Day 1 Ilkley to Burnsall

Thunder, lightening, rain, floods, yes all these things were happening elsewhere, but we walked from Ilkley to Bowness in six days without experiencing more than a light shower along the way.....yes really! We saw at least a glimpse of the sun every day. There were one or two heavy showers. The first one was as we arrived at Dent and were sitting in the Sun Inn having a drink and later that same day about 10 minutes after we had arrived at our B & B. Timing is everything! On the last day a heavy shower just before we set off and then just light showers for about half an hour. The forecast was amber warnings and thunder storms but we didn't see any heavy rain until we were on our way back to Skipton in the Sherpa van.

Sunday 1 July

Ilkley

My  leader!

Margaret was leading the walk, just as well as I don't think we would have got any further than Addingham with me leading! It was a bit drizzly now and then but nothing serious and it wasn't long before we arrived at Bolton Abbey where we had a lunch stop. They have removed the picnic tables from the grass near the Cavendish Pavilion for some strange reason.

There was plenty of water in the rivers throughout the week and plenty of mud on the paths as well! This was a Sunday in the first week in July and there were 2 cars in the car park at Barden Bridge and the car park at Burnsall wasn't even open. 

Barden Bridge

Onwards to Burnsall, our journey's end for today. Just as we arrived the sun broke through and it turned out to be a beautiful evening. We got there in plenty of time to visit the Wharfe View tea room before it closed for the day. A group of three ladies from South Yorkshire were staying at Wharfe View Farm with us and we saw them most days and at the end of the walk (though they did cheat a bit on one day!)

Wharf View Farm very nice.

Every one had the flags out, they must have known we were coming! It was such a lovely evening we went for a walk, just around the village. We were staying next door to a fabulous old school that used to be the Grammar School in the seventeenth century and is now the Primary School.

So that was our first day and we had done about 13 miles plus a bit more in the evening.