Distance - 9 Miles
Geocaches - 3
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, November 2012
Masham is one of those Northern towns that you just instantly fall in love with. It's as if the whole place is built around a huge Market Square - operating on rainy Tuesdays as the short stay honesty car park. Pubs, butchers, green grocers crowd around on all sides and when you exit the car - the distinct aroma of brewing hits your nostrils.
Which came first - the brewers or the town name - as surely masham is phrase used in production.
First a walk and I'm going to be honest, I've not picked a good day for it. One item of clothing - my Goretex XCR Mountain Equipment raincoat, is going straight into the bin when I get back to Worcestershire. It took around 20 minutes before I got that most unpleasant feeling of a trickle of ice cold rain water running over little Mappiman as the coat reached the point I think they call "saturation".
Its a shame - as the first five miles or so should have been glorious river walking along the delightful River Ure. Just me and some more appropriately wader attired fly fishers are out today.
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| Masham Market Square - Needed a panoramic photo to do it justice |
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| River Ure - I was no dryer than the distant fly fisherman |
I'm following a trail called the Ripon Rowel Walk - which I must have been enjoying, as I missed my exit turn at Hack Fall. A precarious path up the cliffs allows me to double back. The only consolation - I do find an unnamed ruined tower which I have no idea is authentically ancient or part of the landscaping that was commissioned in the C18th.
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| Google Hack Fall for the details |
On higher, exposed ground, the walking takes a turn. The rain is driving in and the only respite from the meteorological misery is catching an elderly rambler taking a dump in the woods. What was more laughable was his wife trying to explain that he was merely "sheltering from the weather". As he re-emerged from the undergrowth, doing up his belt.
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| Masham below - and that's not the steam from the breweries |
Back to the town and an investigation of the breweries. It's harder than you would think.
Theakstons - the original - is easy enough to find the main production area and it instantly becomes my second most beautiful brewery visited. Hook Norton doesn't need to breathe a sigh of relief - its position is unassailable.
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| Rain drops on the lens but it is lovely |
The brown signs in town indicate there is a visitor centre but I'll be damned if I could find it - or indeed find anyone to ask.
Still, there's another chance at shopping - at the Black Sheep Brewery - all of 0.2 miles away.
For those unfamiliar - and until I get hold of Roger Protz's new book on the Family Brewers of Great Britain, I can claim to be no expert - a massive family dispute 35 years ago led to the new brewery being setup. Hence the name and probably had something to do with all the brewing equipment being taken to startup the new enterprise.
It's was therefore rather a shock to find the White Bear Hotel being a Theakston's Pub - when its literally in the grounds of the Black Sheep Brewery. I'm not in a good place sartorially but I thought I would chance my arm and see if there was somewhere I could stand and have a pint.
As the only punter, I was given the best standing place in the house.
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| Too posh for a wet and dirty rambler? |
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| Not when I am allowed to stand here |
What an experience - a lovely Theakston's Best Bitter in my hand and I stayed until my trousers started to steam. The bar staff came to my side of the bar and shouted "You're smoking...".
Damn right.
After a reminder that I need to make a will, I head into the Black Sheep Visitor centre, where I would like to say I brought a T-Shirt as I needed something dry for the drive home.
I'm currently sat in the Old Bell, Harrogate, wearing it now as I blog.
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| Do I like my friends enough to leave them 288 pints? |
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