A Walk Across England, Coast to Coast - Episode 311 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat
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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Пікірлер: 228
I am so pleased that you enjoyed our beautiful country side. Thanks for visiting 😃
It was beautiful seeing England through your eyes. So much that we're used to but you showed it as something new.
@csnelling4
2 ай бұрын
Thanks Guys . I’ve walked many hills and mountains in the Lake District,it’s beautiful . Richmond is my home town and climbing those castle walls has its dangers as I found out, the last shot of the video of the castle to the far right I fell off that wall when I was about twenty five foot up . That was a great video and thank you for the share guys . And thank you for call our country England 🥰
We just found your channel and find it so interesting. Really enjoyed the walk from coast to coast as my mom was a war bride from Britain towards the end of WWII. I still have family there. Sailing I also like tremendously but have not done much. Last was on the Olad. In my younger years my first was a moonlight sail out of kittery Me. Full moon calm water and gentle breeze. What better introduction. I have spent many years next to the sea, working at PNSY in Kittery and living many years in Biddeford. Now in retirement we are inland and miss the coast and go there as much as possible as it renovates us. We will be watching all of your videos. Our hope is that your mom beats this cancer. My bride is a survivor, but it took both my parents and my mother-in-law as well. Bless you all for taking the time to do these adventures and share them.
Robin's a lucky woman, Steve. She can rest assured that you'll show the same commitment and self-sacrifice toward her that you're showing toward your mother. You're paying a personal cost to delay the fulfillment of your dreams, but you're a better man for it. You're developing something more precious that gold: character. God bless you both.
Thank you for showing probably the most beautiful part of my country to the rest of the world, there's more to England than London.
@TheDevilWAH
2 ай бұрын
Yorkshire is my happy place in England, but i cant agree its "the most beautiful", I think we are blessed in the UK being surounded by the most amazing countryside. pretty much any where out side of the towns it becomes beautiful. I love down south were you get more of the old oak woodlands. Or down in to cornwall and the amazing cost line down there. Maybe Kent "the garden of england" Im not disagreeing with how beautiful the north of england is, but for what is a relitivaly small country we are spoilt for choice. And thats before you consider Wales and Scotland and Ireland. There are many stunning, magestic and intresting places in the world, but I dont think many can match the england and the UK for beauty and idyllic.
@arthurspaff_80081ES
2 ай бұрын
@@TheDevilWAH When I said my country I was referring to England but I agree about Scotland, northern Ireland and my favourite of all Wales.
I remember when Steve was buried in saw dust and trying to manage the logistics of building Arabella in a meaningful time period. Love how all that work has paid off and you’re getting to see the world! What a beautiful life you’ve made!
Your encounter with the Inn in the middle of the moor is exactly the reason it was placed there! Traditionally speaking, Inns were usually placed around a day's walk apart along traveled routes, and they primarily subsisted on single-night traveler's looking for overnight shelter, with your group being the perfect example.
@AndrexT
2 ай бұрын
Yes that is true and all places with Inn in the name must offer accommodation to 'Bona Fide Travelers'. It is the law. I owned one in Cornwall for 18 years.
A beautiful film, glad you all enjoyed England….(ps: always climb a farm gate at the hinge end, never in the centre).
Akiva says, "You went for a walk and didn't take me! How dare you!" (So much for the loyalty of a good dog) LOL
So pleased you all enjoyed the visit. Brought good memories back for a task for my 21st Birthday, Helvellyn and Striding Edge walked in June 1974, didn't fancy it on my Birthday mid January, 50th anniversary this year!! So lucky living south along the Coast, just a 40 minute drive away from the Lake District & St.Bedes.. Good luck to one and all from UK. 👍🇬🇧
@andypandy955
2 ай бұрын
I wish i was fifty do the walk whilst you can. I am bloody 70 now and feel like 21 in my head at least.
Steve, nice program. Well done! It just goes to show that you and Robin can go anywhere, with or without Arabella, and provide interesting and entertaining content for your viewers. Keep up the good work. Best wishes to you and your Mom. Cheerio 😊
Welcome to my country. Glad you could make it and got to see the real UK, I might be bias but no matter where i have traveled I still find comming home to the english (and welsh, scotish and Irish) countryside so of the most glorious and peacefull places to spend time. I glad you got to see that. You need to lean about the different types of stone walling. not along the amount of it but there is a real art to it. how the stones are placed it a real science with the weight of the stone locking them togather, many of thoses walls are many 100's years old, with the techniques still the same. but go to ireland, or scotland, or yorkshire each place has its own method and look.
Gotta love dogs w attitude.
Having followed your building of Arabella for the last few years, I am so pleased to be able to offer some of our glorious British countryside in return! Oh, and by the way, it's called the 'Lake District' 🙂
@spod6378
2 ай бұрын
…and Robin Hood’s bay
One more lovely video! I really like the mix of building/woodworking, sailing and adventures. ❤
I am glad you all enjoyed your holiday in England. It would be really good if you could bring Arabella to England in the future.
This is a great episode! Thanks for posting
Bloody hell you’re around the corner! Love the lakes!!! And robin hoods bay is lovley when it’s not peak time
beautiful! I love the British Islands (I am from continental Europe) and you managed to capture the beauty of this part of England with your images!
Well come to my country and the place I live I see the those sights everyday and it never gets old..
Been there some years ago. We just booked a Lake District bus tour to get around, but had a fair share of walking. When you're coming from Germany, it's stunning to see nature thrive. Woods are not well here, and there all is so green. Thanks for sharing. In the 2000s there were 5 bucks flights to London, we visited the island quite often.
My dog gets pretty focused on a walk. They have so much to do. Territory to patrol, guestbooks to read and sign. No time for distractions.
Looks very fine. Next time come to Scotland. It’ll blow your mind!!👍
I am late watching this one. What a wonderful journey across the country of my birth. My first wife lives in Kirkby Stephen and my daughter lives close by in the Lake District (no 's'). Both my son and daughter have cycled coast to coast via road for a charity. That part of England is just stunning, my daughter worked at The Tann Inn which is the highest elevation pub in England and is on the Yorkshire Dales. I am so pleased you all had a good time and thanks for taking us along.
Love Steve being totally at home with the cows. Partisan as I am, I still think the Lake District is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Taking a slight detour over Helvellyn was brave ;) Plenty of people die on that each year.
Watched twice. After the US my favorite place. Love the colors, stone cottages and buildings, lush greens and ocean blues, livestock, history, cathedrals, castles etc etc etc!!! Could spend the rest of my life in that pub reading in front of the fireplace!!!! ❤ to you guys on your safe travels. Michael, Norwalk Ct. A former colony started by Roger Ludlow.
Thanks for visiting the North of England not many sailing 'tubers' do. I am really happy the weather was lovely most of your walk.
Beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.
The C2C walk is wonderful and you did it justice. I did it with my wife 15 years ago and like you had a mix of weather but just loved it. I believe a lot of the stone walls were built by French prisoners of war during the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800s.
@johnsherborne3245
2 ай бұрын
I wonder if the skills were re used in France when the poor unfortunates got home?
England may be small compared to the USA Steve and company, but we do have some truly spectacular scenery packed into our little country! I'm so glad you visited our island, please come back with Arabella and sail around the whole of the British isles. Apparently the total coastline of our islands is over 12,000 miles!
As a Cumbrian I'm biased, to me the Lakes are hallowed ground. If you ever get the time, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are just as stunning in their own right.
Great to see you enjoying the English countryside so much! The walk looked great
Thank you so much for taking us along with you. Stunning UK. Re the takeout of Ben sailing, I thought i was looking at a clone of Steve. Mike 🇦🇺
Fantastic, cheers!
Thanks for sharing this, I hope you enjoyed your time in this country, and that you met lovely people. Greetings from Taunton, Somerset.
Glad you all enjoyed some of the beautiful countryside our country has to offer. You have to come back bringing Arabella with you.
What a delightful way to start my day, getting a taste of another bit of the world. Beautiful images, well done!
A very impressive video, all of you! I'm sure many Brits will enjoy seeing these treasures through your fresh eyes. Incidentally, those spooky North Yorkshire moors were the location for the beginning of the film "An American Werewolf In London". Just sayin... We all hope you can come back one day. Just in case nobody else has suggested it, look up the National Three Peaks Challenge. This race to climb the highest peaks of Wales, England and Scotland is sometimes done using a boat instead of a car to reach each climbing stage. Arabella, Robin, Steve and Ben would certainly get a chance to do their thing!
Glad you enjoyed England, we do like a pub in the middle of nowhere, as that means, it isn't nowhere!!! I must go back to the Lake District again soon, you video reminded me of great memories.
The rugggedness of parts of England is a surprise to overseas visitors. Wainwright was a personal hero of mine. He was a very good artist as well as keen walker
Wonderful walk. My wife and I walked the Cotswold way while you were walking. We have done the Hadrians Wall walk in 2019. This makes me think about doing the Coast to Coast. Thanks!
thankyou for being so respectful to our countryside and for enjoying the good and bad sides of it eaquuly in your journey. it was wonderfull seeing the countryside i know from the perspective of someone who didnt grow up here and hearing all the nice things you were saying about it has inspired me to go and walk around my own town again to see if i can find anything new and experiance even a fraction of the joy you have expressed in this video,
Fantastic journey, I'm so glad you came to the UK. The gingerbread from Grasmere is truly phenomenal, as was your luck with the weather! I hope you can sail back to the UK one day so we can meet Arabella.
Steve & Robin, I'm glad you enjoyed the walk and the spectacular scenery. I hope one day you can come back to see more of what Yorkshire has to offer. Some of the towns & cities are quite nice too. I was born in the city that was once known as the "wool capital". I used to work in the wool textile industry as did my dad. You avoided the worst of the rain. It seems to have stopped since the beginning of May and we're even getting sunshine now.
@dougjacksonart
2 ай бұрын
Yorkshire... God's country 🙏
I’ve followed Arabella from the start and never imagined that Steve would come over to my neck of the woods ( Yorkshire) if only I’d known I would have bought you a pint!
Thank you Stephen, Robin & Ben for showing me parts of my native land that I have yet to explore in person. Though I have oft driven south to north and north to south crossing your route I have never got out to explore it on foot. When you return to the UK, there are many high places and moreland areas to explore! I am fortunate to work in North Wales, in sight on a good day of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) the highest of the 15 3,000 ' + peaks in North Wales. I have also walked in the Cairngorms and climbed Ben Nevis in Scotland. Don't hesitate to make contact if you are returning to the UK with adventure in the high places in mind! Yours Aye GB
Absolutely awesome! I've always wanted to go see the English countryside. An overwhelming feeling of familiarity comes over me every time I see these places. I think it's been many lifetimes since I've been there, but one day, I'll return, once I've restored this rotten old tub and learn to sail her. I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Arabella in Harwichport before you guys put to sea. Thats at the beginning of the video im uploading right now. Cheers!
Loved this. I grew up on the North york moors and if you think its spooky in the day then at nightime its pretty wierd. The sheep coughing sound like old smokers. So glad you got to see the best bits of the uk. That said.... sailing on the south coast is pure magic. I guess you have all that to look forward to. Fair winds. All the best for your mom.
such a great walk but nasty in the winter, so glad you enjoyed yourselves
I can't believe you are doing this, amazing! It seems to be not widely known that the UK's countryside is generally lovely from an aesthetic point of view so thank you for making that point. If you are interested in another I recommend the Skye trail,west highland way, pennine way and the like wake walk! And then there is the end to end. Thanks for a great post
My grandparents lived in the Lake District, so I spent a lot of time up there as a kid. It's nice to see it through someone else's eyes. Regarding building castles; in Guédelon in France they're building a 'new' castle from scratch, only using period tools and materials. They started in 1997, and they're still not finished yet. (but it's getting close to being finished)
I really enjoyed your sightseeing tour through england, it looks the same as I remember it from 30 years ago when I was up in that area. My comment though is more about the high quality of the editing and the music that Ben produces. Ben is a real find, a real editing genius. Look forward to seeing more of arabella's travels, as always fair wind calm seas to y'all
@AcornToArabella
2 ай бұрын
Gosh, thanks!
I spent 3 month in that area last year training Ukrainian soldiers (of all things) for the war. I will tell you about those walls. When somebody wants to build a new house, they will buy some meters of old stone wall to have weathered old looking stone for their new house, which is why you every now and again find brand new looking stone walls along the fields and almost never a new looking house
It's been a long time since I have visited the Lake District, it's truly one of the most beautiful places in the UK and was a great place visit when I did geology during my engineering degree. If you come back again visit the last operating hematite mine, you have never experienced total darkness until you go down there and they get you to turn off your cap lamps. If you time it right they even blast whilst your down there and then inform you that your actually below the bottom of the sea level.
So cool seeing footage of you guys over here. Hope you had a great time :)
So nice to see this ancient vernacular stone constructions! Arch bridges (6:26), inventive gates (9:49), stone fences climbing the clouds (4:30)...
Good afternoon, 'bella fam! Happy Friday! 🫖 Acadia loves you and is happy to have you back!
Fantastic to to see you made it to the North of England just one of the coast to coast routes we have and good to know you enjoyed the experience maybe next time Hadrians wall Northumberland yet another of our beautiful places to visit .
Splendid scenery. Maybe one day you can sail from beach to beach and pick up pebbles you strolled across on this trek.
Just round the corner from me. Glad you enjoyed Richmond castle 👍🏻. The moors are not always like that! 🌧️ 🌫️ ☁️ 😂
im glad you enjoyed England so much, i hope you get to sail here soon
Well done 👍
Steve and Robin, it was such an enjoyable opportunity to watch your journey across England's well trodden trail. I want to mention that I found Steve's narration of today's video to be very demure. It is as if he had found himself in a place of peaceful awe. Anyway, I'm glad to know that you're back home, on the water.
I live just off that path - just where you go up out of the vale of York into the North York Moors national park (not far after Ingleby Cross, where you crossed the main road, but before you tackled the three sisters of the Wainstones, Cold Moor and Urra Moor) - it is some of the best countryside, I'm so so glad you enjoyed it!
Great trip. We just returned from Ireland and the views, sheep, and moist environment were very similar. Enjoy the sail.
Fantastic to see you over our side of the pond and enjoying some of the finest countryside we have to offer. I rely hope you bring Arabella over hear sometime soon, there is rely so much to see even if you never leave the coast
When you were at the white lion pub, you were at Rosedale, site of a ruined Abbey, and where iron ore was dug out and smelted, prior to being transported to the ancient. Steel furnaces by train, . Glad you enjoyed the trip. As the Scot’s say,,, Haste ye back !
💙 after reading ALL the posts, I forgot what I was going to say. 🙉 😁
Really cool to see you and your friends take on this cool adventure and it is even cooler to come along and watch it here on YT 😄
Hello Steve, With reference to your comment about the prodigious task of building Richmond Castle, look up Guédelon Castle in Wikipedia. Château de Guédelon is a castle currently under construction near Treigny, France. The castle is an experimental archaeology project aimed at recreating a 13th-century castle & its environment using period techniques & materials. 27 years, so far!
In the UK your never more than 70 miles from the sea. Have lovely time and grab a proper pulled pint while your here. Big love.
Yorkshire is famous for its hundreds of miles of drystone walls. Elsewhere in England they use hedgerows to enclose fields, but those plants can't grow in Yorkshire, so they got real good at building enclosures from the most common 'plant' there, the rocks.
Fantastic. Glad you enjoyed our beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.
Great stuff you will get there
I've wanted to do this walk for years. So nice you got to do it!
what an incredible journey,thanks for sharing and for wonderful storytelling. It never gets boring
I'm so glad to see this, the amount of KZread videos on people visiting England then only going to the concrete jungle that is London.
It was great to watch your walk across England. My husband and I did it a few years ago and have such fond memories. Thank you for sharing!
Family first guys that's what matters you get one, till next time be good or good at it.
Well done you guy’s. Looks amazing, something my wife and I intend to do one day, by the way, I used to live in Richmond many moons ago. Come back again and do the West Highland Way in Scotland. Another good stroll in countryside. 😊
Thanks for making this episode and showing our green green fields of England 🏴 Hope you come back soon
Just wonderful. Thanks, Ben. Praying for mom.
What a fantastic journey across England, thank you for sharing, also nice voice over by Steve.
You caught the spirit of the route, the season and the adventure really well. Thank you for coming to England.
What a treat, to see some of the most beautiful country at a walking pace. Akiva, definitely been missing you...
Welcome to our little angle-land, isle of the angels! 'These green and pleasant lands'
As a Northernn English lad it was such a delight to hear your commentary on my home country. Thank you for your interesting reflections Steve.
So glad you had an enjoyable time in England. The moors can be scary in the mist but really beautiful countryside in the sun. Prayers for your mum's peace
There’s a correlation between all those sheep and the lack of trees!
Welcome back. Happy A2A day everybody from Plymouth UK. For derelict read Doer-upper
@TheDevilWAH
2 ай бұрын
I was down in Plymouth last weekend seeing an old friend had been years since i was there, had a great time.
Ben! I had NO CLUE that you also had a Banjo in your arsenal!
@AcornToArabella
2 ай бұрын
Only for special occasions!
Nice travelogue. Thanks.
Steve and Robin , you need to sail to Conway in North Wales, it's the gateway to 3 magnificent castles, Canaervon, Conway and Harlech, all three amazing in different ways !
I did not think that I would see the day that you were playing in my back yard.
Awesome hike!😊 we are on the A.T in Washington Ma. feeding thru hikers at the "Ottada Way Cafe " Bacon Wrap 🥓 👍👍👍👍✌️
I have never seen someone move cows like that! i always skirt around as we do get cattle deaths now and then!
Ah! Grasmere gingerbread a favourite of mine. Glad you enjoyed the walk.
Stunning filming. You really captured the essence of the walk. I’m very envious of you all.👍
Continues to be award winning editing and production of these vids. Excellent job.
Welcome to my part of the world, just wish you would have said you were coming I would have gone out of my way to welcome you both, hope you come back and sail the beautiful coastline soon maybe sailing north to Scotland along the top and back south to Robins hoods bay one day 👍💕