Yorkshire Walks

Pen Hill through the drizzle as we started our walk

We started walking at about 10.00am along the main road (A684) down the hill towards Wensley. A light drizzle was starting as we left the market place.

The weather forecast for today is for rain, but my friend, Jim, and I drove to Leyburn in Wensleydale for a walk anyway. We parked in the market place at map ref. SE111905.

Setting out down Low Wood Lane

Steps and stile up out of Low Wood Lane

After about 600m there were a few steps up out of the track to a stile into the field on the right of the track. We climbed the steps and stile into the field and followed the path across the fields for almost 2km to the village of Wensley.

After about 200m we turned left at map ref. SE109903 onto a track called Low Wood Lane, heading down the valley side under the Wensleydale Railway.

Path across the fields to Wensley village

A lovely old ash tree by the path to Wensley

We walked along the road past the church to the main road (A684) at map ref. SE091895. We crossed the main road and began to walk up the drive towards Bolton Hall.

By now there was a steady drizzle and the grey sky indicated that it was set to continue. The path brought us to a lane on the edge of the village where we turned left to follow the lane downhill to the road near the village church.

The caption reads, "P.O.W. Italian 15.5.1944"

Roses on an old tree stump in Wensley village

Quoits court by the drive to Bolton Hall

After about 1km we came to some buildings on the edge of some woodland at map ref. SE081901.

After about 250m we turned off the drive onto a path on our right heading up across a large open field past a large old oak tree.

A fine old oak tree by the path recorded by the Ancient Tree Hunt

A Burdock plant used to make my favourite childhood drink - dandelion & burdock

Sheep on the Wensleydale Railway

At the road we turned left to walk along the road for about 150m to a path on our right across the fields crossing the Wensleydale Railway at map ref. SE078906, and continuing to another road about 150m further on.

The path skirted round the buildings to a track around the woodland at the edge of a field. We followed this track around the field edge for 250m where the track cut through the woodland to a road at map ref. SE079904.

Stone slab bridge over a tiny water course

Looking across the field to the road from the level crossing over the Wensleydale railway

A wet pony by the road side

Climbing the lane past a farm called Tullis Cote

We continued up the lane past a large farm for about 600m from the road to map ref. SE078912. Here we turned right off the lane to follow a path across the fields for about 750m to a pedestrian gate into the woodland at the start of Leyburn Shawl at map ref. SE085913.

We crossed the road and followed a lane around a farmstead and round a hairpin bend infront of some derelict industrial buildings with a tall chimney.

Industrial relics of the mining era in Wensleydale

Cattle just waiting for the rain to end

Path across the fields to the woods on Leyburn Shawl at the top of the climb

Leyburn Shawl is very pretty even in the rain, but no views today

By now the rain had become heavier and we took shelter under some trees for our lunch. We had been fairly sheltered in the valley but noe we were exposed to the wind and the combination of heavy rain and wind was testing our waterproof to the limit. After our break we followed the path along the top of Leyburn Shawl for around 3km back to Leyburn market place.

I think Jim enjoyed the walk in spite of the rain

The striking purple of this year's new cones on a Larch tree by the path

Heading back into Leyburn along the Shawl in the pouring rain - no views today

Our walk today had been 9km and it had taken us about 3 hours including our lunch stop. There is a very useful shelter in the market place where we changed out of our walking gear before going to a nearby teashop for a coffee and toasted teacake then heading home.

It is a very sudden transition from the wonderful views across Wensleydale (on a fine day) from Leyburn Shawl to the streets of Leyburn next to the market place in just a few metres.

This year's fresh green cones and a dry brown one from last year on a Scots Pine by the path

Heading back into Leyburn along the Shawl in the pouring rain