Sunday 20 March 2011

Scotton, Brearton & Farnham

Sunday, 20th March
6.84 Miles (11 Km) - 2hrs 33 mins
Well, circumstances have meant that it's been a month since our last walk and, sadly, we will have another break as Gill goes to America to visit our daughter (although, I will try and get out whilst she's away).
This was a short(ish) ramble between three villages just outside Knaresborough and it was the perfect re-introduction to our regular walks.
We parked in the Village Hall Car Park at Scotton (GR SE326589) and after walking through the village headed off across the fields, just before we got to Lawrence Hall Farm, to the equally sleepy hamlet of Brearton.
After passing through this village the route took us along the traffic free Knaresborough Road past Walkingham Woods and Warren Farm.
Here we took a short detour to find a cache (GCZMG6) - situated underneath an old ash tree.

After logging our visit to the cache we re-traced our steps to pick up a delightful green lane that ran down to the third of the villages on the route, Farnham. 
Sadly, the route from Farnham follows the fairly busy Stang Lane, where you need your wits about you as the traffic moves at quite alarming speeds !
Thankfully, the road is soon left to go through fields before joining another green lane, initially called Rooker Lane which then becomes Smithy Lane and drops you back in the centre of Scotton.
Spring, it seems is late this year.  Although it didn't rain it wasn't a very warm day and gloves are still the order of the day.  It might be my perception but there don't seem to be as many daffodils out as there were this time last year - I may be mistaken, but, hopefully things will warm up over the next few weeks.

For anyone who reads this blog (and I've no idea if anyone does !), Gill and I have entered the Leeds Well Walk which is to be held on 22nd May at Temple Newsam.  The walk is organised by Diabetes UK and we are both looking for donations to help us raise some money of this charity.  I have been diabetic for three years now and this is my way of trying to raise funds to help find a cure for diabetes which is increasingly becoming more prevalent in our society.  If you can spare a few quid then please donate to us by visiting our page on the diabetes challenge website - THANK YOU !