Post 88: 20 December 2016, Cleveland Circles 10.
After a weekend visit to the beautiful and tranquil Powerscourt Estate and Gardens, near Dublin, the 10th best mansion in the World, the 3rd best gardens in the World and the highest waterfall (see slideshow below) in Ireland and the UK, today’s walk was to be a complete contrast.
Whilst at Powerscourt, a lady asked me to continue writing my blog as she enjoyed them so much and something always seemed to happen on our walks.
No pressure then. What could happen on today’s walk on the North York Moors? What, if anything, could live up to Powerscourt?
As we set off at 7.30am heading north to the tiny hamlet of Huthwaite Green things did not look promising. There was mist in the Vale of York and on the tops of the Moors. However, when we got to the tiny hamlet the mist cleared and after a steep ascent onto the escarpment of the Moors the wind started to get up.
We soon passed a boundary stone without injury!
The wind got up even more as can be seen by Carol getting blown off the path.
She soon got back on track.
There was brief stop at the trig point, but as was a high point it was even more windy. Lord Stones Cafe in the valley ahead beckoned.
The prospect of a ‘banana’ stop made Carol very happy at Three Lord’s Stone. It marked the boundary between three old estates of Helmsley, Busby and Whorlton and has prehistoric cup marks engraved in it. Trouble is I had left my banana at home.
After leaving Lord Stones Cafe we passed a memorial stone referring to a walk I did between 2012 and 2016.
We arrived at a viewfinder, seat and memorial to Alec Falconer who was a notable rambler in these parts.
At this point Carol started to take off with the wind behind her. Note the drop a little further on!
Closely followed by me, or was it the cameraman who was taking off?
Is this what Bob Dylan meant by Blowin’ in the Wind?
Eventually we got a grip….
And I felt like Lord Stones!
We then proceeded along our route shown ahead, still being buffeted by the wind.
Stokesley was caught in the sun below us.
Another boundary stone Donna Cross was passed. It is marked E for the Emmerson family of Easeby and F for the Fevershams of Helmsley.
We were starting to wonder about finding a lunch spot, but the cattle had got to this spot first.
Just after leaving Raisdale Mill, we found a tree and wall for a lunch stop away from the wind.
We then dropped down into Scugdale and after some road walking eventually reached the end of a tiring but rewarding walk and the car.
Hope that lady at Powerscourt felt enough happened of interest on this walk! In its own way the high winds certainly elevated us but in a different way to elevation at the beauty and grandeur of Powerscourt!
Miles Walked 10.5
Calories Burnt 1300
Steps 24,901
Average speed 19.08
Fastest 2 mile split 18.48 minutes per mile between 4-6 miles
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