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Swaledale Outdoor Club |
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Swaledale Outdoor Club |
| > Home > Newsletter > Walking > Boxing Day Walk |
Boxing Day WalkA total of 21 people met in Richmond Market Place on a fine frosty morning to walk off the excesses of Christmas Day. We moved off through Friars Wynd, passed through Friary Gardens then up the steep snicket to get quickly out of town. Looking back, one gets a wonderful panoramic view of the town below. We crossed fields to the Racecourse where records show horse racing was held as far back as 1576. Pausing to look at the old Grandstand we left the racecourse and dropped into Colesgarth, a lovely valley with wooded flanks which runs west. After a stop by the lime kilns we entered the moorland area and coniferous forest. Here we took lunch in bright sunshine, with frost on the grass and handsome trees around us. Moving off we crossed to the famous Willance's Leap where the story was (once again!) related, how in 1606 he and his trusty horse, after a days hunting, lost their way and plunged over the cliff. They were found next day and Willance survived, but after having kept his broken leg in the belly of his dead horse overnight. He had to have his leg amputated. He was reunited with the buried leg when he died ten years later. On again - westwards we were exposed to a bitter wind on Whitcliffe Scar until we dropped into the little glacial valley of Deepdale and turned south towards the River Swale. Following the river from Low Applegarth it was very pleasant and we met lots of other walkers also enjoying their Boxing Day. We made good time past Lownethwaite Farm, down to Round Howe Bridge and past the old Billy Banks Copper mine - yes, we found fragments of copper bearing rock outside! Down to the old bridge by the Green and up to the Market Place again we went, only pausing to admire the smart new roof on the Clubhouse. Many thanks to all who came out and made the walk an enjoyable experience. John Deighton |