On our first day without Ben and Judy we faced a daunting fourteen mile walk. We set out early on a beautiful abandoned rail line and enjoyed the cool shaded walk along the River Swale. We passed wheat fields ready for harvest and prosperous cattle and horse farms. Signage in the Yorkshire Dales was far superior to our previous experience. We were only lost once and for only twenty yards!
At Giles Farm a black lab retriever adopted us as playmates, bringing us a stick for him to retrieve. He led us all the way to the motorway underpass. In the award winning " best kept village" of Bolton on Swale we found St Mary's Church, where cold drinks and snacks are left inside for walkers in exchange for a voluntary donation.
Later we passed over the broken down bridge and the unnecessary stile before beginning a long boring road walk. With less than two miles to go, Barry and Nick showed up and we walked into Danby Wiske together. We all stopped for a well deserved pint at the White Swan, a spot where Mr. Wainwright raised a pint or two.
We moved three doors down to the Ashfield House, our lodging for the evening, only to discover that our luggage had been delivered to the Lovesome Hill Farm, three miles away.
Our hostess solved the problem by picking up the luggage herself. She left us in charge of greeting the remaining four walkers.
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