Day Two - Up hill and down dale

After a frosty night, another glorious day, although one that was to be slightly more interesting than expected!  After a home cooked (and largely home-reared) breakfast with David and Trudy at Bonfield Ghyll, we set off across the moor around half past ten. The sandy tracks were easy going and we had huge views down across Bilsdale in the morning sunshine.

After hopping and sliding our way down through Kirkhall Plantation (doable, but you need a sensible horse) we tackled the short stretch of road before crossing to Low Mill and the new route through to Fangdale Beck.

A quick stop in Fangdale Beck to water the horses and for me to dash across the road to St John’s Bilsdale to stamp my passport, and we continued along a farm track to Helm House and Low Ewe Cote, stopping part way along to eat our sandwiches. 

Above Low Ewe Cote was where the day became rather more “interesting” than planned. We had planned to deviate somewhat from the official route of the Pilgrim Trail, in order to take a series of alternative bridleways that would take us down more or less above the B&B.

Our planned bridleway across the moor ran in a deep rocky gully, about ten inches wide and with six foot high sloping sides covered in heather. We crept a few metres up this before writing it off as a Very Bad Idea, and backing the horses (very slowly) out. Alternative options included a second, equally nasty gully, or taking a quad bike track along the edge of the moor before picking up a short stretch of footpath that would take us to the byway we were aiming for. We chose the track / footpath option (not something either of us would usually do with a horse, but by this point the alternatives seemed to be a huge detour, or being squashed by the horses as they tried to negotiate the gullies) which fortunately turned out to be very successful, with much more solid and better footing.

Feeling relieved, we decided to take the more Westerly bridleway down to Easterside (via Low rather than High Banniscue). “We won’t have to cross the moor again” we said, “and that will make things more straightforward”. Haha.

After picking our way through a confusing maze of rights of way we headed South down the bridleway through a young woodland. It was pretty overgrown to start with, but surely it had to improve?

Apparently the answer to this was a fairly resounding “no”. I’ve never really had to say this before, but luckily I’d packed a machete! This made short work of the self seeded hazel saplings that were blocking the path to the extent that we couldn’t actually fit Mojo and the pack bags though.

After twenty minutes of sporadic hacking we were all hugely relieved to hear the road. It was a short but steep pull up to the top of the hill, and Easterside B&B. 

Learning points from today? Take the official route of the Pilgrim Trail; the showers at Easterside B&B are amazing; the food at The Owl in Hawnby is excellent, and it’s never a bad idea to pack a machete.