Ure not kidding

LEYBURN is the hub of lower Wensleydale, and interesting, but we wanted to make the best of the sunshine, so had a quick coffee in the Golden Lion and then headed out and down towards the River Ure.

A stony green lane took us a direct half a mile, then we angled off on to pastures with holly trees, thorn hedges, dry stone walls, watercress, and lambs that the farmers said were two weeks old.

Middleham Castle, a mile away, was hard in silhouette, a chevron of geese flew east, the brief acquaintance with a sewage works was sweet, and then by following a stream we joined the big river.

It was high from steady rain, but well within its banks. The culverts under the road tell of flooding. The narrow, castellated 1829 bridge is a repaired suspension bridge and bears a plaque dated 1865 on the Stockton steelwork.

The river cuts away from our track, then swings back and the next mile and a half by the water was very nice with long views up the valley to Penhill and beyond to the even more distinctive table top heights of Addlebrough ten miles away.

We stopped for sandwiches and looked out over the wide water and up to Leyburn strung along the horizon. The sun flashed on a gathering of 4x4s in the mid-distance. Guns, beaters and dogs got out and then failed to get anything in a quarter of an hour mini-shoot. The birds were on our side. Seven swans and a hundred geese on and around the flooded Wisings. There was fox hunting further west.

We made fast progress on the smooth floodbank, the river made powerful progress the other way, and we got to Wensley, its church and old four arch bridge. A walker threw a wrapper into the river!

A local woman said Leyburn was 20 minutes away if we hurried, which was an issue as the sky was darkening up the valley. But we only got a spot, and worked up a head of steam on the gentle climb.

Along with the views and a little nature reserve there was the only cultivated land on route, where maize stalks rotted and the margins left for walkers were mean. Either side of the tracks of the Wensley Railway Plc are unusual pre-cast concrete ladder stiles.

Back at Leyburn we had a garner at a farmers' market - 'Yorkshire Dales Beef', 'Swaledale Cheese', 'Yorkshire Punch' and 'Buffalo Mozzarella', plus a market inspector.

And we warmed to the shops and I bought a pair of wicked black 'wicking' tights, for the snow.

Directions:

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

1. Left from market place to Hawes road, tarmac track on left after last bungalow on left.

2. Opposite barn, steps up bank on left, stile, gate, squeezer, 50 yards into field, fieldgate on right and 100 yards by hedge to left.

3. Stile, 1 o'clock across field (head for left of farm), squeezer, squeezer by yard, track for 25 yards, fence (waymark but no stile), grass track to stile before house.

4. Right to main road, 50 yards, tarmac drive on left, changes to grass track, fieldgate, fieldgate, right at fingerpost to fieldgate, meadow. Fieldgate.

5. Left to main road, bridge, track on right between barns at bend (signed). Fieldgate into field and straight on (i.e. ignore right fork). At end of hedge on right, right across field, stream to left.

6. Fieldgate on left to riverside path to Wensley.

7. Right at road, right after bridge, first road on left. At left-hand bend, fieldgate on right (fingerpost), fieldgate and straight on (wall/fence to right), wooden squeezer, stile, stile, path up by wood, stile at wood corner.

8. Stile on right after wood, footbridge and left, squeezer, stile and left up through field (waymark) to stile in corner on right. Path gently climbs, stile, stile, pass below farm, squeezer to field-edge path then at end of field, squeezer to right of track (hedge to left), squeezer.

9. Stile near barn, 11 o'clock, narrow gate and left to concrete stile and cross working railway line with care, ladderstile, 1 o'clock to fieldgate in corner and back into Leyburn.

Fact file:

Distance: Six miles.

Time: Three hours.

General location: Yorkshire Dales.

Start: Leyburn.

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

Date walked: Saturday January 24 2004.

Road route: From the A1 via Bedale.

Car parking: Market place, free. Car park, charges.

Lavatories: Leyburn.

Refreshments: Numerous and varied in Leyburn. Inn at Wensley.

Tourist & Public Transport Information: Leyburn TIC 01969 623069, closed Sundays in winter.

Map: Based on OS Explorer OL30 Yorkshire Dales, Northern and Central areas.

Terrain: Riverside and pastures.

Points of interest: Leyburn Market Day is Friday, early closing Wednesday.

Difficulty: Comfortable and clean. Impossible at times of severe flooding.

Dogs: Lambing season.

Weather Forecast: Evening Press and recorded forecast 0891 500 418

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

Click here to view a map of the walk

Updated: 08:47 Saturday, January 31, 2004