Day 50 - Thornton-in-Craven to Malham

Today was supposed to be very wet from lunchtime onwards so The Walker wanted to try to be finished before the deluge! We planned to meet on the Pennine Way but, being a fair weather walker, I thought I might just wait in the warm and dry should the forecast be correct! Actually the weather was perfect for walking and I really enjoyed wandering along the path - farmland and meadows most of the way, a bit different from the last few walks. Once again a heifer was a bit frisky but backed off when I waved my stick threateningly at him!

There were quite a few visitors at Malham for early on a Friday morning; the cafe owner said  the TV programme starring the lady blacksmith ( it's about the Dales and features local people and their work) has made it even busier than usual. I remember bringing the kids here years ago and it being absolutely manic! That, of course, was in the summer hols!

An apology to Sarah-Jayne: just been fiddling with Facebook on my Blackberry and discovered a  message from you dated the end of May! I thought my message hadn't reached you - not sure how I found this reply. Facebook baffles me! I will use ordinary email  from now on!

From Bernie:
Today's walk  10.6 miles     :     Cumulative  636.4 miles

Tantalisingly close to half-way! When I first planned this walk half-way was to be on top of Pen-y-Ghent, which seemed quite appropriate to a Yorkshireman! With the added miles half-way has moved about a bit but we'll get there tomorrow even before we reach Malham Cove... & it's still on the Pen-y-Ghent day.

Looking ahead! Tomorrow's high-level  walking

Easiest day yet on the Pennine Way, mostly low-level farmland & then a gentle stretch along the River Aire into Malham; the same mighty Aire that runs through Leeds & its neighbouring mill towns - it was never this colour when I was a kid!

Crossed into the Yorkshire Dales National Park on Eshton Moor when I passed through a gate from one field to the next - seemed a bit inglorious - there was no sign to mark the occasion! I may be 'waisting away' to use Les' words but I still need XL in tee-shirts & was disappointed to find my attempts to upgrade my wardrobe thwarted in Malham - fancied bright purple but all they could do was dull grey & I felt neither dull nor grey. Oh, well - there's always the internet!

Very impressive life-size horse sculptures at Hanlith Hall

Highlight of the Day: my last flirtation with canals until Edinburgh! Briefly joined the Leeds-Liverpool canal at East Marston & walked beneath the unusual double-arched bridge built to carry the A59 over the old canal. It seems a little ironic that a major 19th century transport network should have got in the way of the 20th - the second arch is stronger, higher, wider, straighter, faster.... & much noisier. I'm glad it wasn't just obliterated... but I'll write about that when I get to Edinburgh!

Beer of the Day: visited 'The Buck Inn' at Malham, another one of those establishments with a reputation inflated by tourism. The barman continued his conversation with a local whilst inexpertly serving me a pint of 'Wensleydale Gold' - pale, sharply bitter & not as smooth as I would expect from a brewery's Premium Ale. Not sure whether to blame the beer, the brewery, the pub or the barman but I'll not be having another pint... !

A good day! So easy that it almost felt like a rest day. Looked at the weather on the internet this morning & a big blue blob of rain covered this area from lunchtime onwards - just checked & it's still there but we've stayed dry all day & have just barbecued. Fingers crossed for Pen-y-Ghent!

... even had time for cider & chocolate en route!

John: good to hear from you again - don't know what's happened to the postcard, I've sent one every Thursday morning since I started..... I'd be inclined to blame Royal Mail!!!
I have the weather set for Braintree on the laptop & it looks to me as if your allotment has been doing fine recently! Playing havoc with the cricket, though!

I know!