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This lovely walk is dedicated to the memory of a lovely lady. Anne Trounson (nee Keate) 1927 - 2008 |
The Walk- Sunday 6th January 2008: Over 6 miles of easy walking. Superb views on the outward leg and plenty of local interest throughout. Map: Explorer OL30, Yorkshire Dales, Northern and Central areas. Weather: Mild with bright sunshine. Parking: Leyburn market place, small payment required. Other car parks available. Leyburn is normally a busy little market town, but as it was Sunday morning it was quiet when we arrived. We leave the top of the market place. Cross the road to Commercial Square looking for the sign "Way to the Shawl". Walking along Shawl Terrace leads to a paved path and the start of the Leyburn Shawl. |
I liked this clever painting on the wooden hatch of an old coal house in Shawl Terrace. It shows a cat sitting in what appears to be the open hatch door. |
From this bench, at the start of the shawl and only a few minutes walk from Leyburn market place, there is an excellent view over the dale to Penhill. |
Leyburn Shawl is a two mile long natural limestone terrace which was laid out as a walk in 1841 and has been popular ever since. In Victorian times tea galas with music and dancing were organised here by a temperance organisation. The route along it is obvious and straighforward. |
It's said that Leyburn shawl get's it's name frome the word 'shieling' meaning shepherds hut. However a more romantic explanation is that it owes it's name to Mary Queen of Scots who was imprisoned at nearby Bolton Castle in 1568 and 1569. She escaped briefly and whilst attempting to hide along this route her shawl was caught on a tree branch, it was seen by those pursuing her and she was re-arrested. In reality she wasn't kept under close arrest and indeed was attended to by about 40 servants. She would go out hunting and it is very likely that she would have passed by here. I wonder if during this period she had any idea of what her eventual fate would be? |
This is a very pleasant path to walk and the very mild January weather makes it even more enjoyable. |
At GR 085914 there is a stile across a fence which we take. Then walk diagonally right across a couple of fields to Kelhheads Lane where we turn left through a metal gate. |
Over the wall next to the unsurfaced lane, Robin examines some of the collapsed remains of a flue which at two miles long was the longest lead flue in the world. It carried poisonous gases away from the Keld Heads lead mine which we will be walking by shortly. When the gasses cooled down there would be small deposits of precious metals attached the inside of the flue walls. It was the practice at these lead mine that occasionally young boys would be sent inside the flue to collects the deposits for their employers. |
The lane passes Tullis Cote farm, then bears right away from the farm buildings and down to the remains of Keld Heads lead mine. |
The track approaching the remains of Keld Heads Lead Mine.... |
....... it used to be the largest lead mine in Wensleydale. Here we're looking at the tall square chimney connected to the ruined pump house. |
Nearby I spy another ruined relic this time from the recent past......................... |
....the Reliant Rialto!! Can you believe that the Reliant motor company made these 3 wheeled fibre glass vehicles until just a few years ago? Much loved by men of a certain age (old!) and powered by an 848c.c. engine I have to say the charm of these vehicles didn't work on me. I was once unfortunate enough to have to drive one of the van versions up the busy A1 road. At weekends in the early 1970's I sometimes used to drive vehicles from car auctions to a local garage who had just bought them. Several of us travelled in convoy and the money we earned was soon handed over to a barmaid in exchange for beer. Drawing lots for who got to drive which vehicles, it was the perfect weekend earner. That is until of course I drew the lot for the Reliant. I still tremble when I think of that journey and to make it worse I'm sure the draw was fixed! I KNOW IT WAS YOU TOM ALLEN AND I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU :-) |
From the mine buildings we walked past the occupied house on our right and after a 100 yds or so took a signed footpath on the right. Diagonally across a field, cross the Wensleydale railway and continued to the minor road. Turned right (minor road but quite busy)for a few hundred yard until we reached Stoneham cottage. Crossed the road and turned left down a lane following it past Bolton farm and then followed the track to go left and walk in front of Bolton Hall. |
Along the track to the farm there were several stacks of newly cut wood. |
The front of Bolton Hall, originally built in 1678 by Charles Powlett, Marquis of Winchester. |
The church of the Holy Trinity, Wensley. |
It was rebuilt in 1902 following a serious fire. It is the private home of the current Lord Bolton. We would have popped in for a cup of tea and a chat but........we weren't asked! Continuing to follow the track over a small bridge, cattle grid and passing a couple of estate properties brings us to the estate village of Wensley and the church of the Holy Trinity seen in the first photograph of this walk. |