Ep 18: The One Where Four Became Six

0616 Feversham Arms to Glaisdale

Today could have started off as a bit of a slog – after all, the Feversham Arms, though prettily located in a  valley, was some 350m below our official starting point for the day. But never fear! Our heroes had it sussed, and had organized an escape from the valley (AKA a shuttle up the hill). The best £1.50 each we’d ever spend, we reckoned.

So at 9.30, we were back up outside the Lion Inn.

Our route for the day took us along a high, lonely moorland B road before taking a shortcut to cut off some of the road to get to a minor road.

We were well and truly back in moorland now and could see for miles and miles. It was so quiet even the sheep used the road as a shortcut!

For the rest of the day we alternated between quiet country roads – barely wider than a car – and off-road tracks.

The middle part of the day took us around the head of Great Fryup Dale – what a wonderful name! We all took great photos of the dale with its contrast of moorland and farmland, as well as the varying heather.

Unlike earlier days, a lot was in flower, a most gorgeous purple/pink hue.

Towards the end we met up with Val and Peter’s friends Debs and Jo, who had driven up from Leicester for the weekend. They walked the rest of the way into Glaisdale with us.

Arriving in Glaisdale around 1.30, we were far too early to check in to Green Howe B&B. But never fear, we’d seen there was an organic café close by, so a very quick and unanimous decision saw us all decamp there for a couple of hours. The coffee and walnut scones served with jam and cream were delicious! Ad and Barbie had initially thought the idea of a scone or cake at lunchtime sounded a bit off, but have definitely come round to the idea, having experienced its reinvigorating benefits!

While Ad & Barbie went back to the now-open Green Howe, the others looked round the pretty gardens of the café, before Jo led them on a short stroll in the countryside.

Glaisdale is an odd but pretty village, long and thin and descending steeply  to a river, with terrace houses built in the late 19^th century. At the downhill end was the Arncliffe Arms, our dinner destination, which served excellent meals, the homemade steak and ale pie being a crowd favourite.

The need to ascend the afore-mentioned steep hill was fortunately removed as Debs and Jo shuttled us back up the hill in their campervan. Oh, bliss!

Distance: 16km