Wednesday, 15th May 2019
| Walk: | Scarah Mill, Low Kettle Spring Farm, Shaw Mills, New Bridge, Birstwith, Hampsthwaite, Clint, Hollybank Wood | ||
| Start Point: | Ripley car park | Grid Reference: | SE 285 603 |
| Distance: | 10 miles | Ascent: | 900 feet |
| Time: | 5 hours | ||
| Weather: | Sunny and hot all day | ||
| Comments: | With another hot day forecast we were pleased to have a shorter walk with not much ascent. The farmers were out in force bringing in the harvest while the good weather continued. A short section of the walk was repeated from yesterday but in the opposite direction, giving us better views of New Bridge. After completing the walk we tested out the ice creams from the world famous ice cream shop in Ripley and can certainly recommend them. | ||
Harvest time
The lovely old bridge seen on yesterday's walk . . .
was part of a network of trade routes . . .
that linked the Yorkshire Dales to Scotland, the West Riding and beyond
A couple of greylag geese . . .
rest on the opposite bank
Hampsthwaite gained its fair and market charter in 1304
Hampsthwaite Church - and ideal spot for lunch
Hampsthwaite Bridge is a very old crossing place on the River Nidd. The Roman road from Ilkley to Aldborough came this way, as in later centuries did the main route from York to Lancaster.
Making the most of the good weather
A profusion of bluebells . . .
in Hollybank Wood
Ripley Castle, the ancestral seat of the Ingilby family for 28 years, . . .
sits in a large park with a lake . . .
that flows into Ripley Beck via the weir