route: thorner moor trig point from fox & grapes on A64
Date: 28th mar 2015
distance: 3.7 miles
ascent: 172 feet
time: 1 hr 20 mins
walkers: dave, jane, sarah & simon
After the lovely walk in the Dales the previous month we returned to hunting down the trigs found with Leeds, and more specifically the trig on Thorner Moor. The more local walks aren’t a favourite of everyone but they do serve a purpose and allow us to get out with Abigail & Freddie. The fact they are local also allows us to leave the decision on whether it is right for the kids until the very last minute. So much so that as those of us who had made the short journey to the Fox & Grapes sat in the car as the rain hammered down on the windscreen, Leanne and I decided that the two little ones in the back didn’t need to be subjected to a soaking. The contingency plan was already in place and Leanne was going to take them to a soft play just down the road after nipping in to the supermarket. The rest of us would crack on as normal, well, the rest of us apart from Ramblo who decided to be a “good friend” and keep Leanne company 😉 
Ramblo was kind enough to take a team shot of the four remaining walkers and the two woofers who didn’t get a say in the matter. Once she had pressed the button my camera was handed back and she jumped in the car and with that L’Autobus were gone…
The planned route had been kept to a nice distance to allow Abigail to walk most of it, and even though she wasn’t now coming we decided that we may as well stick to that plan and just have a nice brisk walk. We headed off down Kiddal Lane and already the weather was beginning to clear up. There was no regrets on my part though as it did look as though it may well change for the worse any time soon. A little further on we reached the footpath we had been aiming for and passed two bales of hay dropped in the gate way to prevent unwanted vehicles no doubt. The route climbed ever so gradually as we headed towards some farm buildings.
Continuing onwards we neared the farm and came across some novel gates for walkers. I have a reasonably good memory and I can’t recall us ever having come across these hinged gate things before. They certainly caused a ripple of excitement amongst those in attendance (I feel I must make clear there is a difference between genuine excitement and the type felt in my previous statement. I think a better description is more along the lines of comedy or novelty value.)
As we passed the farm buildings we reached a field full of sheep and we made sure the dogs were safely on their leads. Looking at the map it suggested we could drop down towards a beck and cut through the undergrowth near Kiddal Bridge before reaching the main road. Looking at it with our own eyes we all felt it looked like a dead end and decided to aim for a stone stile before walking alongside the A64 for a hundred yards or so. Once we reached a large lay-by we joined the Leeds Country Way and headed in to the woods.
The route through the woods was easy to follow and one we had walked in the opposite direct when we did this section of the LCW back in 2013. As we left the cover of the trees and joined Ellerker Lane Lottie disappeared into a field quickly followed by Jane, who watched for a minute or two then crouched down to take the picture below. I quite enjoy taking pictures when we are out on our adventures but I wished I had the mind and understanding to be able to take really good pictures.
By now we had completed roughly half of the walk and the weather had held off so far. Contrary to the grey moody skies overhead the conversations were light and jovial with plenty of laughter. This continued as we found a shattered stump of a footpath sign and turned at roughly 90 degrees to follow a well-worn path that ran beneath some electric cables. This in turn led us to a hedgerow which we followed for a short distance before we spotted three geese wandering across the field in a line. These geese can be added to the folding gates from earlier as a first on Badger walks.
Onwards we went following another clearly worn path over fields as we neared the trig point that was getting closer with each stride. Conversation had now turned to music and more specifically 80’s music. Whether the 80’s was generally a success musically was the basis of the conversation and we had great a great debate. I think all of us we in agreement that whilst there was lots of utter rubbish there was also quite a bit of good stuff, but I suppose that could be said for all decades.
Exactly an hour after setting off we reached the trig point and took the obligatory pictures for the archives. There is no doubt the satisfaction achieved from reaching a trig such as this is far from that felt when you reach the summit of Pen y ghent or some other Dales peak. I don’t mind that though, these walks are designed to give us chance to get together when a trip to the Dales/Lakes/Peaks isn’t possible. One thing I learned a long time ago is that not every walk has to be a challenge or an expedition of great proportions.
At this point we phoned the play gym Badgers to inform them we would be roughly 20 minutes so they could begin to pack up and come and meet us, only to be told they never made the play gym and had instead spent the morning in the supermarket café eating cake. After leaving the trig we had the simple job of returning to the pub via Mangrill Lane, which some very kind soul had decided to fly tip on. We soon found ourselves crossing the A64 into the pub car park to complete our walk.
Before setting off for our walk I had asked Leanne or Ramblo to check the pub was dog friendly and we would see them back here afterwards, hence our phone call from the trig. They had very kindly phoned the pub to be told it wasn’t dog friendly so they went to another pub. They didn’t tell me that on the phone but sent me a text instead, problem being I didn’t check my phone. We bought a drink and sat outside waiting for the others to return, which they didn’t. After 45 minutes I took out my phone to find the aforementioned message and their location. As we had finished our drinks me and Beaky said goodbye to Jane and Sarah and went to meet the others. The walk may not have been the longest or the best, but I can’t remember too many where we have gone to two pubs afterwards 😉
Sir Edmund
Recent Comments