Day 14 Clay Bank to Blakey Ridge (The Lion)

Day 14 Pictures
What a great start to the day!! Clear skies and SUN.
Today an easy walk of only about 14 km, and after an initial 200m climb and easy day across the moors, finishing at a pub.
What could be better than that?
Breakfast over David (the B and B) owner has the complicated task of getting 11 walkers to the start of their walk.
At least this time we are all starting at the same place, Clay Bank.
Eve and I travel with two women, a GP and a cardiologist, who trained at Newcastle, NSW.
The GP is quite chatty, the cardiologist is taciturn and that's being polite.
Her only comment was to contradict something I had said. I can't imagine what her beside manner would be like.

The climb up Carr Ridge

So the day begins in sun and wind free with a climb up Carr Ridge to Round Hill, then its across the moor, which after the initial climb is a slow up.
The trail then joins up with an old railway line and follows this for about the next eight km.It's easy going, and sometimes hard on the feet.
We meet up with a whole convoy of grouse shooters, all dressed in their tweed with shirts and ties, all in posh 4WD's.The staff are out in the heather with the dogs sweeping up the killed grouse. There must be at least 40 dogs out there, all with one or two handles, who also pick up the grouse. We are told that the shooters pay over 1000 pounds per gun to play!

Farndale

The walk overlooks a very pretty valley called Farndale, through which runs the River Dove. It's chocolate box pretty as was yesterday.
We stop briefly for morning tea at the headwaters of the River Esk. By this time it has clouded over and is getting quite chilly.
It's then a short walk to the Lion Inn, sitting out on the moor all by itself.
Walk into the Bar and it totally packed with people having lunch.
We have lunch outside on the tables and while we are there about 20 old bikies and their "dolls" turn up and troop in for a feed.
It's then end of our walk and we call our accommodation for the pick-up.

The Lion

Neil turns up with a Nissan X-Trail that seats only 5. We don't want to do the double trip  so I hop into the boot. Luckily one of the companies that takes all the bags from B and B is there too and offers to take one of us the the pub, our accommodation.
We are of course up stairs so it's a lug with our bags and our room is cosy to say the least.
The pub is nice and has a good menu, which is just as well, as there is nowhere else to eat.
I am getting sick of pub food.
It's all very jolly as about 20 or so of the Coast to Coast walkers are congregated in the area and all are eating here. We have met most of them over the past 2 weeks.
They have pasta and salad, without chips, thank goodness.