end of the
journey. When I completed the first edition of this topic, my celebration
with friends, far out into the bay, caused a few wry smiles and looks of
puzzlement - they had carried a bottle of champagne and fluted glasses
for miles. When I completed the third edition, it was all I could do to catch
up with my dog, who was heading for the sea to cool her feet.
But few of the visitors you will meet at Robin Hood's Bay will have much
understanding of your achievement - success, in the final analysis, is a
very personal thing. Few people will know of your triumph, and most of
those will think you are mad. But no one can take from you the knowledge
that you walked across England, Coast to Coast!