A Walk Across England, Coast to Coast - Episode 311 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat
Steven Robbin recently spent time off the boat wandering across northern England over recent weeks for a 200 mile walk from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. Accompanying him on part of the journey were Wendy and Deb, while Steven’s Acorn to Arabella crewmates Irish and Aa completed segments along the path with the adventure YouTuber.
Beautiful Cliff Edges and Scenery
The first section of the coast to coast walk was along a beautiful cliff edge at St Bees with stunning views. They had lots of nesting birds there but thankfully not too many sheep – unlike the rest of the route. Lots of bird hides and lookouts which would make a good addition to the video if they’re included in the edit.
Moving Across the Mountains
Steven and his companions quickly moved into climbing up towards Lake District peaks. The first days had wonderful sunshine with fantastic views.
The Towns Along the Way
Towns such as Grasmere were visited. The famous gingerbread shop there but alas no smell-a-vision! Still the towns of Grassmere and the surrounding area are absolutely unbelievably beautiful and idyllic.
Many Challenges Awaited on this Trail
The trail had its challenges with lots of livestock to avoid. Particularly cattle that needed coaxing past gates and across fields – lucky Steven had his farm boy roots.
Daring Climbs over Dales
Some amazing photo opportunities included ancient stone barns and Richmond Castle – well worth the visit.
Rain, Sheep and Flowers A Plenty
Despite the glorious weather, they experienced their first rain on the third day. There were 6,000 sheep a minute all over England apparently. The wildflowers were prolific – so many varieties in bloom.
A Damp Moors Trek
As they entered the moors it got windier and foggier. Visibility was reduced but that added to the mystical, almost magical feel of the place – just as legend would have it.
Tackling Muddy Bogs
Their first experience of a proper bog was in the dales with plenty of wet and mud. A great test of stamina – not to be sniffed at!
A Step Back in Time
All along the route were ancient stone barns. Some derelict but many still in use today.
A Walk Through English History
At the end of each day there was another quintessential English pub. Often at the edge of the world with nowhere else around for miles.
Moor to Sea Journey
The walk concluded by Robin Hood’s Bay where there was a history of smuggling in earlier times. People rode horses across the moors and boats out to sea – quite the challenge.
Flying Home
A quick stop in London then home via plane. Lucky enough for a last minute treat as the flight path took them over Newfoundland.
Devil’s Bay and Blow Me Down Cliffs made an appearance from afar – but there will be other times to explore that coastline. But still exciting when such dream locations can appear unexpectedly.
Steve and Robin recently spent some time hiking across northern England, following Alfred Wainwright’s 190-mile-long trail from coast to coast, through three national parks: the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors. The trail can be walked in either direction, though it is most often hiked from west to east—from St. Bees Head to Robin Hood’s Bay. And that’s exactly what they did…
The crew consisted of Steve and Robin, Robin’s mom, Wendy, and Robin’s honorary aunt, Debbie. Before beginning their hike, the crew headed down to the beach to dip their boots in the ocean, and choose pebbles that they would carry with them all the way to Robin Hood’s Bay. Once in Robin Hood’s Bay, they would toss the pebble back into the ocean, signifying the end of their journey.
Steve and Robin couldn’t help but imagine Arabella anchored off the rocky shoreline of northern England. Sigh. Someday…
The first five days of the hike took them through the Lake District, marked by steep, technical climbs and lots of scrambling—but with plenty of breathtaking views to distract them from their burning quads! Steve and Robin broke off from the group to explore some higher summits and narrow ridge lines, and Robin did some even more advanced exploring, visiting the summit of Helvellyn—the third highest summit in the country.
After the Lake District came the Yorkshire Dales, where Robin and Steve were able to tour the Richmond Castle. This castle was built sometime around 1100, and is one of the best-preserved early Norman castles in England.
Next came the North York Moors, which were exactly what Steve and Robin expected them to be: windy, misty, disorienting, and just a little bit eerie. The Moors definitely lived up to their reputation!
Each night, they stayed in quaint villages, at the most hospitable Bed & Breakfasts, eating dinner at the most local of local pubs.
The journey was characterized by sheep, sheep, and more sheep, plenty of challenging navigational hurdles, complicated gates, hundreds of miles of stone walls, and just a tad bit of mud…but the weather was uncharacteristically pleasant! They enjoyed panoramic views, endless visibility, sunshine, and friendly temps for almost the whole journey. Almost…
The crew arrived together in Robin Hood’s Bay—a town with a rich archeological history—two weeks after starting their journey. There, they dipped their boots in the ocean, tossed their pebbles, and sat down for a well-deserved cup of tea, with scones and clotted cream.
With their coast to coast hike behind them, it’s time for Steve and Robin to get back to sailing—it’s time to move Arabella from its winter home in Harwichport, and get going to wherever their next home-for-the-time-being will be. Join us as the adventure continues!
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Acorn to Arabella started as a wooden boat building project in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve began the journey as an amateur wooden boat builder crafting a 38' wooden sailboat in his backyard: designer William Atkin's Ingrid with a Stormy Petrel's gaff rig. These videos follow the journey from tree felling, to lumber milling, to lofting, to the lead keel pour and now sailing the boat—sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that traditional wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY project continues beyond the boat shop, as Steve and crew travel and learn to cruise aboard the handmade wooden boat that they've built. Just kidding about all that, this channel is about a Siberian Laika named Akiva.
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A Walk Across England, Coast to Coast - Episode 311 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat Locations
- St Bees is the official start of Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk in England, starting with stunning clifftop views (54.6018,-3.4481)
- Grasmere has been a popular stop on the Coast to Coast for walkers of all ages (54.5176,-2.9335)
- Richmond Castle sits imposingly at the end of the old bridge in Richmond town centre (54.3377,-1.9303)
- Keld in Swaledale is where Wainwright's Coast to Coast route meets the Pennine Way long distance footpath. (54.4844,-2.1466)
Acorn To Arabella
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