A hot day largely on roads. I thought I was going to be able to walk the leve from Goole, but it was hopelessly overgrown. I was heading for this village where there is a pub but internet searching led me to believe it had closed so I stocked up with sandwich making food in Goole.
In the later afternoon I was plodding in baking sunshine down a long featureless road looking for somewhere to stop and lunch. A track led off on a sharp bend and it turned out to be RSPB Blactoft Sands. There were picnic tables in the shade - that is like winning the lottery on a trip like this.
The pub was closed and I had nowhere to stay. A local lady was very kind and told me about Rob the bus driver who was due in five minutes, and who also had a caravan site down the road. Rob arrived and gave me a lift to his fabulous site with his own built version of Fountains Abbey ( he had been a stone mason/builder). Despite needing to rush off for an appointment, which he phoned to reschedule for my sake, he made me tea (yes another cup of tea Gayle) and a very friendly welcome, and then went off leaving me the sole occupant of the site. There is a retired touring caravan next to my tent full of tourist info. And providing a comfortable sitting room - what luxury. On entering the caravan I got a great shock seeing a very attractive female standing inside the door, and another down the van with legs crossed up in the seat in a very appealing pose. They turned out to be shop window manikins!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, 20 June 2014
Thursday, 19 June 2014
Cawood to Howden (North of Goole)
The garden centre round the corner from the Castle obliged by doing breakfast (bacon butty,tea and carrot cake) before they opened at 9:00am.
Roads, tracks through fields and later many kilometres on the leve of the River Ouse were the order of the day. Two problems. First a three hundred yard thrash ON A PUBLIC FOOTPATH through a crop of peas (I think) at chest height with two tractor ruts beneath intermittently filled with water.The crop was very nearly impenetrable, and it took me over half am hour.
Second, I walked over a mile up the wrong leve (elevated river bank) and had to retrace. I arrived in Barmby-on-the-Marsh at about 4:30. There was nowhere to stay. I found a resident, Bill who confirmed that. He took me into his splendid garden, gave me much needed tea and researched phone numbers for the two pubs in Howden 4 miles up the road and we phoned and reserved a room at the Wellington. I was whacked and didn't relish another 4 miles walking at that time, but Bill offered to drive me there. His village is a dead end and there is virtually no traffic on the road so hitching would have had unlikely success. That made up for the two downers during the day. I am not walking a named route so don't see this as cheating - anything goes on this trip.
The Wellington is well and tastefully appointed and the food well above average. I had lamb steak on a bed of olive smashed potato surrounded by a selection of freshly cooked veg.
Tomorrow's route seems to end in wilderness and I will have to try and get some information in Goole before launching off into the unknown. Not having brought any cooking equipment any food I decide to carry will need to be of the none cook variety.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Roads, tracks through fields and later many kilometres on the leve of the River Ouse were the order of the day. Two problems. First a three hundred yard thrash ON A PUBLIC FOOTPATH through a crop of peas (I think) at chest height with two tractor ruts beneath intermittently filled with water.The crop was very nearly impenetrable, and it took me over half am hour.
Second, I walked over a mile up the wrong leve (elevated river bank) and had to retrace. I arrived in Barmby-on-the-Marsh at about 4:30. There was nowhere to stay. I found a resident, Bill who confirmed that. He took me into his splendid garden, gave me much needed tea and researched phone numbers for the two pubs in Howden 4 miles up the road and we phoned and reserved a room at the Wellington. I was whacked and didn't relish another 4 miles walking at that time, but Bill offered to drive me there. His village is a dead end and there is virtually no traffic on the road so hitching would have had unlikely success. That made up for the two downers during the day. I am not walking a named route so don't see this as cheating - anything goes on this trip.
The Wellington is well and tastefully appointed and the food well above average. I had lamb steak on a bed of olive smashed potato surrounded by a selection of freshly cooked veg.
Tomorrow's route seems to end in wilderness and I will have to try and get some information in Goole before launching off into the unknown. Not having brought any cooking equipment any food I decide to carry will need to be of the none cook variety.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wetherby to Cawood (South east of Tadcaster)
Wednesday
thenuttyduckI wanted to make the Castle Inn here, they have a camping and caravan site. I departed Wetherby at 10:15 to do 17 plus miles. A bit tight for an old gent like me. I eventfully arrived at 6:15pm. A good site and I was only charged £5 when they found out I hadn't brought all my domestic appliances with me.
The walk had been a mixture of riverbank leve, Tarmac and farm tracks - generally pleasant and enjoyable. Stopped off in Tadcaster for tea and toasted tea cake.
Earlier I had a moment of panic. The IPad mini Memory Map was only showing in an unreadable dark purple until I realised I was trying to view through my newly acquired Polaroid clip-ons.
Why is the last two miles on these trips often a problem? I came into Cawood on a series of confusing farm tracks and then a very difficult to find footpath, but I staggered in eventually. For the first time I can remember I fell asleep in a pub - that was between main course and pudding. I was woken by a friendly Staffordshire bull terrier who was very interested in where my socks had been and then wanted to play ball.
- uPosted using BlogPress from my iPad
thenuttyduckI wanted to make the Castle Inn here, they have a camping and caravan site. I departed Wetherby at 10:15 to do 17 plus miles. A bit tight for an old gent like me. I eventfully arrived at 6:15pm. A good site and I was only charged £5 when they found out I hadn't brought all my domestic appliances with me.
The walk had been a mixture of riverbank leve, Tarmac and farm tracks - generally pleasant and enjoyable. Stopped off in Tadcaster for tea and toasted tea cake.
Earlier I had a moment of panic. The IPad mini Memory Map was only showing in an unreadable dark purple until I realised I was trying to view through my newly acquired Polaroid clip-ons.
Why is the last two miles on these trips often a problem? I came into Cawood on a series of confusing farm tracks and then a very difficult to find footpath, but I staggered in eventually. For the first time I can remember I fell asleep in a pub - that was between main course and pudding. I was woken by a friendly Staffordshire bull terrier who was very interested in where my socks had been and then wanted to play ball.
- uPosted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Arnside to Wetherby
Wednesday -18th June.
I am on the train!
Departed Arnside 6:06am. Changed at Manchester for Leeds. From there I bus to Wetherby where I will resume my walk that was interrupted a week or two ago when I returned to help Daughter with her redundancy problem.
As far as Wetherby the walk has passed through more or less familiar territory, but from Wetherby I feel I will be going more into the unknown and I am looking forward to that.
This is a day by day trip so I am not disclosing a destination or predicting how long I will be taking.
More later.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I am on the train!
Departed Arnside 6:06am. Changed at Manchester for Leeds. From there I bus to Wetherby where I will resume my walk that was interrupted a week or two ago when I returned to help Daughter with her redundancy problem.
As far as Wetherby the walk has passed through more or less familiar territory, but from Wetherby I feel I will be going more into the unknown and I am looking forward to that.
This is a day by day trip so I am not disclosing a destination or predicting how long I will be taking.
More later.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, 13 June 2014
Running out of road
It is eighteen months ago that we completed the final leg of the Lancaster Preston canal. Since then I have devised endless circular walks of between four and seven miles all at less than half an hour's drive from home for my Thursday walks with Pete.
I have recently been finding it difficult to avoid covering previously trodden ground without going further afield, and this Thursday I had to accept a one kilometre overlap with a previous route, but we still walked on new found grass-in-the-middle lanes and decent footpaths around Winster, a region of characterful little green hills, abundant wild flowers, and all at peace with the world.
Quarter of a mile from return to the car we came to Winster Holy Trinity Church (C of E), a modest but attractive building using local Lakeland slate. The interior was immaculate and obviously well maintained. We sat outside on a welcome bench for quarter of an hour in peaceful contemplation as a huge group of ramblers filed past shouting down the line to each other warning of an approaching car - they were making their way back to their awaiting coach close to where we had parked. Our church visit was relevant to the most recent post on The Two Blonde's blog and I repeat the comment I made there: Say what you will about religion, but there is a palpable atmosphere in these places which seems to relax the soul and sooth the mind.
I have recently been finding it difficult to avoid covering previously trodden ground without going further afield, and this Thursday I had to accept a one kilometre overlap with a previous route, but we still walked on new found grass-in-the-middle lanes and decent footpaths around Winster, a region of characterful little green hills, abundant wild flowers, and all at peace with the world.
Quarter of a mile from return to the car we came to Winster Holy Trinity Church (C of E), a modest but attractive building using local Lakeland slate. The interior was immaculate and obviously well maintained. We sat outside on a welcome bench for quarter of an hour in peaceful contemplation as a huge group of ramblers filed past shouting down the line to each other warning of an approaching car - they were making their way back to their awaiting coach close to where we had parked. Our church visit was relevant to the most recent post on The Two Blonde's blog and I repeat the comment I made there: Say what you will about religion, but there is a palpable atmosphere in these places which seems to relax the soul and sooth the mind.
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| Our route is the thin red line. Part of a previous route in pink with blue waymarks encroaches. Winster Church is marked by the cross just south of Howe Farm |
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| Gilpin Mill. From here on I had a smudge on my lens. Thankfully I have been able to clean it. |
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| Pete has a thorough knowledge of botany including all the Latin names but he didn't recognise this one- detail shot below. Any offers? |
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| Northern Marsh Orchid... I think? |
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| Winster Holy Trinity Church I forgot to take my own pic and cribbed this poor effort from the church's website. The seat we relaxed on can just be made out in the corner to the right of the door. --------------------------------------- Jill update A satisfactory settlement has been agreed |
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Not funny
That sort of thing is not clever and annoys me beyond measure.
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Worth a click to enlarge
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| Ignore other blue routes. The "rocky promontory" is the same place I referred to on my geocache trip to Foulshaw Moss, "An Objective Demoted", 13th May. I stopped and munched my sandwich here - a remote and delightful venue. |
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| Arnside railway viaduct - my route of return from Grange-over-Sands across the bay |
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| Looking north up the bay (Kent estuary) towards The Howgills. My route goes all the way round |
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| Dallam weir and bridge - River Bela |
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| The rocky promontory where I stopped for my sandwich |
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| On the promontory. I like the colours of the lichens on the rocks here. Arnside Knott in the background |
Friday, 6 June 2014
On a lighter note
My regular Thursday walk with Pete took place on Wednesday this week because of the business meeting referred to in my previous post.
Once again we found ourselves walking on a peaceful country lane not far from home that neither of us, despite my now fourteen years in Arnside, had previously trodden. Spring was in full bloom and roadside flowers at their best. A slight drizzle prevailed throughout, but even so the dull lighting supported some half decent photos.
There were seven geocaches on the route - we only found four. The geocache counter on the sidebar of my blog is now creeping towards 300.
Once again we found ourselves walking on a peaceful country lane not far from home that neither of us, despite my now fourteen years in Arnside, had previously trodden. Spring was in full bloom and roadside flowers at their best. A slight drizzle prevailed throughout, but even so the dull lighting supported some half decent photos.
There were seven geocaches on the route - we only found four. The geocache counter on the sidebar of my blog is now creeping towards 300.
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| Sorry snail - I chopped your horn off. These modern viewing screens are useless. |
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