On Saturday we reached a compromise; to camp for one night at Appletreewick and run from there. Our friends Martyn and Helen invited us to join them for their long run on Sunday so we only needed to organise a route for Saturday and arrange our accommodation. After a quick search on google we discovered that the main camp site was full, but we found Howgill Lodge which is about half an hours stroll along the river from the village and had space for us. By this time it was early afternoon and we were running out of day, so packing was another rushed affair. Andrew looked at the map whilst I assembled the camping gear; it didn't take us long to pack, and we were soon at the campsite with the tent pitched in a lovely quiet corner.
Andrews route was on trails and footpaths along Howgill Lane to Skyreholme, past Rabbit Hill then crossing the B6265 road just below Stump Cross Caverns and up to Grimwith Reservoir. the return route was along Skyreholme Beck and past Parceval Hall. We worked out we had no more than two and a half hours spare for this. It was mostly uphill on the way out and was rather slow going as we frequently needed to check the map. By the time we reached the road crossing we were getting concerned about the time and decided to cut out the reservoir loop and follow the road to join our return route. The road was not the nicest of places to be running as it was a fast stretch for drivers. I was much relieved when a chicken that strayed out from a farm scuttled back into the yard and not under the wheels of an approaching car (I hid behind Andrew as I was convinced it was going to be flattened!)
It's odd how you can bump into fellow fell runners in the remotest of places. As we ran down a lane off the main road, a car pulled up in front of us. Mark and Emma (new friends met on a Bob Graham Round we were supporting) got out to say hello. Mark had been running on part of the route we'd be taking the next day.
The rest of the run was uneventful except for the discovery of a promising looking teashop located in the entrance to Parcival Hall. We didn't have time to drop in but we'll definitely try it out some time soon. We arrived back earlier than expected and realised we would've had time to visit the reservoir after all. Ho hum!
There are two pubs in Appletreewick, both are excellent. We ate in the Craven Arms. Despite arriving early it was busy but we were lucky to find a table straight away and had no trouble getting served at the bar. The food was tasty and the atmosphere was cheerful.
We saw two Tawny Owls on our way back from the pub in the evening, one of these was quite close and seemed still to be learning to call. Back at our tent we were treated to owl calls that seemed to come from all directions. We slept well in our tent, and in the morning woke up to a chorus of birdsong. We loved the campsite and hope to return in the spring when the new lambs are in the fields.
Sunday's run was a 14 mile route from Thruscross Reservoir taking in the Bolton Abbey Estate grouse moors and Simons Seat. It was cool and blustery and being really good runnable route I should have felt good. Despite carrying only a light pack, I had to work hard to keep up with the pace, alternating between feeling quite strong and struggling to keep going at all. I felt stiff and achy and am hoping this was just the after effects of a long day travelling on Friday.
Thruscross reservoir.
The construction of the reservoir in 1966 flooded the village of West End, which was mostly derelict following the decline of the flax industry. The remains of a flax mill are still standing in the edge of the reservoir. Much of the village ruins still remain below the water.
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