Richmond to Danby Wiske Day 11

We left Richmond by an alternative route pointed out to us by Ralph, our B&B host. It took us past the school where Lewis Carroll studied and (supposedly) past the green where he envisaged the Mad Hatters Tea Party. It also followed the route of the ill-fated drummer boy who was reputedly sent down a tunnel from Easby Abbey and told to keep drumming so they could work out where it led. A stone now marks the spot where the drumming stopped and the drummer was last heard.

More tangible was the evidence of Easby Abbey, an impressive ruin dating back to 1300, whose leaning wall was painted by Turner in about 1816. It looked as though it would fall down then and it does now, but it still stands.

Easby Abbey, Richmond

We rejoined the Swale for a while. After a day of rain upstream and more rain during our rest day it was now swollen and peaty brown but it was still a pleasant walking companion. The weather itself looked threatening at times but apart from an occasional light shower we were not troubled by rain.

The track passes through hundreds of acres of spud farm near Catterick. Well, those endless packets of crisps, the chip butties and all those fish and chip dinners have to come from somewhere, don't they?

After passing Catterick and leaving the Swale we headed on through Bolton-not-really-on-Swale hoping for a friendly farm or tea room. The guidebook says there are none but just as we gave up hope we saw a backyard tearoom in Bolton run by Esther, who - after some urging from walkers and others - only started serving teas this year. Hers was possibly the best cup of Yorkshire Tea we had tasted, but that might have just been due to unexpected providence when we were looking for a place to lunch. She says she makes "enough to feed the dogs". It doesn't sound like much but she and her partner work on a nearby farm and she has three hard working sheepdogs so they probably eat a bit!

Esther's tea garden and honesty box in Bolton-on-Swale

The hamlet of Bolton's other claim to fame is the gravestone and memorial to Henry Jenkins who is reported to have died at the age of 169. We put this in the same category of folklore as some of the earlier stories we heard about Lewis Carroll and the drummer boy.

We were now in the Vale of Mowbray, much reviled. by Alfred Wainwright who was very biased against flat, agricultural country ... he was always more at home in the lakes or on the high moors. However we found it a happy enough stroll on to Danby Wiske through farms and along quiet country roads.

Danby Wiske was Wainwright's "low point" in the whole route, both altitudinally (45m above sea level) and spiritually. He felt he was unwelcome there and could only get a packet of crisps at the pub. Well, we have good news for intending walkers. Firstly, the pub is in new hands after briefly closing down and they certainly welcome walkers. Secondly the locals are incensed that Wainwright has sullied their reputation and do what they can to make everyone feel welcome. Thirdly, in fairness to the original owners of the pub, when Wainwright called the husband was out working on a farm because the pub income was not enough to sustain them, and his wife who was quite ill was trying to manage the pub during the day on her own, so it was a brave effort just to keep the pub open. So he should have been grateful he was able to get a pint at all, never mind a full pub lunch!

A welcome sight: The White Swan in Danby Wiske

Some people walk right on past Danby Wiske but it was a convenient stop for us and a comfortable stay at Ashfield House. We would tackle the next part of the Vale on the following day, walking through to Ingleby Cross.