Yorkshire Walks

This morning I drove with one of my neighbours to Low Mill in Farndale and we arrived there just after 9.30am. There is a small car park and some public toilets at the start of the famous 'daffodill walk'. The weather was very changeable with pleasant bright sunny spells and then in a few minutes thick black clouds and a wild snow shower for maybe 20 minutes before more sunshine. We set off over Waste Bridge to the Daleside Road and took the path to Cragg Cottage climbing up the valley side. Behind the cottage we followed the path still climbing up the moor through an area of old quarries and crags to the road along Blakey Ridge. We crossed the road and continued on the path for about half a mile to the disused ironstone railway round Rosedale. At the railway we turned left towards the head of the valley. A farmer passed us on a quad-bike carrying some silage for the sheep. Behind us the sky had become black and within minutes we were overtaken by a snow squall. When it was finished the moor was white all over. We cut up a path on our left to the Lion Inn on the Blakey Ridge road. It was very warm and comfortable in front of the open fire with a cup of coffee and a sandwich. After this break we took the permissive path at the back of the Inn down to the disused railway above Farndale. As we joined the railway there were two other walkers just standing in the biting wind eating their sandwiches, they hadn't even found a sheltered spot. Why on earth they didn't walk the two hundred yards to the pub and eat in comfort I don't know. We walked almost a mile back along the railway to the point where it crosses the Blakey Ridge road and here we turned down the steep descent on a minor road to Church Houses in Farndale. As we started down the road another snow squall began and this time we were walking straight into the wind. The stinging icy particles lashed our eyes and it was almost impossible to see to walk. As we got lower into the valley the squall eased off and by the time we reached the village it was bright and sunny again. We followed the daffodill walk for almost two miles beside the river Dove back to our starting point at Low Mill. The whole route was about 8 miles and took us just over 4 hours including our stop at the Lion Inn (excellent food there by the way and they are always open). I have a rotton cold which I'm sure I caught from Charlie who walked with us last Thursday at Goathland - thanks Charlie!!