17 miles and rated as a long moderate day.

Today was the only day we were walking to a time-to make the following day shorter we were walking beyond Richmond and being picked up at Bolton (where there is pretty much nothing except a historic church and some houses), and taken back to Richmond, then busing back the following day.  This meant we had to be in Bolton by 5pm to meet our transport which put more stress in the day.

Set out from Reeth in some light drizzle, and walked down a valley across fields to reach Marrick Priory, now an outdoor education centre.  Encountered along the way what are called in Yorkshire ‘squeeze belly entries’ – very narrow stone stiles.

On through the village of Marske, through more fields and past slumbering sheep, then down into Richmond.  Lost the group trying to find the lunch meeting point, but eventually found the guide (who was showing one of our group to the B&B as she wasn’t walking on).  

After a very quick drink and bite to eat, the route march to Bolton commenced.  Parts were pleasant, but there were a couple of big diversions for major road works out in the open with no shade (who would have thunk the north of England could be this hot) and I got a bad cramp that made walking miserable.  But we made Bolton just as the mini-bus arrived in very good time.

Dinner in Wetherspoons in Richmond – a good value restaurant chain with a bit of a diversion from Quiz Night.

   
John encounters a squeeze belly entry!

 
Sheep!

  View down to the River Swale approaching Richmond.  
Sheep nap time.

 Richmond Castle.

  
St Mary’s at Bolton on Swale.