I just got back from my first ramble. "Rambles" are what the British call "hikes" and there are some passionate ramblers in the UK. The country is crisscrossed with thousands of public footpaths, giving free access to lovely walks among the hills and dales. Sometimes the footpaths skirt right along private property and you feel as if you are trespassing. But no, these pathways are open to the public.
Today I joined a group that meets every Thursday for a ramble. The walks are usually from 5-10 miles long. We start walking at 10 and usually finish by noon. We have a designated meeting place that is easy to drive to and find parking. From there we car pool to a spot that has been selected by one of the more experienced members. At the end of the walk we all pile into a local pub for lunch.
We started our walk in Bishop Monkton, a lovely little town just outside of Harrogate. It rained yesterday and was still raining this morning when I left the house so I wondered if we would even walk today. Turns out we had the biggest turnout they've ever had. It was rather muddy going. A couple of times I took a step and just kept sliding or sinking. Halfway through the walk, though, the weather cleared and it warmed up considerably. The walk this week was all on level ground, we passed several fields with grazing sheep and even witnessed a head butting contest between two female sheep. Very strange! I thought only rams did that. We also passed by a local pottery factory, a fishery and a canal with a lock. Along the way I chatted with other members of the walk, mostly Americans, but a few British folk as well.
We ended back in Bishop Monkton at lunchtime and headed for The Lamb and Flag pub. The owner seemed a bit perturbed when saw how large our party was (about 15). He grumbled, "We can't possibly serve a group as large as yours." and effectively kicked us out. No worries. There are two pubs in Bishop Monkton and the Masons Arms had no problem with a group our size. We only ordered sandwiches and soup anyhow. I had the carrot and coriander soup (a common soup in these parts). It was very tasty. A nice comfort at the end of a long walk.
Today I joined a group that meets every Thursday for a ramble. The walks are usually from 5-10 miles long. We start walking at 10 and usually finish by noon. We have a designated meeting place that is easy to drive to and find parking. From there we car pool to a spot that has been selected by one of the more experienced members. At the end of the walk we all pile into a local pub for lunch.
We started our walk in Bishop Monkton, a lovely little town just outside of Harrogate. It rained yesterday and was still raining this morning when I left the house so I wondered if we would even walk today. Turns out we had the biggest turnout they've ever had. It was rather muddy going. A couple of times I took a step and just kept sliding or sinking. Halfway through the walk, though, the weather cleared and it warmed up considerably. The walk this week was all on level ground, we passed several fields with grazing sheep and even witnessed a head butting contest between two female sheep. Very strange! I thought only rams did that. We also passed by a local pottery factory, a fishery and a canal with a lock. Along the way I chatted with other members of the walk, mostly Americans, but a few British folk as well.
We ended back in Bishop Monkton at lunchtime and headed for The Lamb and Flag pub. The owner seemed a bit perturbed when saw how large our party was (about 15). He grumbled, "We can't possibly serve a group as large as yours." and effectively kicked us out. No worries. There are two pubs in Bishop Monkton and the Masons Arms had no problem with a group our size. We only ordered sandwiches and soup anyhow. I had the carrot and coriander soup (a common soup in these parts). It was very tasty. A nice comfort at the end of a long walk.
posted by lenora at 9:57 AM
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