EAST COAST TO WEST COAST

In the spring of 2011 we decided to complete our own version of the popular coast to coast route but rather than walking we would take the Discovery and drive as many green lanes as we could on the way.

A long drive from Bridlington in the east to Cumbria and the Lake District in the west. Lots of green lanes and lovely countryside.

OS LANDRANGER MAPS 101, 106, 100, 99, 92, 86, 89

Distance = 200 miles approximately

Start: Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire
End: Maryport, West Cumbria

RATING: A mixed drive but with no particularly difficult stretches.

PART 3

OLDSTEAD TO BARNARD CASTLE

We need to leave the Vale of York and climb to the higher ground of Roulston Scar and the Hambleton District. Traditionally this is done via the A170 and the notorious Sutton Bank - so steep and treacherous that caravans and other towing vehicles are banned from using it. We take an alternative route. Leaving Oldstead we head upwards on Oldstead Bank. A fairly good track with magnificent views back over the Vale of York with space to pull in and take a photo or two.

In front of us is the vast and beautiful North York Moors National Park with the stunning Rievaux Abbey nearby but we need to keep heading north west and we head to our next track at Bolton On Swale.

Back Lane is a pretty unremarkable lane to look at. It runs in part alongside the nature reserve complete with hide looking across the lake and quite an ample car park. It is muddy in bad weather and is a very uneven surface even in dry weather. However you see quite a few standard small cars that brave the unsurfaced track even when the weather is poor.

We now leave Yorkshire and head to Durham to drive Low Lane at Barningham.

Then on and over the suspension bridge at Whorlton but we can't resist leaving the car to experience the wonderful bounce of the bridge as we walk across it. We approach Barnard Castle via two byways Green Lane and Mount Eff Lane, that run parallel with each other from Mount Eff Road at the eastern side of the town.