With the deletion of Baystones and Lovely Seat, our impressive bag of eight new Marilyns in 2010 was effectively slashed by 25%. However, I think that this was the first year in which we both bagged the same ones, all of which were climbed during an August week split between Alnmouth and Whitby. Two short walks on the same day gave us Long Crag and Tosson Hill and the next gave us Shillhope Law, Housedon Hill and Ros Hill. Parking for Housedon Hill was in a lay-by near Canno Mill and we thought the summit was in an area of wind-thrown trees until we came upon a cairn alongside the plantation edge. It was difficult to judge if the fallen timber was concealing a higher point (CW: It wasn't).
En route to Whitby,we stopped at Bank Top, crossed Stanghow Moor and High Moor on the way to Gisborough Moor, then returned via the curiously-named Hob on the Hill. Bishop Wilton Wold preceded a visit to the excavations of the mesolithic settlement at Star Carr, the latter being far more interesting. Finally, we climbed up to Cringle Moor from Clay Bank, having not visited the summit when we walked past it on a coast to coast walk many years ago in those halcyon pre Marilyn days.
Frances Wilson and map on Shillhope Law (photo: Peter Wilson)
