I am woken at 6am by the sound of rain on the skylight above me. We get up a bit later, have breakfast and pack before saying goodbye. This is the first outing for our coats and my gaiters. As we head out, we are both a bit down as we are leaving behind the boys again. This feeling lasts for quite a while.
We head down to the unimaginatively named river Ouse and leave York along its banks. There are a number of sculls out on the water. They all seem to have good technique, but no crew is working hard. We also meet a number of runners, walkers and cyclists as we exit the city: everyone is out for their Saturday exercise.
The journey is a mixture of heading along the riverbank and walking inland, partly to maintain interest, but also because some of our planned route is impassable. A collapsed bridge blocks our way. It is due to be replaced in late summer but that doesn’t help us now.
We stop for a break next to a farm in Overton village then head down towards the river again. The fields by the water are filled with sleek, glossy cattle. As we pass through, a grey heron rises up in front of us and occasional cows appear as if from nowhere from down by the water. A woman is following us closely as she is scared of the cows. At the end of the riverside path, skeins of greylag geese crowd the sky; a gaggle who have landed nearby almost seem to be herding a group of sheep towards us. As we go back inland, the stiles and paths continue to deteriorate over the day, with some stiles even laced with poorly insulated electric fencing. Fortunately, even wet walking boots don’t conduct electricity.
We eventually arrive at Beningbrough Hall, a National Trust property closed for renovations, and walk through the grounds in the pouring rain, stopping only for Richard to answer his phone: his aunt, Gwen, called as she had a dream about us last night and wanted to check that we are OK. The rain subsides soon afterwards and we stop for lunch.
The paths, perilous stiles and inquisitive cattle are a continuing theme throughout the afternoon, but we are making good progress and enjoying the day. At one point, the steps to a footbridge are rotten but the bridge itself is reinforced. It replaced a brick bridge still visible nearby, but definitely not passable.
We have good views of both the Yorkshire wolds and the North York moors in the distance. The wolds are satisfyingly far away. The ground has now become more undulating as we are reaching the edge of the Vale of York. We again walk along a national cycle route (a signpost informs us that the Tees Barrage is 55 miles away) then take a final footpath. This is the worst of all. Although there is a waymark and a ‘dogs must be kept on a lead’ sign, there is no evidence of any path through the trees. We battle through head high vegetation, taking care not to trip over concealed fallen branches, and finally reach the edge of the plantation. We can see our destination but a stretch of eye level bracken is in the way. Again, we stomp through and at last find a path across a wheat field.
When we reach the far side, there is an awkward fence between us and the hotel, Aldwark Manor. We follow the path round a loop and a rewarded by seeing a pair of red kites close by in the trees. The river at this point is now called the Ure rather than the Ouse. We finally get to the hotel entrance, littering the white marble polished floor with mud and bracken despite removing our boots, then it’s up the lift to relaxing luxury.
Total distance so far: 239 miles
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