The Walk - Stageq 11 - Richmond to Danby Wiske

A few more notes from yesterday

I stuck my arm out the window to get this “sort of” sunset. I just can’t get enough of this view from our room and have had my head stuck out the window most of the time I’ve been here. 

Shortly after taking this photo, the rain came down. 

There are many resale shops here in Richmond and I walked into one to check out something in the window. 

The song playing in the shop was “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. 

When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of a storm

There's a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind

Walk on through the rain

Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on

With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

(how apropos)

Now for today’s journey. 

Sunrise over the castle

This sign is over the bar in the area where we eat breakfast. I’ve always wondered why “bloody” was considered swearing in England. I’ve had my suspicions but was completely wrong. 

It derives from an old English curse 'God's blood' which went to 'Sblood' (as in Shakespeare) and then to bloody in common English, changing from a noun to a more useful adjective. The original was a curse as it was

considered blasphemous, and is a reference to Christ’s blood on the cross.

We start the day with the usual routine of packing up, hauling bags and having breakfast. 

Went to the market and bought some fruit for lunch. 

Picked up a sandwich in this little bakery 

When walking to the Richmond Bridge, we experienced an amazing Christmas aroma. I looked up and there was this huge fir tree and someone had a wood burning stove going. It was such a pleasant moment. 

Goodbye, Richmond!

The Green was once an industrial suburb of Richmond, the 'rough' quarter, as it has been described. There used to be a tannery, dye works, corn mill, fulling mill and brewery here.

Richmond Bridge dates from 1788-9, and was built by two different contractors. It spans the Swale, which runs across the farmlands of the Vale of York to join the River Ure, and become the Ouse.

Our first walking in the Vale of Mowbray continues along the River Swale, through settlements and farmland.

We soon left the town, walked across the Richmond Bridge and then strolled along the Swale River’s southern bank below the town. There was a good view of the castle from there.

Some of the trails from today 

View of the castle 

It is bittersweet leaving Richmond as we know we are also leaving behind the high country, stone fences, and the flower-sprinkled fields of the North Yorkshire Dales. 

Richmond water treatment facility 

I was glad someone cut this section of log out so I didn’t have to lift my tired old legs over it. 

We went through a sheep pasture where they were making use of the trail. 

Horsetail fern

I should say that this portion of the walk is something you just have to get across. You don’t have the glory of the lakes or the prettiness of the Dales or the starkness of the North Yorks Moors. It’s just the bit you have to walk across to carry on. It’s also really difficult knowing where to break up your journey. We could have walked on to Ingleby Cross instead of stopping at Danby Wiske, but that would have made for a 22 mile day, and at this point in the journey, that’s too far and long to walk. 

The birds were picking the seeds from this field before they could take root. We passed a farmer along here digging the mud from the blades of his tractor. He said fine day for it (referring to our beautiful day for walking) but last evening wasn’t too clever (poured down rain). Sometimes it takes us a minute to interpret the language here. 

There seems to be a progression of farmed fields, causing the going underfoot to be less than ideal, but the route overall is a joy to follow. The landscape is flat as a pancake, vs all of our previous "gluteus maximus burning" treks. We are definitely in the land of agriculture, cattle, dairy, pig and horse farms, with a beauty all their own. 

Old railway bridge

Walking under Catterick Bridge

Catterick Bridge was commissioned by seven local gentries in 1422, and built by three stonemasons, each of whom put their mason's mark on the stones of the old bridge. The bridge took three years to build at a total cost of 173 pounds.

After walking in glorious countryside it is always a shock to be faced with traffic, people and noise, so we weren’t too delighted with a path that took us past extensive roadworks crossing under the A1.

The Bridge House Hotel, has a style and charm often lacking in these days of cookie cutter style. In 1442, the hotel was known as the George and Dragon, and an important stop between London and Scotland. It was badly damaged by a fire in 2014 and sat in disrepair until it sold at auction for £240,000 earlier this year. You can see it is now being restored. 

The area around the hotel has great historical interest, dating to the time when Catterick Bridge was a Brigantian city, then known as Cherdarich, meaning 'the camp by the water'. When the Romans arrived they extended the city into a great military centre, and Dere Street, the main Roman road to the north, forded the river at Catterick Bridge. The Romans renamed the area 'Cataractonium', though this is an ancient British word, borrowed by the Romans. 

The scenery is idyllic, but very similar mile after mile. River. Tick.  Barns. Tick. Pretty bridges. Tick. Sheep. Tick. Cows. Tick. As a result, it’s hard to remember what each place looked like.

But we aren’t complaining as we set out on yet another gloriously sunny day. We’ve had just one properly rainy day so far, which is pretty impressive. And besides, there is something so incredibly lovely just walking, step after step, through scenery that looks as though it has been painted. You get in a rhythm and breathe in contentment

We follow along the river Swale for a bit longer. 

And just before leaving it, decide to sit and have our lunch. 

We say farewell to the Swale, which has been our companion since it was first met near Keld. It slips away to join the Ure, and we can see it in the distance for awhile longer.

"Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together." Psalm 98:8

Never could figure out what kind of quarry this was. 

It seems this area has gone to red brick for building

One of the few stone houses we saw in this part of England. 

St. Mary’s church 

Henry Jenkins monument

St Mary's Church in Bolton-on-Swale. This structure is delightful. The clock tower is constructed of exquisitely hued sandstone blocks. Brothers of the Abbey of St Mary's in York originally built the church in the early 14th century. There were earlier churches - Saxon and Norman - on this site, and what remained of those was incorporated into the present Gothic design. But the principal feature of interest here is the monument in the churchyard, dedicated to Henry Jenkins, whose claim to fame was that from his birth at nearby Ellerton in the year 1500, he lived to be 169, dying at Ellerton in 1670. Henry made his living from salmon fishing and thatching cottages, but he remembered being sent as a lad of 12 with a cartload of arrows to meet the Earl of Surrey's army on its march north to the Battle of Flodden (1513). 

We didn’t stop for tea at the church, which was on offer, but did take advantage of their proper toilet. 

Ellerton Bridge

We begin walking along the tarmac. Until you’ve walked long distance, you will not realize how evil tarmac is. You’d think it would be nice and flat and even and easy. But it’s not. It’s hard and generally slopes on the sides so that it makes your feet start to hurt. Gives new meaning to pounding the pavement. Our feet were really feeling it by the time we reached Danby Wiske today. 

Danby Wiske - 4 miles

Watching the clouds form

Will we make it before the rain hits? We did. Shortly after arriving at our last two destinations, the skies opened and the rain came down, but we were safely tucked inside. 

We walk by more fields of horses

And through many of these metal kissing gates. First metal ones we’ve seen. 

This horse smelled the apples in Jo Anne’s backpack and followed her, nosing her pack until we left the field.

Overgrown path

Went through many cow pastures

These all seemed to be posing for me so I HAD to take their photos. 

Another overgrown trail.

More cows - must be rest time. I can relate. 

Clouds get heavier and lower 

Approaching Danby Wiske (Danby means "farm of the Danes" and Wiske means "by the river".

The last few miles walking into the village was all on tarmac. 

Notice again the red brick instead of stone. 

Upon arriving in Danby Wiske, we stopped by the Tuck Shop to see if we could access wifi to call for our taxi. She didn’t have wifi but graciously allowed me to use her phone to call. All the locals have been so helpful and willing to stop and chat. This little honesty shop has all kinds of snacks and drinks and another room set up with a large table and chairs where you can make yourself a cuppa while waiting for your inn to allow checkin or, in our case, waiting for a taxi. We met up with the foursome (as we call them) from Oklahoma and Utah. We see them most days even though they have scheduled different overnights. 

The village church is a delight, dedication unknown due to the records being destroyed when Scottish raiders came this way in the 12th century. Danby Wiske itself dated from Saxon times, so there was almost certainly a Saxon church on this site.

The early Norman church that succeeded it has largely been incorporated in the later Norman/Early English church we see today. 

It has a lovely, original Norman tympanum over the south door (dates back to 1090). It’s difficult to see in the photo but you can still make out the weathered figures carved in stone. The angel of judgment is weighing the soul of the figure on the right. He is holding balance scales and the evil deeds outweigh the good deeds. Jesus, the third figure is putting his finger under the side of the bad deeds to make it appear that the good deeds seem heavier. It's quite amazing this entrance is still here after almost a thousand years. All I can say about that is we are so blessed that our entrance into heaven is strictly by the righteousness of Christ and his good work. 

"...though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad- in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls." Romans 9:11

"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13

We are staying at the Allerton Court Hotel in North Allerton, which is over 3 miles off-trail so we are again being transported by taxi to/from Danby Wiske. And, once again, our tour company booked us a double room instead of a twin. This is not a hotel on the list of places you MUST stay. 

I laughed when I saw this sign in the shower. The water never got warm enough to create steam of any kind, let alone enough to set off the smoke alarm. 

The internet connection is terrible so uploading pictures has been time consuming. 

Today’s stats

36,637 steps

15.8 miles

21 floors

On September 21st, we celebrated daddy’s 87 years of life when we reached that mileage on our walk. Today we celebrated mother’s 81 years of life as we added 81 more miles to our total. We have only 5 more walking days, during which we will add the celebration of Kathy’s 39 years. 

"Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people."

Isaiah 49:13