Bolton Abbey & The Strid

Monday, 29th March - 5 1/4 miles

A bonus walk !! A day off from work (planned), so I decided I wasn't going to get bogged down with rugby administration and, despite the rain, would go walking.

Inspiration for the walk came from Terry Marsh and his book "Yorkshire Dales - Southern and Western Area" which is, sadly, out of print. However, this is a walk you can do with out a guide book as the paths are well marked and well maintained by the Bolton Abbey Estate,

I have a confession to make first. I'm a born and bred Yorkshireman. Coming originally from the Settle area, I was actually raised in the small village of Langcliffe, a mile from Settle. However, I've never been to the Strid before, despite living in the County for over forty years !! I suppose that in the 60s the world was a smaller place and certainly car travel was pretty rare. In fact my father, who has just celebrated his 80th birthday has never driven. Suprising to many nowadays who can't wait to reach their seventeenth birthday!

The Walk
The first surprise of the walk was parking in the Village car park which cost a whopping £6.00 !! The added bonus of walking on a Monday in March in the rain was that it was virtually empty. Just wait until next weekend which is Easter - the place will be swarming with people.

From the Car park cross the road and go through the "Hole in the Wall". Down the steps and across the bridge by the stepping stones. Turn immediately left and across the grass and you are into woods on a well maintained path which wanders up and down, back and forth until it emerges onto a road near a ford.

Cross the beck by either the ford or a small bridge and head back towards the river and a flat path that takes you to a footbridge opposite the Cavendish Pavilion.

Turning right in front of the pavilion I entered Strid Woods and a number of very well marked and maintained footpaths. Again, the walk is through woods, following the coloured waymarked routes until the Strid was reached.

Here I deviated from Mr Marsh's route which continues up the river to an aqueduct and feeling the 7.5 miles from yesterday's walk turned back and made my way, using a different coloured route, to the Pavilion. Instead of crossing the river I continued back down the same bank heading for the Cavendish Memorial and then in front of the Priory Chapel and back to the car park.

A delightful route and despite the rain very easy underfoot due to the work done on the footpaths. Strid Woods are just starting to come into leaf but nevertheless provided some shelter from the rain.

Pictures of the walk (including a fallen tree that has been studded with coins!) are available from this link.

The Month's Gone
Well, this is probably the last walk in March. Next time I get out it will be April, although the weather forecast for the rest of the week is very poor, so Friday may prove to be a wash out !

Stats for the month are :

Date	Walk	Miles	Km
07/03/2010	Grassington, Threshfield & Linton	4	6.44
14/03/2010	Haverah Park	6.5	10.46
21/03/2010	Gargrave - East Marton	7.5	12.07
28/03/2010	Weeton & Netherby Deep	7.5	12.07
29/03/2010	Bolton Abbey & The Strid	5.26	8.20
		30.76	49.24

Weeton and the Wharfe

Sunday 28th March - 7.5 miles. I've already been using Facebook and Picasa to give details of the walks I've undertaken but have now decided that I'll try and blog the walks I've decided to take each weekend.

Why am I walking ?
In March 2009 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In the period since that first diagnosis, and the shock of finding out that I had diabetes I have, I suppose, concentrated on diet. This has meant that I have not had to resort (yet ?!) to medication. In January of this year Gill, my wife of 29 years, and I decided that we (a) needed to get more exercise and (b) get out of the house on a Sunday. So, we got out the walking books - more details of that in a later blog, the maps and the boots. Since 7th Feburary we've managed to clock up 39 miles and have tried to get into the "habit" of going out each Sunday despite the weather and despite anything else that may be happening in our lives - the walking is going to come first.

This Week's Walk
Thanks to Paul Hannon and his book "Harrogate and the Wharfe Valley".

We were joined by friends Marilyn and John for this walk on a bright, sunny day although the wind was pretty strong. The walk starts at Weeton, a small, sleepy hamlet just off the A658 Bradford to Harrogate road. A very busy road but, within a few minutes, you are in a peaceful and tranquil village. We parked just off Main Street by the Village Green which has, in the corner, a bench in memory of a lady who died in 1932 !!
The walk took us out of the village (note: that the owners of the stables have created a "diversion" around their property, rather than going through their front garden). There follows a steep climb up a field with some fantastic views back across the valley to Almscliff Crags. At the top of the hill you join first a road and then a green path that drops to the main A61 Leeds to Harrogate road. A busy road it is easily crossed and then we march onwards to Swindon Hall and then a period of about 1 1/2 miles of road walking before we reached the low point of this particular route. The guide book states "immediately after Springmoor Lodgeon the right, a stile sends a path down the side of the site". Sadly, the path is completely overgrown and the owners of the chalets have slowly encroached on to it making it a difficult section. Indeed the bottom end of the path has been completely blocked off.
Anyway, leaving this obstacle behind you drop onto the banks of the Wharfe at Netherby Deep (with a warning sign about the treacherous waters hereabout). The river indeed was running fast and free and we found ourselves walking into the teeth of a pretty strong breeze (an understatement perhaps). Eventually, the path brings you back to the main road just short of Harewood Bridge. Just before we reached the bridge we saw signs that, perhaps, Spring has arrived! After negotiating the busy road we re-joined the river bank for the last spell up the river bank before veering off through the wood of Rougemont Castle (an Anglo-Saxon castle apparently !) and making our way back to Weeton.

A good day out ! A great walk, well described by Mr. Hannon and easy to follow.

More pictures (I know I'm not a good photographer but I might get better as time goes on) are available from this link.

Next week we plan to go walking on Friday - a significant date for me since it will be my 55th birthday. What better way to celebrate than to go walking. Although, I've just seen the weather forecast - maybe staying indoors will be the order of the day !