Bolton Abbey to Grassington: 20 February 2011
- Distance
- 11 miles
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Location
- Bolton Abbey … Map of start point
- Transport
- Buses from Ilkley, with connections to Leeds and York on Sundays
- Leader
- Trevor
After meeting at the pricey car park in Bolton Abbey, we set off through the 'hole in the wall' and into the grounds of the abbey estate. While most of us opted to cross the wide River Wharfe on the bridge, Andy chose the barely visible stepping stones, and with the pressure of a dozen cameras trained on him, made it to the other side without getting wet.
The route followed the course of the River Wharfe, occasionally swapping sides on a bridge (no more stepping stones). After a short while we came to The Strid, where the river is channeled through narrow rocky rapids. We continued past Barden Bridge to a handy lunch spot near the hamlet of Howgill. A short detour along the road took us to Appletreewick (pronounced with 2½ syllables, not 4!) and the turf-roofed Cruck Barn at the Craven Arms. Returning to the riverside, we reached Burnsall for a loo and refreshment stop.
From Burnsall, we left the riverside and head up into the low hills to the hamlet of Thorpe, crossing about a thousand stiles on the way, and then descended to Linton and on to the spectacular Linton Falls. A little further on and we arrived in Grassington, in time for a beer or tea and cake before catching the bus back to Bolton Abbey.
Photos by Stevie