Another bimble in Yorkshire

Hello. Let's have another go then, gawd knows what happened there. Back on the big computer at home. Yesterday, what was I doing yesterday, oh I remember. After a hearty breakfast I took a few snaps in the town before I set off. There aren't many flowers left now, just a few tubs here and there. 

The market square was beginning to fill up with cars.

Not sure what this building is, I think it's a private residence. Doesn't it look lovely. 

This house is next to the church. 

There are lots of small independent retailers in the town, they all make an effort to decorate their shop fronts. If you want to see more pics of Helmsley you can see them on my previous post. It's six years since I was last there.

I set off on the Cleveland Way footpath, from the car park opposite the church. It's well signposted, I have done some of this path before. A few others had the same idea, there seems to be quite a few ramblers of middle age, they probably wait until the kids have gone back to school before they take their holiday. 

I got chatting to an elderly gentleman who had his dog with him, we walked together for a while. This is Rievaulx Bridge, crossing the River Rye.

A few minutes up the road is Rievaulx Abbey. I mentioned this before, it is English Heritage managed and it costs £8.80 to get in. We didn't bother. This is about the best angle to get a pic from the road.

We said our goodbyes and he set off back to Helmsley, and I carried on along the Cleveland Way. I found several fields with bulls in them, good job I didn't have to cross any of them. These chaps look kind of scary, I wouldn't want to upset any of them. 

Further along past Ashberry Farm and Hagg Hall there were four large ponds, I could hear the ducks chuckling away. At the end of the ponds I found some stepping stones across a boggy bit which would take me to the other side of the ponds to get a better view.

It was a fabulous sight, thousands of them, some sunning themselves on the banks, and some chattering away to each other in the water.

The path came out of the woods and across fields to Cold Kirby. It was time to start making my way back, so I took the road to Old Byland and eventually back into the woods again. I thought it was a bit strange to build this shelter in the middle of no where. It's quite a trek to carry picnic supplies out here if you are having a party. 

There is seating all around, with barbecue equipment in the centre. A gas bottle is needed to do the cooking.

From then on it was a matter of getting back on the Cleveland Way and head back. There is a castle in Helmsley, again a bit pricey to get in to see it. This is the best photo I could get, from outside the perimeter wall. Doesn't look like there is much left.

This walk was 14 miles, so that will do nicely.
I'm going to have to go now, bed is calling me. I'll post part 3 tomorrow.
Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip