Tuesday 28 September 2010

DAY05, Tuesday 28 September 2010: Ikornshaw - Gargrave

Tuesday 28 September 2010
Day05 Start - Ikornshaw - OS Grid Ref:- SD 96789 42915 - Height:- 201.16m
Day05 Route - Ikornshaw->Gargrave
Days Walk:- 11.51 Miles
Days Ascent:- 583.47m
Start Time:- 09:55, Finish Time:- 16:40
Walking Time:- 6hrs 45mins
Average Speed:- 1.71mph
Places of Interest:-
Lothersdale
Leeds and Liverpool canal
Double Arched Bridge
Peaks visited:-
Pinhaw Beacon

PHOTOS (DAY 05)
Click here to view a slideshow of photos taken on DAY05 Tuesday 28 September 2010

Campsite (field)
behind Winterhouse Barn B&B
  The rain continued for most of the night and it was still raining while I was having breakfast.  I was pleased of damp but warm(ish) clothes to put on which had been in my sleeping bag all night with me after getting undressed yesterday. A wise move as the washing I did last night was no where near dry and had to be packed wet. More weight.
The rain had turned to drizzle as I packed away my tent and strapped it to my backpack. It was also nearly 10am. Inspite of waking up before 7am I am still not managing to prepare breakfast, which included milky porridge - a real treat after having it made with water the last 2 days - get dressed, pack rucksack, break camp and be away before 9am, which is what I needed to do if I was to have any chance of reaching Malham nearly 19miles away.
I therefore set off again without being sure of having a bed later that day.

All ready for the off
outside Winterhouse Barn B&B
 Although the rain had now stopped it was very misty, so like the end of yesterday the views were not at there best and more importantly very little reference for navigation. Fortunately the path was fairly well worn and various checkpoints reached and passed without too much difficulty. The first main reference was Lothersdale Mill chimney, apparently the last one I would see on this walk. After that it was a continuous climb up to the trig point on Pinhaw Beacon. The visibility did not improve, requiring several stops to check on the map and take compass bearings.
Still misty looking from Pinhaw Beacon

This continued on the descent, but as I approached Brown House Farm the sun began to burn through. clearing the mist and revealing green fields. Around the farm the ground was very boggy from livestock and on one occassion was nearly knee deep. Exiting the farm yard via the private road was much easier and I finally reached Thorton-in-Craven by 2pm, meaning 7 miles had been covered in 4 hours. A long way short  of the required 2mph pace meaning reaching Malham in day light was very unlikely. I decided to have lunch which was more important than reaching Malham and managed to reach the Leeds/Liverpool canal by 3pm, where I met a guy, near the double arched bridge, called Eddie who was walking the Pennine Way from Kirk Yetholme, and to make things harder he had taken a day off from the PW to run the Great North Run in Newcastle.


Double Arched Bridge from the south -
A59 crossing Leeds and Liverpool canal
 We stopped for about 10 minutes chatting and as we separated I decided that the day would finish in Gargrave just 3 miles away. That way I would be sure of a bed and I could also have a cup of tea in the Dalesman cafe.
This last section was over grassy fields and straight forward enough allowing me to achieve the 2mph pace for the first time all day. The sight of Gargrave church at 4:30pm in good daylight was most welcome I tried the first B&B before crossing the river which had no vacancies. Oh Dear! The lady, looking behind me said "That looks heavy behind" and I turned looking for black clouds and rain. She actually meant my back pack which I had completely forgotten. It was at this point I realised I was used to carrying the heavier weight and that after 6 days of walking the old body was standing up to the rigours of walk.

Dalesman Cafe - Gargrave
 My next stop was the Dalesman Cafe. I only just made it as it closed at 5pm but it gave me enough time for a hot mug of tea and to make a few phone calls to find a bed for the night. The first place I called was the Old Swan Inn, Gargrave and it had availability. The relief was undescribable. While I was getting used to camping I really was ready for a warm bed.
After checking in I showered then properly washed all of my clothes, knowing I would be able to dry them on the radiators. I then went down and had my first beer for nearly a week and ordered the best pub meal I can remember. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, especially after surviving on hard rations for 6 days, but it really was an excellent meal as well. What's more with all the calories burned over the last few days I could indulge myself with a large starter and pudding knowing I had earned it rather than thinking I will have to work harder tomorrow.


MAP DAY 05
ROUTE CARD DAY 05

LOCATIONHEIGHTDISTASCTEST TIME
Winterhouse Barn campsiteSD 96789 42915201.16 m
Ikornshaw A6068SD 96594 42816218.38 m
Ikornshaw A6068->Gill Bridge0.62 Mi18.9 m00:20:01
Gill BridgeSD 96579 43650196.59 m
Gill Bridge->Over House Farm0.89 Mi110.8 m00:37:01
Over House FarmSD 96315 44734266.06 m
Over House Farm->Surgill Beck0.33 Mi0 m00:09:01
Surgill BeckSD 96062 45174199.53 m
Surgill Beck->Woodhead Farm0.21 Mi33.1 m00:09:01
Woodhead FarmSD 95962 45475232.65 m
Woodhead Farm->Lothersdale0.44 Mi19.7 m00:15:00
LothersdaleSD 95931 45971190.59 m
Lothersdale->Hewitts Farm0.79 Mi117.6 m00:35:01
Hewitts FarmSD 95591 46982305.51 m
Hewitts Farm->Pinhaw Beacon0.86 Mi82.3 m00:33:01
Pinhaw BeaconSD 94400 47200384.00 m
Pinhaw Beacon->Footpath to Earby0.85 Mi0 m00:25:00
Footpath to EarbySD 93347 47595292.49 m
Footpath to Earby->Brown House Farm1.13 Mi3.1 m00:34:00
Brown House FarmSD 91849 48369130.20 m
Brown House Farm->Thornton-in-Craven0.76 Mi44.8 m00:27:00
Thornton-in-CravenSD 90752 48560154.52 m
Thornton-in-Craven->Olde Cote Farm0.29 Mi16 m00:10:00
Olde Cote FarmSD 90893 48980162.37 m
Olde Cote Farm->Leeds - Liverpool Canal0.89 Mi40.3 m00:30:01
Leeds - Liverpool CanalSD 90671 50345135.52 m
Leeds - Liverpool Canal->Williamson Bridge, East Marton0.57 Mi20.4 m00:19:00
Williamson Bridge, East MartonSD 91032 51075143.64 m
Williamson Bridge, East Marton->Scalebar Farm1.75 Mi48.3 m00:57:00
Scalebar FarmSD 92488 53280140.80 m
Scalebar Farm->Gargrave Church0.66 Mi7.8 m00:20:01
Gargrave ChurchSD 93157 53922111.00 m
Gargrave Church->The Dalesman Cafe, Gargrave0.15 Mi1 m00:04:01
The Dalesman Cafe, GargraveSD 93183 54128108.10 m
The Dalesman Cafe, Gargrave->The Old Swan Inn, Gargrave0.11 Mi2 m00:03:01
The Old Swan Inn, GargraveSD 93296 54260110.00 m
Total trip11.46 Mi583.5 m06:42:00
Est Time: 2.0 Mi/hr, 600 m ascent adds 1hr
Magnetic variation : 4o








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