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I had some jobs to do near Richmond and up on the moor at Stelling which is on the "other side" of Fremington edge. I decided to make a day of it and go on to Reeth where I could walk up to Fremington Edge. It makes a dramatic backdrop to the village of Reeth and I've fancied a walk up there for a while.
- Fremington Edge from Reeth green
Anyway Rudolph had jobs to do at home so I went on my own. It was a horrible morning with torrential rain and I was considering just going home to Teesside and doing the usual whiz up Roseberry Topping but then the sun came out briefly and that was my decision made.
I parked in Reeth Green where there is a donation box asking for 50p or a pound which I was happy to pay. Got the boots on and set off munching my sandwich as I walked along the road leading up Arkengarthdale. After about half a mile I took a right off across the fields, where there was a polite notice asking walkers to go in single file. I was happy to comply with that instruction as well. It is one of those great Dales paths where you climb the stile, spot the one on the opposite side of the field and head for it.
- nice gated stile.
- looking up the dale towards the hamlet of Booze
It was very cold and I was walking into the wind which occasionally chucked a few large wet raindrops at me but thankfully the worst of the rain was past.
After a while the path goes down to a bridge over the Arkle Beck. It was a huge torrent with all the rain we have had.
- track to the bridge across the beck and to Castle Farm
- Arkle Beck full of water and the bridge
the path then heads pretty much straight up the hill after passing Castle Farm House and I went up a wee green road between too walls to find a notice on the other side of the gate at the other end telling me that there was no access- but there was a very helpful stile!
- helpful stile and notice after I had crossed.
Going uphill was hard work as the wind was blowing my breath away but there was plenty to see with rabbits, mushrooms and the remains of old mines. At one time the lead mining industry employed nearly 300 people in Arkengarthdale.
- nearly at the top
Once I got to the top the wind was behind me and I was pretty much blown along the edge of the Edge which was great fun. I went down on the next path which is the track from Hurst to Fremington then back over the soggy fields to Reeth.
- old barn and my way down past the white house and down the field on the left.
- a couple of locals - Swaledale sheep the symbol of the Yorkshire Dales national Park. When I were a lass we called him Tom Postlethwaite - but he might have been a girl.