11/04/16 - Day 1 on Yorkshire Dales Inn Way - Grassington to Cray

Distance - 16.3 Miles
Geocaches - 3
Pub Count - 4

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy - Benjamin Franklin"

Introduction

I've had the book - the Inn Way to the Yorkshire Dales - on my overloaded shelf for a number of years.  It documents a 76 Mile trail through the dales to be taken over six days.  It also details 26 pubs to stop at along on the way.

To say its my type of book is an understatement.

On a regular Thursday night boys night out at the end of 2015, I mentioned it to my friend Neil.

Turns out, it's his type of book, too.

By the end of the first week of January 2016, accommodation had been booked for April.

This is the first of six blogs detailing our middle aged adventure.

The Planning

Accommodation was OK to book.  Once you can get a Yorkshire man to phone you back.  Just don't ask for email receipts.  We are booked in a range of accommodation - mainly pubs, one YHA (or Yee Har - find out on day 3 Blogfans) and the honeymoon suite of a Timothy Taylor hotel.

Route Planning looks easy enough.  We seem to have a big climb each day, early doors, followed by a meander along a water way and the discovery of a new village or two and their associated boozers.  Will the Dales be as ravaged by pub closures as other parts of the country?  We will find out and report back.

Packing.  Now this is an issue.  The longest I have previously walked is 3 days - so a six dayer becomes a challenge.  What is the least pairs of pants that I can get away with and maintain a) my dignity and 2) my 20+ year friendship with Neil.  Do I need a full tube of toothpaste or will a 25ml sample tube suffice?

The answers are 3 and Yes.

It all gets packed up in my 15 year old 65L rucksack.  I try and lift it.  All I am going to say is that its easier when its on my back.  And it gets christened the 10 Tonne Catastrophe (10 TC) for the week.

10 TC

Everything set - we head off at 6am on Monday 11th April to beat the M6 Commuters and park up for £15 at the Dales Visitor centre in Grassington.  By 9:50am, boots are on and we are off.

The Walk

Straight through the centre of Grassington.  The guide has the three pubs here as 1-3 but we are saving these for when we return on Saturday.  A quick photo and a check to make sure we have a room in the right Devonshire Arms (we have, as long as I answer to the name of Terry), before we head out of town to pick up the Dales Way.

As Fresh Faced as we will look all week - Ian to the Left, Neil to the Right

See you next Saturday - Get the bunting out for our return

Instantly, we are out into the countryside that will define our week's walking.  Neil is a bit of a climber, so he is delighted by some of the scars and crags that whet his slightly more athletic appetite.

Lea Green

Kilnsey Crags

Our planned pub 1 of the day, Tennants Arms at Kilnsey, is only 90 minutes walk away, so we were initially a touch concerned that it might night be open so early.  Especially on a Monday Morning.  Its also a little bit of a loop back around and from the fields, it looked closed.

However, my optimistic partner insisted on a closer check and pay dirt was met.  11:23am and we are having our first pint.  I also get my first communication from home and it's the promise of good news. Congratulations to my soon to graduate daughter on getting her career off the ground.

Before entering, we also learn a bit about how the route works.  Each pub has (or had - some have gone) a sign outside.  Often with a clipper, so you can mark progress in the guide book.  This becomes a talking point with our landlords - some who are completely oblivious, some who are keen to point out how they told Mark Reid, the Author, on where he was going wrong with his route planning and how better trails are available.

They are 3 Ahead - Tennants Arms 

Politely Degaitering and Debooting

How we loved the constant roaring fires of the Yorkshire Pubs

And the fine Ale

Timothy Taylor Landlord to start the week.  And its not even 12pm.

30 Minutes later and we are out following the River Skirfare in Littondale to Arncliffe.  Lovely little hamlet with a large village green, an ancient church, the first geocache of the week and of course a pub,

I get my first lesson in how not to communicate with Yorkshire Folk.

The Falcon is the original inspiration for the Woolpack in Emerdale.  They also pour their pints from a jug from behind the counter.  A practice that we saw only once and hope not to experience again.  It added nothing to the drinking experience.

Again, we deboot but I cannot resist a look around.  The landlany offers us the use of her parlour but I am too dirty so decline by saying "I couldn't, it's like a museum".  I meant this as a compliment.

She stared at me, tutted and walked away saying "It was good enough for her grandson".

I can see, we are going to have to be careful with our choice of words.

Church and Geocache GZ

Poured from a Jug

Museum Piece.  Grandson out of shot.

Warm enough to sit outside, we enjoy our pint in the sunshine and head back to follow the river and the only other walkers we see today - a family of 4 out on a ramble.

We soon arrive at the head of the valley and pub number 3 - The Queens Arms.  It's in a wonderful location in a tiny hamlet served by a windy country road.  We do, however, meet the first disaster.  Its closed all day on Mondays.

Still, its good news that its open at all in such empty place and we make use of their benches to drink water and soak up the views - knowing we have a big climb ahead.

The Queens Arms - Don't like Mondays.

To show that its not all drinking, we have some top quality walking to do as we cover Ackerley Moor and Firth Fell.  At 607m, I think I am correct in saying this is the highest part of the walk.  It also keeps Neil happy by having a trig point he can bag - which basically means touching it.

Proper walking

Halfway Up and Neil relaxes whilst I fail to find a cache

It was a tough old climb with 10TC strapped to my back and the descent seems to be even harder on the knees - especially as we plod along on ankle twisting stone tracks.

We are, of course, rewarded.  We would have stopped at the Buck Inn in Buckden, if only they answer their telephone in January.  As I couldn't get hold of anyone apart from a default answer machine, I assumed they had gone out of business.

This is not true.  They are fully open and excellent sales people.  You may have noticed we haven't eaten yet.  Feeling peckish but with only another mile to go to our final destination, I ordered a packet of mini cheddars to go with our Theakstons.

Before I knew what had happened to me, I had been upsold a hot beef sandwich, with chips and salad, discreetly served on two plates for us to share.

Approach to Buck Inn

Neil went Light, I went Dark

I maintain that Theakston XB was the best of many great pints consumed during the week.  This was the only place that sold it.

As tempting as it would have been to stay for the night, we have another climb over Buckden Rake for our home.  Good job this old Roman Road is a stunner.

Gorgeous.  Even on a belly half full of Beef Sarnie.  And Chips.

The rake completed, we have a steep and mucky descent to the White Lion in Cray.  Upbeat Neil suggested that we could drop our stuff off and add another mile to the day to bag the George at Hubberholme.  When he sets out to do something, he does it properly - and we are a pub down on the plans.

Unfortunately, the Chesterfield proved too seductive.

Stepping Stones to the Pub

The Newly Re-opened White Lion

Something strange happened - we just couldn't get back up

Day 1 was a joy.  This is going to be a most excellent week.