Lady Anne Way …..Day 1: Skipton to Burnsall
Categories UK 2017.....Walking The Lady Anne Way and Touring Cities & Sights, United Kingdom 2024, 2017
September 4, 2017
After a filling breakfast and under overcast skies we leave town at 9:00 by the church tower clock. Having previewed the start of the route, we are quickly underway in what is now a fine mist…
Our path climbs through some pastures and crosses through a golf club then winds along the Wharfe River, traversing back gardens, pastures and hay meadows…… and soon we arrive at Milepost 2 and the village of Embsay with attractive old houses, millponds and an old mill…
At one point we needed to detour, as the pastures we were about to cross were open to shooters today……not wanting to get shot we opted to take the advice on the posted sign. Carrying on we reached Eastby at Milepost 4…
…allegedly there is a nice pub here called the Masons Arms, but it is still early and we carry on, particularly as the weather has improved with the sun shyly peeking out now and then…
Following the advice of a lady who having watched us studying our guidebook came over to lend assistance and suggested a high route which will take us through the moors before descending to Milepost 7 and the Barden Tower, our goal for a spot of lunch…
The walk rises steeply and affords us some lovely views……after about 40 minutes of climbing we reach the border of the Yorkshire Dales National Park which is parkland, although grazing of sheep is permitted…
…a very pretty area and quite rugged…we gradually reach the shoulder and then start descending …
…finally reaching the Barden Tower. This famous ruin was home to Lord Clifford in Tudor times and later Lady Anne, who did a lot of restoration to the building and where she often slept as she travelled north….now it is just a ruin viewable only from the exterior…
We cross the Wharfe River and join the Dales Way for a while, a popular long walk of 84 miles…
The river along here is our companion and we see signs prohibiting fishing, unfortunately, one must be a member of an angling club to catch dinner…
Our lunch is on the banks of the river …a modest affair (sausage roll/almond Danish with a fine vintage of Gatorade)…..time is flying and we still have 3 miles to go…the balance of the walk continues along the river and is generally pleasant walking……we meet only a handful of people…
A few gummi bears for a sugar surge and we reach Burnsall, a very attractive hamlet boasting a café and the Red Lion Hotel……our stop for the night…
It has been a fairly hard day…..6 hours on the trail and it is time for some relaxation……dinner is very pleasant, in a nice setting > and we both opt for a Provencal Beef Stew with a carafe of Cabernet Sauvignon ….DEEElicious!! Some blogging and time for a longish whiskey and then bed !! A very good day.