Too Old Codgers

Statistics:
distance - 15.8 miles
moving speed – 3.1 mph
start – 9.45 am
finish – 6 pm
moving – 5h 10 min

During a walk around the village, admiring the cottages and their setting, Graham saw a wood pigeon come down to the Beck for a drink. We breakfasted on stewed local plums followed by a very good full English, while enjoying the view over the Beck and village green. It was a warm morning - the village sheep were all sheltering under a tree in the shade.

'Wood pigeon drinking at Hutton Beck'

'Breakfast with a view'

'Sheep sheltering from the hot sun'

We followed the road to Lowna bridge under a brilliant blue sky, then a path along the River Dove up Farndale. We climbed away from the river through woods to the edge of Harland Moor. Despite checking the guidebook, the OS map and the GPS, we couldn't find the path up through the heather to the road running along the top of the ridge. So eventually we set off bashing through the heather and arrived at the road within sight of the cairn marking where the track crossed the road. We could see the start of the track we should have taken, but it soon petered out. The track on the other side of the road was obvious, so we resumed the NoEW route. Harland Moor was the last expanse of flowering heather that we traversed, and flowering was at an end; the flowers were fading to a pinkish brown.

'The road to Lowna Bridge'

'Bashing through heather and bracken, Harland Moor'

'A path across Harland Moor – that's better!'

After crossing the orange-brown Harland Beck, we had a brief stretch of road walking, then passed untidy Common House Farm before entering a wood with lots of pheasants. We crossed several fields before again losing the path just before Penny Holme – a scramble through brambles took us down a steep bank to the track.

We crossed Hodge Beck and climbed through and beside pine woods to a stile on Otterhill Common. We stopped for lunch, using the steps of the stile as table and chairs. We had a 360o view of heather covered Skiplam Moor, woods, pastures, fields of harvested wheat, our route during the morning behind, and Beadlam Rigg ahead on the skyline.

'Lunch on stile, Otterhill Common'

After lunch we followed a steep path up Rollgate Bank then a long, straight farm track down Beadlam Rigg. We passed High Farm and Middle Farm and turned off before Low Farm into Pockley Rigg plantation. In the woods Graham became disorientated. So when we emerged from the woods and the path disappeared, he back-tracked searching for the 'correct' path. After consulting guidebook, map and GPS Graham finally worked out that after emerging from the woods we simply followed the edge of the ploughed field – ploughing had obliterated the path and footprints of previous walkers.

'Ascending Rollgate Bank'

'A long track down Beadlam Rigg'

'Lost in Pockley Rigg plantation'

'Last of the wheat harvest'

We crossed the River Riccal, a small stream, over a footbridge to begin the long trudge down Riccal Dale. Free-range pheasants were being fed at several feeding stations along the road. Mary was exhausted by the time we reached the turn-off to Reagarth Farm, only to find that the path through the farm was no longer a right of way. So we back-tracked about 300 yards then skirted around the farm fields. The last half mile was straightforward but seemed to take forever.

'Phree-range pheasant pharming'

'An exhausting walk down Riccaldale'

This had been our longest daily mileage so far, and with the delays and backtracking due to losing the path several times, it was 6pm when we found our B&B for the night, No 54 in Helmsley. Our host Lizzie was very welcoming and showed us through a courtyard to our 'apartment' – as well as a good-sized bedroom and bathroom we had a small sitting room. Lizzie's little dog came to visit us. While Mary showered Graham set up the computer in the sitting room. Mary caught up with work commitments while Graham showered and did some washing.

At 7.30 we set off for the Feathers pub. We remarked that the menu and wine list were similar to those in the pub the previous night and were told they have the same owner. Mary had the gammon steak again, and Graham had a game pie. We really enjoyed our dinner and drinks. It was a great pub.

'Helmsley roses and cottages'

'Feathers pub, market square Helmsley'

Next >>>>