The Blue Lion at West Witton - the start of our walk

April 2014

is too great a county to do it justice in a brief weekend, but these walks - 10 miles split over two days, with another day exploring Lancashire, gave a taste. Fortunately we have all walked in these parts at other times too.

On Friday, after an excellent lunch in the warm and welcoming Blue Lion in East Witton in the old North Riding of Yorkshire, we walked north through fields full of sheep and new-born lambs to the old stone bridge over the River Cover (a tributary of the River Ure) in the tiny hamlet of Ulshaw.

Having crossed to the north bank of the river, we headed west across open country to Middleham, and its impressive Middleham castle (English Heritage, 1190, childhood home of Richard III) - an unexpected find in this small north Yorkshire village.
After exploring the village we took a slightly different route back to East Witton, before rejoining our outward route along the River Cover. Deciding not to attempt the stepping stones in fast flowing water we went back to cross at the bridge in Ulshaw instead.

The total length of the walk was about five miles.

We then drove up to the head of Coverdale and crossed over into Wharfedale, to find our accommodation in the delightful Fountaine Inn on the attractive village green in Linton near Grassington.

Sunday saw us in Grassington, in the old West Riding of Yorkshire , full of walkers and other weekend visitors. We walked upstream along the bank of the River Wharfe, here a large, fast flowing river, in marked contrast to the tiny stream we followed down from the top of Wharfedale and East Witton on
Friday. The power of the river has been put to good use in the
Linton Falls hydroelectric plant, (1909 and recently revived).

After a mile or so walking along this delightful river we climbed up into Grass Wood to the summit at Far Gregory, then down Gregory Scar towards Grassington, passing the remains of a medieval village and joining the Dales Way long distance footpath for the last half mile.

We adjourned to the Foresters Arms in Grassington for an excellent lunch surrounded by walking boots and damp dogs.