Wheatears, grouse with young: partridges, kingcups, roses, stonecrop, geraniums and a large butterfly, like Red Admiral but speckled orange instead of the black. What a wealth of lovely life there is to be seen at this time of year
A poorish night, wind flapping the tent a good deal. The rain ceased before dawn and the sky was clear and cold when I awoke. Here are the Swinner Gill Mines and a great number of ‘hushes’ – artificial clefts down into the valley made by damming and then releasing the water. I dropped down into the valley (7.30am) and crossed the beck on an old slab bridge by the Blakethwaite mine. Then toiled up the other side and, having it on my mind that the way was along the other side of the valley, soon went woefully astray –south instead of east. When I came to my senses I climbed up to the top of the moor and, far away, discerned the barren, gravel covered landscape where I should, by now, have been. So it was ‘knees up, knees up’ over the heather for nearly a mile before I was right again. Here was an access road – which took me easily down to Surrender Bridge, Cringley Bottom and then via pastureland for about 4miles to Reeth, where I arrived at 11.30. I felt well, but hungry and thirsty, so I entered The Buck – a classy hostelry and having been informed that I couldn’t have beer until 12, said I would drink coffee until then. This I did, in a lounge furnished in red velvet and lovely tables, - at 35p a cup. But with the sugar I put in and the jug of cream which I drained, it was worth it! Then into the restaurant, shown decorously to a table by mine hostess, and, as I popped out to visit the washroom, there was my kilted friend, just ordering lunch. So we shared a table and very pleasant it al was. The first course was a large Yorkshire pudding in gravy – delicious! – and this I followed with melon and roast beef and stacks of vegetables, topped up with trifle and strawberries and completed with coffee. My bill was £5.25 and I felt that it was money well spent. Incidentally, seeing my face in the washroom mirror, for the first time in three days, I was surprised that they let me in at all! The full belly (plus a pint) gave me a distinct feeling of strength and I set off contentedly on the 10½mile stretch to Richmond. The weather was pleasant, the way easy to find, with a great deal of excellent way marking, and it felt just like a pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll, which, in fact, it was. It was, I decided , pant-changing day today (and not a moment too soon!) so I stopped at Clapgate Beck and performed this operation and did my washing. This stretch is mostly along a roadside, but high above the Swale and very pleasant indeed. A mile before Richmond, somewhere near High Leases Farm, I asked a man at a cottage about camping and he kindly allowed me to pitch tent in his garden. I hung my washing on a wall and sun and wind dried it before bedtime.