A lovely walk across the Dales

As it was a beautiful, sunny day, we set off for a walk across the Dales, from Austwick to Clapham (and back), over the top of one of the local (quite steep to start with, but actually fairly small for around here) hills and down through some tunnels into Clapham...

The scenery was fabulous - lots of views like this, though none of the paths we walked on went up that sort of incline - Geoff kept suggesting we go up something like that, but given that in addition to our normal contingent we had one person recently recovered from a leg operation and a three year old with a pushchair, it wasn't a practical idea. Even if the rest of us had wanted to!

Although I've been missing my camera, which is being repaired even as I type, my old point-and-shoot takes reasonable pictures, even managing a few closeups of seed heads.  It doesn't have so much zoom, though, which is what I really misss.

Can you imagine a more perfect day? 

Part of the path over the dale was bricked - for probably a mile or so - we think it was probably to compensate for mud most of the year, but can't imagine the work involved in laying that much brick - they are only stuck into the ground, but still!

Along the way, KA pointed out a burdock plant to us, and showed us the most fun thing about burdock-

they stick!  Everyone had fun using Geoff as a target...

In one field, we saw hundreds of immature pheasants (or grouse or something) - the field was just covered with them...

Once over the crest of the hill, the path began to get steep going down.

And then we got to the tunnels. The tunnels were apparently  built because the owners of the big house at one point didn't want to watch the servants return home across the property, so they dug tunnels to bury the footpath. Aah, privilege.

Once in Clapham, we stopped off for a play in the playground and a cup of tea, before heading back, this time across the fields, which route was a little more flat, though there were many gates to go through and stiles to climb.  The smallest member of our party was an expert stile-climber.

Still many lovely views to be had - frankly, you couldn't find a view that wasn't worth photographing. It's very, very scenic, especially on a sunny day.

Sometimes, some of us had a little help with the walking!

And when Mummy had a rest, she also made a good sofa...

Who will get to the gate first?

Some of the children, particularly the 50-something male one, spent a lot of time running up hills and climbing up bits of hillside which looked tempting.

And finally, nearly back to Austwick - you can see the edge of the village in this photo - this is the last bit of fields before reaching civilisation (so to speak) again.  Not sure I want to live somewhere so much in the countryside, but it certainly is beautiful to look at.