Too Old Codgers

Statistics:
distance - 18.5 miles; moving speed – 3.3 mph
start – 8.45 am
finish – 4.15 pm
moving – 5h 40 min

Because of the long day ahead we were pleased to be offered an early breakfast at 7.30. Mary restricted her intake to tea and toast, while Graham enjoyed his usual fruit salad with yoghurt and English cooked breakfast.

It had rained overnight, and was drizzling as we set off in our rain gear at 8.45. The drizzle increased to rain as we passed Thirsk racecourse, a hive of activity as it was a race day. The 2 ½ miles on the A61 through Thirsk and Carlton Miniott were dreary in the rain. The drear was relieved when we passed a large house named 'Toad Hall'. A little further on a car had been driven into a lamp post on the footpath – had toad been out for a joy-ride?

The guidebook showed a track turning off the A16, but it was now a well-made road with a surprising number of cars. The small lake shown on the map in our guidebook, but not mentioned in the text, was now a fishing resort made up of demountable cabins and a reception area around a large central fountain.

Leaving the fishing resort through a small, dripping wood and across a soggy field, we joined the B6267 which was to be our wet companion for the rest of the morning. We sometimes walked on the verge until it became too rough and overgrown, then dodged cars on the road, then reverted to the verge and so on. We passed through Skipton-on-Swale and then over the Swale, downstream from where we would meet it again in about two weeks on the C2C.

Where the B6267 crossed under the A1 we sheltered from the rain under the overpass to have morning tea. We were diverted from consideration of the uncharacteristic English weather (this was to be our only wet day during our 30 day walk!) by a steam traction engine going round the roundabout, and by the many snails and crane flies sheltering under the underpass. The rain eased as we left the underpass.

'Morning tea sheltering from the rain under the A1'

'Crane fly shelters from the rain'

We left the B6267 on the correct corner, but on an incorrect right of way that left the road just before the NoEW. Again the GPS and OS map were enlisted to get us back on track, but an extra ½ mile was added to the day. Back on the road we were enthralled by loud honking from the sky – a flock of Canada geese flew over in the classic 'V' shape of migrating birds. We were to see several such flocks during the day.

'Much of the day was spent on wet roads'

'Off road for a bit, but the wrong right of way'

'Migrating Canada geese'

We passed through Thornborough then down a lane with lots of red fruits and berries in the hedgerows. Graham tried what looked like a redcurrant – awfully bitter. The bronze-age earthen henge mentioned in the guidebook looked just like a modern rubbish tip. Then we passed a massive rabbit warren along Green Lane.

We stopped for a late lunch on the village green at Nosterfield – our developing routine was to have morning tea at 11-12o'clock, then to push on until we were well past the half-way point of the day's walk to have lunch, often at around 2pm. Graham's exploration of Google maps before leaving Australia revealed that a quarry on the guidebook route just past Nosterfield had been turned into a wetlands area. It took a little while to navigate through the lakes, then it was a pleasant walk through woods and across fields to the village of Well.

'Lunch on Nosterfield green'

'Nosterfield quarry wetlands'

As we left Well up a steep climb along Masham Lane, the drizzle again developed into driving rain. We were drenched and tired, but the thought of the Theakston Brewery at Masham kept Graham powering on. Unbeknown to us, our baggage passed us at this point. Brigantes employs local retired people to transport baggage in their area. The couple who were carrying our bags through this part of our walk met us next morning in Masham and told us they had seen a pair of drowned rats climbing Masham Lane the previous afternoon and wondered if it was us. They carried the bags in their own car, and made an outing of it taking their dog along and having morning or afternoon tea in the destination village. We met several such couples along the way and enjoyed their company and stories during our brief meetings.

'Drowned rat on Masham Lane'

Graham had first encountered Theakston's Old Peculier in the snow covered Tan Hill pub in 1986, and it has been one of his favourite beers ever since. On his recommendation, friends had visited the brewery in 1988 and presented him with a treasured Old Peculier T-shirt on their return. So the first stop in Masham was Theakston's brewery, just ½ an hour before closing – time enough to replace the T-shirt (now a couple of sizes too small) and for a pint. There were only two people serving in the bar and souvenir shop. On presenting a T-shirt for purchase to replace the 25 year old shirt he was proudly wearing, Graham was bemused to find the person at the till couldn't work it. She called the person from the bar to help. By the time it was sorted there was a line of half a dozen people waiting in the souvenir shop, and a queue of at least a dozen at the bar. We didn't get a beer at the brewery. Never mind, Old Peculier was at least as good as Graham had remembered it from 1986 wherever he found it on this trip.

'Theakston brewery'

We then found our way to the pub where we had booked a room for the night. When we entered we noticed the scruffy patrons and the unsavoury advertisements for scantily dressed bar staff, and were wondering what we had let ourselves in for. The young lady managing the place apologised and explained that the previous manager had messed up our booking, but she had managed to find us alternative accommodation at the same price as the hotel room in a self-contained cottage attached to a glass-blower's gallery. So we were delivered from questionable accommodation to a very pleasant apartment for the evening – thanks to the efficient and caring new manager. To take advantage of the cottage kitchen, Graham went out to buy provisions for a breakfast fry-up, and to find newspapers to stuff into our sodden boots. The person in the newsagents was happy to provide out-of-date newspapers free. We were getting to like Masham!

'The roomy glassblower's cottage, and boots drying'

'Glassblower's lightshade'

For dinner we went to the adjoining pub where Graham finally had Old Peculier in the village where it was brewed. We had our usual dinners, and finally got to bed at 9.30 after a long and eventful day.

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