Monday, May 25, 2009
Skipton Moor
Today we climbed up Shortbank Road to Skipton Moor. It is probably the steepest road in Skipton and longer than its name suggests. The effort is worth making for the almost aerial views of the town and the panorama of the Aire Gap. Beyond that the track across the Moor is a taste of wilderness. Skylarks fluttered up from ground level nests as we approached. Cotton grass looked like confetti stuck to the spikey lawn of an unkempt churchyard.
We were momentarily confused about direction at Millstone Hill. The GPS on my phone wasn't terribly helpful as the sun was too bright to read the screen. The route involved an apparently unnecessary dog-leg - perhaps to avoid a bog, or some long gone former enclosure. We came down through High Bradley - a row of impressively prosperous former farm cottages converted to second homes by all appearances.After following the wrong path for a few minutes beyond there, we emerged from the fields and crossed a bridge to join the canal towpath at Snaygill just yards from the Bay Horse pub. It has an outside area alongside the canal floored with substantial decking and solid wooden tables and chairs. We stopped for beer and spicey peanuts and then walked back to the house along the towpath.
We were momentarily confused about direction at Millstone Hill. The GPS on my phone wasn't terribly helpful as the sun was too bright to read the screen. The route involved an apparently unnecessary dog-leg - perhaps to avoid a bog, or some long gone former enclosure. We came down through High Bradley - a row of impressively prosperous former farm cottages converted to second homes by all appearances.After following the wrong path for a few minutes beyond there, we emerged from the fields and crossed a bridge to join the canal towpath at Snaygill just yards from the Bay Horse pub. It has an outside area alongside the canal floored with substantial decking and solid wooden tables and chairs. We stopped for beer and spicey peanuts and then walked back to the house along the towpath.
