Reeth to Richmond 18.5 km. Another rather wet leg of the trip, so wet in fact that Frank only took around ten photos, and we seem to have misplaced the photos I took of the outside of the accommodation. Steve’s waterproof camera is proving to be a real bonus.
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Leaving Reeth we had our first navigational challenge. We missed a turn off we should have taken onto a road but as it turned out our alternate route was quite picturesque. We ended up in Grinton and used a track alongside the River Swale to get back on track. And in my defence (yep – Frank here) it was raining quite steadily and the turnoff was in the middle of the Reeth Show which was a paddock full of livestock. Had we known Reeth Show’s reputation for bringing rain we might have rearranged our schedule.
The walk included a march through a pretty woodland that went up 375 steps (so they say) that were placed by nuns as a walkway to the Abbey. From there our plan was to have morning tea at Elaine’s Teas that was run in a local farm. In what is proving to be typical for us they weren’t open – we suspect Elaine was at the Reeth Show.
According to Wainwright the route into Richmond provided a great view of Richmond from the sign at the start of town. He may be right but in the haze of light drizzle and the tall trees that are by the road now we didn’t see it.
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We booked two nights at Willance House in Richmond as we thought by this stage we would need a day’s rest from walking. Our hosts Colin and Sandra were very hospitable and extremely well organised. They welcomed us in and while Colin took away our wet, muddy boots, Sandra promptly whisked away all our waterproof pants to dry. She returned them the following day not only dry but clean too. Sandra also did some laundry for us at a very reasonable price (Richmond doesn’t have a laundrette). The house had lots of character but was very well appointed – the best of both worlds – and breakfast was wonderful. Cereals, very nice yoghurt, a wide variety of fresh fruits (as well as the more commonly offered grapefruit and prunes), scones, croissants, and of course the full English breakfast including Colin’s special fourteen minute sausages.
We planned to do a lot more blog updates but unfortunately Colin’s Wi-Fi was on the blink and he didn’t manage to get it fixed until we were almost ready to leave. So the guys went to the Railway complex and did come blog updates and emails from there instead, while I went to the hairdressers. The complex included a microbrewery called (imaginatively) Richmond Brewing Company. The equipment would have kept Matt amused for years!
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We had a bit of a walk around Richmond which was also notable for being the only place we have managed to get Carol a soy latte so far.
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While walking around town Steve and I found an elderly gentleman trying to carry a telephone table and he looked to be struggling. He was actually trying to step in between table top and the bars that reinforce the legs and slide it up his torso. Frank and Steve offered to carry it for him but he insisted they get it into position and he would be alright. He set off looking quite a strange sight but was moving quite well. On our way out of Richmond the next morning we ran into him again. Thankfully he had extricated himself from the table and was on his way into town with his trolley to buy some goods. Turns out he was 80 years old, had mischievous, sparkling eyes and could talk the legs off a telephone table. It took us a while to terminate the conversation but he was good fun.
We had a most enjoyable Thai meal at A Taste of Thailand on the first night and then went to one of the local Indian restaurants (Amontola) on the second night. They served the largest naan breads we have ever seen and we were all kicking ourselves for not taking the camera to dinner. They came hung on a steel thing that was a bit reminiscent of a fake Christmas tree, they must have been about 40cm long.
UK Coast to Coast - Reeth to Richmond (Day 10)
Gurning Photo of the Day – Cairn at Applegarth Scar
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