The weather forecast was for thick cloud but no rain today - how was that going to work? Once again, when Graham and I had recced this walk the day had been gloriously sunny with fabulous views over to the North York Moors. But these were not to be experienced today but there was no rain which was a bonus especially as the going underfoot was fabulously squishy in places. The walk started at the lovely Swinton Park Hotel [no spa treatment for me today] but skirted the Estate to take in some of the wonderful and isolated countryside just outside Masham. I was the only person identifying as female on the walk today and this lead to some interesting tussles at times over which direction to take and at one point where to have lunch.....needless to say gentle reader I prevailed and even got a token revenge photo which can be found in the Mini Gallery. At one point three of the Y chromosomes elected to go one way and I, with Adam, went the other to circumnavigate a newly ploughed field with a completely obliterated footpath. No guesses as to who got to the stile first but once we got to the Rowell Way along the Ure we were on a less divisive if more clarty route. We reached Hack Fall Wood and proceeded to make a delightful if at times slightly contentious exploration of the place without stopping for lunch! For those who do not know Hack Fall Wood it is a Grade 1 Historic Garden and a SSRI. It is maintained by the Woodland Trust and contains the remnants of some rich man's follies and conceits. William Aislabie was that rich man to be exact and he built some spectacular 'ruins' to delight his guests. The place was so celebrated in its day that Josiah Wedgewood made a dinner service for Catherine the Great which had images of the various follies as part of the design. Sadly, she probably had no clue at to where North Yorkshire was but Hack Fall Garden was obviously considered one of the Wonders of Europe in 1773. Today the Landmark Trust have taken over Mowbray Point Ruin and you can stay in it. I am fascinated as to how they did this as the place was built as a ruin and never an actual house. It has spectacular views over the valley of the Ure and other features of the garden but it is also stupendously isolated and can only be reached by a fairly narrow woodland path or across what appears to be an isolated field. I am curious as to how they manage the plumbing and electricity - perhaps they don't! After an exploration of the garden, I graciously allowed the boys to have some lunch by which time we were all very hungry! The return route to Swinton took us through the beechwood that is Nutwith Common. It is a large and beautiful wooded area and this weekend the leaves were just beginning to turn such that the canopy of the trees while still mostly green was flecked with flashes of yellow and gold. Thank you Adam, Patrick and Brian for your company today on what I hope was an enjoyable ramble through some glorious autumnal countryside.
Jane and Graham