Day 1  – 16 October 2020

Grassington to Middlesmoor (13 miles)

Birthday breakfast at Low Mill. Grandpa turned 83 and we were very lucky to all be there to celebrate with him. John’s present was the standout winner. That these were the only photos that were taken slightly belies the fact that there were other conversations and moments. Nonetheless. Grandpa was exceptionally pleased with his headtorch. 

 

Then the off! After a photo call, we walked up and out of Grassington past the old lead mines. We could see to the left over to Kilnsey Crag and over the southern Dales. We had been imparted with strong advice that the mines were a potential hazard, and whilst this was a steady topic of conversation, luckily no-one fell into one. We also passed by streams running over millstone grit and sink holes through the limestone. Shooting Houses were a brooding and haunting presence.

The sun came out and we had a lovely lunch. Harriet made us tea in her very whizzy gas fired rocket thermos. Claire tried to feed Isla a ham sandwich.  At this stage, we were surrounded by open moorland – not a soul or house in sight.

Then we walked over to Sandy Gate. We lost the path in the thick reed grass, and resorted to the Ordnance Survey app. Isla actively sought out the bogs, and although Harriet did not, she did fall into one twice.  Sandy Gate was renamed  F*&^^$”£ Sandy Gate. Amazing views though.

Thanks to Harriet’s superb map reading, we did not get lost, and made it off the moor and towards Middlesmoor. Walking down into the valley the long moorland grass changed to grazing land, the bogs disappeared and trees and woodland appeared.

 

Day 2 – Saturday 17 October

Middlesmoor to Masham/Snape (13 or 18 miles)

Thanks to COVID and the rule of 6, and also because not everyone could take Friday off, Harriet, John, Claire and EM stayed in the lovely Castle Arms in Snape on Friday evening. Isla got to sleep in with Claire and EM, and she was well looked after.

 

Meanwhile, Will drove Alice and Leo up from London, and Caitlin came down from Edinburgh on the train, and they stayed in Low Mill. It meant that Grandpa had a birthday dinner as well as a birthday breakfast with 4 different family members. 

The photo below includes John White who wrote the route and lives at Low Mill. It was taken before leaving Middlesmoor and in the valley, but Middlesmoor at the top of the moor, was in a cloud and so misty and raining. There, they met up with Castle Arms crowd. Despite many and long conversations about not attracting attention and walking as two groups of four, we got lost and walked around Middlesmoor several times shouting loudly to advertise that we were more than 6 people. 

Eventually we found the route, we crossed the Nidd and before we walked up a very steep hill, Granny sensibly decided that that was the point to go back to the car. At the top of the hill we could see across to Nidderdale and the route ahead to Masham.

The hill led us on to the moor, and a well marked track which we followed for 5 miles. The top of the moor was pretty flat, covered in heather and peat bogs. This time, luckily, no-one fell in.

We had a lovely lunch of sandwiches and burnt boiled eggs which made Caitlin scream. Leo fed them to Isla who also seemed to struggle with them. Will wore a cape that made him look like a purple Jabba the Hut. It was quite chilly so we didn’t stop long. Claire managed to get her waterproof trousers to go on the outside of her jacket.

We dropped down into the valley heading towards Masham. Unfortunately we got lost. There were a number of different options that were hotly debated. We decided not to turn back, and then it was a toss up between wading across a raging torrent or climbing up a vertical bank to get back on track. We chose the latter. The expressions in the pictures say it all.

In our training walk, we had managed to cover 4.5 miles in 3 hours and so there was a plan to cut down the planned 15 miles to 10. Harriet, Caitlin, John, Claire and Ellie May decided however not to do the short walk and to walk on from Masham to Snape. Will, Alice and Leo sensibly decided that 10 miles was enough and took a taxi to the Castle Arms via Middlesmoore to collect Will’s car. Amazingly, they got there last even though the walking group spent a long time trying to find their way around somewhere called Gebdyke Farm. At the Castle Arms, Leo had a large hot chocolate and the rest of us reached for something stronger.

Day 3 – Sunday 18 October

Snape – Maunby (13 miles)

Harriet and Caitlin travelled back to Low Mill with Granny (who nobly drove a round trip of 3 hours to collect them). Alice, Leo, Will, John, Claire and EM stayed on at the very lovely Castle Arms where they drank more gin (all except EM) and ate good food. On Sunday morning, they set off across Thorp Perrrow towards Bedale where Alice and Claire had spent many a Pony Club camp.

Day 3 was between the Dales and the Moors and crossed the valley. Compared to Days 1 and 2, it was quite industrial and included crossing the A1, a trainline and quite a lot of monoculture fields of turnips, winter wheat and other things. Leo collected turnips which John later made into a stew. Will pretended to be a zombie at one point.

We came across a field with a lot of cows in it. Will and Leo bravely went ahead while Ellie May, Claire and Alice looked on to see if they would be trampled. When it looked OK, they crossed. Unfortunately, John got a severe case of Bovinitis and decided to go a different way. That was the last we walked with John that day.

We met up in Maunby, and went our seperate ways. John, Alice and Leo went back to London as they had work and school the next day. Claire and Ellie May were collected by Granny and Grandpa (who nobly did another 3 hours round trip), and Will headed north to see Jane. 

So many thanks to everyone! We are already looking forward to Stage 2.