As we drove towards the Dales, the rain came down, it just got wetter and wetter until by Masham the wipers were in monsoon mode, plus the wind was up.

At Ellingstring, as we writhed on our waterproofs, a local dog-walker came by. "Will it clear up?" I asked. "No," she said,"but you'll be all right if you're well wrapped up." She was right.

We left the village on a track cum stream, a hedge one side, a wall the other; a holly arch gave shelter for a bit of clothing adjustment.

Mile by mile of tracks and pastures wind assisted brought the realisation that we were heading gradually downhill and the awful reality of the return leg sunk in.

Gamebird feeding bins were made from 56 gallon Shell and BP oil drums, but we didn't see a bird of any species all day except partridges. It wasn't a flying day, it was miserable.

The hamlet of High Ellington is a place of green, pump and trough and a place to park for a downhill finish. A sodden and subdued sheepdog looked out from behind a sign reading 'beware our dogs can bite' and a sunken track eased the connection in Low Ellington, a track lively with rabbits and their deadly, fast enemy, the stoat.

Low Ellington is not so polished as its elevated neighbour, but soon there was parkland-to-be, the future in protected saplings. After that, some local detail, a spring with watercress, beds of reeds and gates made interesting with homemade mechanisms. Though, talking of field furniture, waymarks were not abundant, pertinent this as the navigation was intricate.

I might as well continue moaning about litter because it seems to me that, as with the town dwellers and their crisp packets, many farmers just have not got to grips with the age of packaging - the plastic from big bales of silage, dustbin liner-sized pieces that snag in thorn hedges, flap from wire fences and suffocate the mud. This area is no worse than most, just noticed it more having my head down; there wasn't much joy in gazing into a distance of driving wet and grey.

The climb came all of a sudden, a hillside, much arrowed for the riders that jump their horses here. A look back showed the River Ure just about to top its banks and soon to cut off Masham. Then a last track and we were back. Hooray.

But, if like me, you take pleasure in the rolling pastureland and the ever-changing mid-distant aspects of this edge of the Dales land, then do this route on a nice day and enjoy.

Fact File:

Distance: Five and a half miles.

Time: Three hours.

General location: Eastern edge of the Dales

Start: Ellingstring

Right of way: The complete route is along public rights of way.

Date walked: Friday, January 7, 2005

Road route: A6108 Leyburn road, north from Masham.

Car parking: Roadside at western end of village.

Lavatories: None.

Refreshments: Masham

Tourist and public transport Information: Masham TIC 01765 680200

Map: Based on OS Explorer 302 Northallerton and Thirsk.

Terrain: Mainly pasture.

Points of interest: Masham market days are Wednesday and Saturday.

Difficulty: Moderate

Please observe the Country Code and park sensibly. While every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers set out at their own risk.

Directions:

When in doubt look at the map. Check your position at each point. Keep straight on unless otherwise directed.

From parking area into village, left to track by post box in wall, 100 yards to Ruskill Bank Farm, fork right (sign) track changes to path between wall and hedge, gate, field-edge, gateway, field-edge.

Left at field corner, 50 yards, gateway on right (waymark), pick up track, fieldgate, track between two low hills.

Immediately before fieldgate, fork left off main track to grassy track (waymark), fieldgate and straight over tracks junction, fieldgate, track into village.

Road through village, left at junction, left to track between Firth House Farm and chapel.

Gate and right to road verge, 100 yards, left into village, fork to left of green, second track on left into farmyard (no signs).

Unless right of way waymarked, through farmyard, left on leaving farmyard to cross large grass field via telegraph pole, fieldgate and right to road (verge).

Tarmac/track before house, cattlegrid/fieldgate.

Immediately before cattlegrid with stone pillars to Eelmire turn left to grass with fence to right, gate to path, gate, pass young trees then wood on left, fieldgate, red gate, ignore a right fork.

At corner of wood with stream to left and stone gateposts, over stream then one o'clock across grass field, pick up track, fieldgate by wood.

Fieldgate into yard with barns, left in yard, fieldgate out to track, 150 yards, gate on left to track (no waymark) head for corner of wood ahead, fieldgate, 10 yards, fieldgate then follow hawthorns and old wall to right then straight uphill with fence and trees to left.

Fieldgate, right to road, 50 yards, fieldgate on left (waymark), 20 yards into field then right beside hedge then small gate at end of field (waymark), not gate on right.

Uphill by fence to your left, becomes old hedgerow trees, small wooden gate(waymark). Eleven o'clock uphill across field to small gate, left 50 yards, fieldgate and right to track.

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 09:34 Saturday, January 29, 2005