Reeth to Richmond

DAY 9             SUNDAY 17 JUNE

MILEAGE: 10.5 Miles

At breakfast we met another couple, who were on an annual trip to the dales with a group of Dutch cyclists,  some of whom we had seen the day before cycling through Gunnerside. It was a relief to be talking to people who were not walking the coast to coast – the lady was Dutch, but her partner was English and knew our host, Les, from old having spent many years cycling and racing in the dales.  As the tea and toast was served names of people that Kev had known in his days cycling with Leeds St. Christophers cropped up. Les said he had been doing a lot of cycling recently in order to lose weight as he was celebrating his 60^th birthday this year.  He certainly looked good on it. 

We said goodbye and headed off on two feet.

Reeth to Richmond is an easy walk.  There are just  a few stiles to negotiate on the way to Marrick Priory followed by a flight  of of steps through the aptly named Steps Wood. The steps were very slippery due to the rain and at one stage I nearly slipped backwards, only retaining my balance through Kev’s steadying hand on my back.

At the top we were greeted by some inquisitive sheep who wanted to be fed.  A couple of curlews also flew over, teasing us, by landing in front of us, staying still and then flying off just as we were about to take a picture.

There are several options to take, with a series of paths running either side of the valley. We followed the same footpath we had taken last year that led through a field, and then rather disconcertingly, straight through some people’s gardens, where they were cutting the grass but seemed happy to see us as not many people take this route.

The sky was getting black again.  We carried on through fields, walking past sheep and cows then the rain started.  Sheltering under a tree, we got our rain coats out as sheep bleated at us while we stood in “their” sheltering place waiting to see if the rain would ease before deciding to step out and brave the weather once again.

We walked through Marske and up the hill passing by Applegarth’s Farms, admiring the cat that was a sleep on a caravan roof. Yes the rain had given way to sunshine.

We eventually arrived in Richmond and found our way to the hotel – French Gate. Unlike the guest houses we had been staying in this was an upmarket trendy hotel aimed at rich tourists, fine art adorned the walls and a nice cream carpet led into the reception. We offered to take our boots off in the hallway, but were told that it was fine to keep them on.  Our room was at the top, with a fantastic stand alone bath.  We felt a bit guilty as we saw the trail of mud that we had left behind on the carpet but this guilt evaporated when the receptionist, who had shown us to our room, pulled the handle off the door!

After getting showered and changed we went into Richmond for some sight seeing. At the castle we bumped first into Mr Duncan and then the Patterdale couple.  Everybody seemed to be taking advantage of the sun to soak up some culture - and dry out!

We ended the evening by going to Taste of Thailand where we again bumped into the Patterdale couple. It soon becomes a very small world walking the cost to coast! Tomorrow they were walking the full 23 miles to Ingleby Cross, rather than splitting the section in two and doubtful that we would see them again, we said goodbye to them outside the restaurant looking in amazement at a group of local young girls on their way for a night out hardly wearing anything, shouting and dancing down the street – stereotypes of the teenagers you read about getting drunk on cheap booze? Or just us getting old? Either way it was a bit of a shock to the system.

Kevanliz@aol.com