Date: Sunday 22nd July 2007
Mileage: 8 miles
Weather: Sunny and warm - all day!
We thought it would be an easy day today - what's eight miles when you know you can now do twenty-one? So we dawdled down the very beautiful and peaceful Swaledale. We're convinced we saw a kingfisher flash by along the river. We disturbed a deer behind a wall and it leapt over a fence into the woods - now that's something you don't see every day. We drank homemade lemonade in a tea shop in Gunnerside. We had a good look at a little owl sat on a stone wall. We also saw lots of rabbits - alive and dead. Maybe there were rabbit wars in progress - revolution and civil war in the warrens!
After Gunnerside we climbed up on to the open moors - stunning views up and down Swaledale. There was a trail bike event in progress up there. The clue was lots of bright pink marker flags and then we spotted, and heard, motorcyclists hurtling along the track wearing multi-coloured suits, goggles and helmets.
Our guide book (Stedman) let us down today - only the second time but still a nuisance. We came to a point where the path appeared to have been diverted round a recently renovated property. Took the diversion and then nothing....except rabbits and hay meadows. All very picturesque but spent half an hour scrabbling about a hillside to get back on track. After that we just wanted to get to Reeth as it was, dare I say, too warm now. the thought of a long cool drink in one of the three pubs sounded inviting so we stormed along the last three or four miles and arrived in the village in the early afternoon. A tasty late lunch from the Reeth Bakery and a couple of lager shandies from the pub and we were ready to relax and take in the sights and sounds of the village which is set in a stunning location, surrounded by limestone hills. Reeth was very busy with day visitors who all seemed to be from the North East. We sat outside the Black Bull on the edge of the square, had a wander over to the post office which states over the door that, "we are more than just a post office," and it was. It was a grocery store and a stationers as well - very useful if you need a new note-book and a loaf as well as a first class stamp.
After four o'clock we toddled off to our B&B which has an African Grey parrot called Del. Del was in a bad mood as he'd not had much sleep the previous night due to the cat disturbing him........
We had dinner at The Black Bull sat in the 'pen'. The pub is famous for its home-made pies - so I had one - lovely.
After Gunnerside we climbed up on to the open moors - stunning views up and down Swaledale. There was a trail bike event in progress up there. The clue was lots of bright pink marker flags and then we spotted, and heard, motorcyclists hurtling along the track wearing multi-coloured suits, goggles and helmets.
Our guide book (Stedman) let us down today - only the second time but still a nuisance. We came to a point where the path appeared to have been diverted round a recently renovated property. Took the diversion and then nothing....except rabbits and hay meadows. All very picturesque but spent half an hour scrabbling about a hillside to get back on track. After that we just wanted to get to Reeth as it was, dare I say, too warm now. the thought of a long cool drink in one of the three pubs sounded inviting so we stormed along the last three or four miles and arrived in the village in the early afternoon. A tasty late lunch from the Reeth Bakery and a couple of lager shandies from the pub and we were ready to relax and take in the sights and sounds of the village which is set in a stunning location, surrounded by limestone hills. Reeth was very busy with day visitors who all seemed to be from the North East. We sat outside the Black Bull on the edge of the square, had a wander over to the post office which states over the door that, "we are more than just a post office," and it was. It was a grocery store and a stationers as well - very useful if you need a new note-book and a loaf as well as a first class stamp.
After four o'clock we toddled off to our B&B which has an African Grey parrot called Del. Del was in a bad mood as he'd not had much sleep the previous night due to the cat disturbing him........
We had dinner at The Black Bull sat in the 'pen'. The pub is famous for its home-made pies - so I had one - lovely.