u/Relevant-Form-3351

By the Old City Bar

Last day and it's started off nicely, over 20°C and dry. I leave Aysgarth via the impressive waterfalls and it's a very pleasant 4 miles or so mainly along the banks of the River Ure and an old railway line until the very picturesque village of Askrigg.

I have a brief wander around and get a pint of Askrigg Ale, brewed in the village at the Yorkshire Dales Brewing Company.

Leaving Askrigg through a meadow paved with flagstones, I soon hear the sound of rushing water and take a slight detour to check out the Mill Gill Waterfall.

There then follows a couple of miles of minor/farm roads before heading across some fields and before I know it, I'm back in Hardraw at the Green Dragon where I stayed on Monday night.

It's a quick walk back to Hawes and that's the Herriot Way done!

Unfortunately, I still had 5 miles to go to get to tonight's accommodation, as I'd booked somewhere near Garsdale Station so I could get an early train to Leeds tomorrow. This was a fairly unpleasant trek along little used muddy paths and boggy, uneven fields. What's more annoying is that there's a local bus that would take me to Garsdale Station in time tomorrow morning from Hawes/Hardraw.

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Leaving the lovely village of Reeth, the route heads through the equally nice village of Grinton and then up onto Harkerside Moor, where the Herriot Way makes a big loop around Gibbon Hill.

Not sure why it takes this loop as it's about 6 miles of pretty dull moorland along vehicle tracks through old mine workings and tips, when you could quite easily head straight up and over the hill.

As the Herriot Way isn't an 'official' long distance path, there's no way-marking at all, but navigation is generally pretty easy.

Eventually I reached a pleasant grassy descent into Castle Bolton and from here I took a slight detour into Redmire to visit the heritage railway station and pub.

Suitably refreshed continued on down a nice forest/meadow path called Thoresby Lane that heads down towards Aysgarth Falls.

Been pretty lucky with the weather so far, but the heavens well and truly opened with about 1.5 miles to go. Had planned to explore the waterfalls, but with the torrential rain decided to head straight to tonight's lodgings instead.

A drizzly and misty day when I left the Tan Hill Inn and a rather boggy four miles from there until I got back to Keld and the Herriot Way, which follows the Coast to Coast for this section.

As the weather had cleared I took the high route past the excellently named Crackpot Hall and some pretty steep ascent/descent towards the old Swinner Gill lead mines and Blakethwaite smelt mill.

Melbeck's Moor isn't particularly attractive, a lot of waste from the industrial past, some impressive old buildings though.

The descent to Reeth is nicer through Reeth High, then Reeth Low moor.

I stayed at the excellent Green Dragon at Hardraw last night and before setting off hiking visited the highest single drop waterfall in England which is just behind the pub.

On leaving Hardraw, the Herriot Way is essentially the Pennine Way and heads up Great Shunner Fell. Going underfoot is generally on flagstones, but some pretty boggy bits on the ascent and descent around Great Shunner Fell.

Leaving Thwaite there's a pretty steep ascent, but a pretty pleasant scenic walk along the valley side towards Keld, though I wouldn't fancy it in winter.

As I'd accommodation booked at Tan Hill tonight, I took a slight detour to Keld Lodge for a pint (the halfway point on the Coast to Coast) before heading the last 4 miles up to Tan Hill.

Not the most exciting stretch of the Pennine Way. Mainly on gravel tracks until the ascent of Ten Hill and then the descent to Hawes. Passed a couple of competitors from the Southern Spine race (Edale to Hardraw) who'd been going for 53 hours!

I expect I'll see a few folk from the full Summer Spine Race tomorrow as the Herriot Way follows the Pennine Way to Keld.

Some much needed practise before doing Herriot Way in a couple of weeks. Went up Morrone, then down into Glen Callater, looping over Creag Nan Gabhar and back into Braemar and a few pints on the Fife Arms.