Monday 5 May 2014

Day 4. Easingwold to Burneston.

Did I get off my backside and get on with it, or did I throw the towel in and come home? Days 3 and 4 are always hard going, the feet complain bitterly, the shoulders ache, and the leg muscles groan with every step, but never mind, I'm still here. I got the bus back to Easingwold and started walking at 10.20am. I like to get off just after nine usually, so I'll have to walk a bit faster and find a shorter route than planned. 
Last night I realised I was going to have a problem crossing the River Swale, there just wasn't a bridge in the right place, and I can't swim. I opted to cross it at Skipton on Swale, which meant I was going to turn left before I reached Thirsk, so sorry Maz, I didn't get to see you. Mind you I could have done with your phone number later, as I was struggling to find a bed, but I had no way of contacting you. 
Tonight I am in a pub in Burneston. I was so lucky to find this one, there was no sign outside for B & B, but worth an ask I thought. Bingo, they had a room. 
Now let's look at the pictures. I did a mix of roads and paths out of Easingwold, heading for Husthwaite, then turning left for Thormanby. Spotted through the trees, an encampment of tents, lots of them. Might be scouts or something like that, no one around except a company either putting them up of taking them down. I couldn't see that clearly from a distance. 
I was following a stream on my right hand side, but think I missed a sign for a path. It didn't matter though because I could use the pylons to work out which direction I wanted to be going. I found a track through the yellow fields, and when I checked the map it seems the path I missed went through the middle of the crop. Good job I missed it then, wouldn't fancy wading through that lot.

I came to the small village of Sessay. This church is at Little Sessay.

And this is the school next door.

At the back of the old school building they have built this smart and modern new building. All mod cons for the kids here. Bet they love it.
I carried on to Little Hutton and Dalton. When I got to thios pub at Topcliffe I thought, oh look Rooms £45. Trouble was it was only 3pm, too early to stop.

This is the weir at Topcliffe, there is an old mill next to it which has been converted to flats.


I thought this was a bit strange, I found a bird in a cage on the ground with this sign on it. I have no idea what it means. The bird didn't seem to like being in a cage as it was hopping about and trying to fly. Perhaps some of my bird watchers can shed some light on this.


I was following a path across the fields to Catton when I came across hundreds, maybe thousands of free ranging hens. There were several large sheds but all the birds were out, lots of them dust bathing.

When they realised I ws watching them they all came running towards me, what a noise with all the clucking. They looked happy enough.
From Catton I walked along the bank of the river, and underneath this viaduct. The map tells me there used to be a railway line over here a long time ago.

Next came a lot of road walking and I was speeding up because time was getting on and still no sign of a bed. I crossed underneath the A1M, and what used to be the old A1 which is now the A6055 and runs parallel to the new motorway, Some of the villages show a pub on the map, perhaps I may be lucky. Kirklington, pub but no beds, and the barman said he didn't know of anywhere before Bedale, and that was six miles away. I asked him how much a taxi would be to go to Bedale and back the next morning, he said expensive. Oh chuffin heck, nothing for it but to keep walking. Just as I was feeling a bit tired and fed up, I saw two pairs of eyes looking at me through floppy white fringes. This gave me a lift so it was head down and keep walking.

No pub at Carthope, but then I came to Burneston and had such a lovely welcome from the landlord and landlady. They did indeed have a room, and at a reasonable price.
Their little doggy is so cute, the perfect pub mutt.

I was looking forward to getting in my room and chilling out after a bite to eat. It had been a hard days walking, just checked it at 22.26 miles. All of a sudden I felt myself start to faint, everything went fuzzy. Thankfully they realized what was happening and kept talking to me. I didn't actually pass out but I was close to it. Two lovely young First Responders arrived and proceeded to check me over and ask lots of questions. I'm happy to say that I feel perfectly alright now, and they didn't find anything wrong with me. I can only put it down to not eating enough during the day. I had a big breakfast at the hostel this morning, and nibbled on the food I bought yesterday, also sipped the fruit juice, but I didn't come across a shop where I could buy some more. I will pick some food up at Bedale tomorrow. Promise.

So that's it for tonight. Now don't you go worrying about me, I am fine. The blisters are healing, and in the morning I will be ready for another day. I will not do so much tomorrow, make it an easy day.
Toodle pip.

35 comments:

  1. Oh Please Ilona, keep your promise and go easy tomorrow. A lot of us will be wondering about you and wishing you well.

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  2. Too late, already worried. I hope you are ok. . Sugary drinks are very good for walkers - obviously normally crap but good when you need quick energy boosts . My brother in law passed out when walking Hadriens Wall, a fizzy drink picked him up. That must have been very frightening for you, perhaps get your bp looked at when you get home. How are your feet? Loved your pics, I'm inspired to write a book, probably a bit Gothic for your taste , but your pics are inspiring me. Debbie

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  3. From Margie in Toronto - love the photos Ilona but that was a long walk today! Have a good night's sleep and take it a bit easier tomorrow.

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  4. I'm glad you're feeling well now! Hope you have a good day tomorrow. I feel sorry for the poor magpie though... I would have set it free and stolen the trap haha! That was a Larsen trap, I don't agree with them. I've google some info for you...

    http://www.againstcorvidtraps.co.uk/corvid-traps/larsen-traps

    http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/east/archive/2013/04/08/the-legal-status-of-corvids-in-the-uk.aspx?Redirected=true

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  5. I hope a good dinner, a furry friend, and a nice sleep re-energize you for tomorrow. Except for the fainting spell, it looks like you had a lovely walk with nice scenery and friendly beasts.

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  6. You make sure you check in every night! Now I am worried about you. Must know that every night you are OK. If you have another spell, get yourself home right away. Have a better day tomorrow.
    Tana

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  7. Oh, I'm so glad you are OK,Ilona. (Ahem..did you feel fuzzy after the cider???)
    Jane x

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  8. Ilona, you might have not had enough water and been a bit dehydrated. My daughter's blood pressure is always on "the low side of normal," and when she gets at all dehydrated, it drops still more and then she feels faint. Water and a short rest have her back to normal in a short time. For her, this IS normal. I'm enjoying your walkabout and hope the rest of it goes smoothly, with beautiful weather and well-marked paths.

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  9. Maybe you didn't drink enough either. I can get like that if I start to dehydrate. The places you are passing through are familiar to me, as I cycled some of that way a couple of weeks ago. Keep going girl. You're doing great.

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  10. Oh Ilona,
    What a day for you I feel so bad that we couldn't contact each other,I wish I had made contact before you set off.
    The bird in the trap is a Magpie will ask my son he Fishes the Swale .
    Please take care maybe don't push yourself too much! Not that you will listen to us! Ha Ha
    Enjoy the Dales it is beautiful xx
    Maz

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  11. I am enjoying this walk with you Ilona, take care of those blisters. When I was part of a hiking group we used to carry Barley Sugar sticks as a top up if anyone felt woozy.

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  12. You must be burning up many more calories than normal so eating well is a must, please take care of yourself woman.

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  13. Don`t over stretch your daily mileage. Take care of yourself. We don`t want to find news of you having collapsed in a country lane and no help in sight.

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  14. That's a larsen trap - you put a live bird inside it with food and water and because corvids (crows, rooks, magpies and the like) are intelligent and social they'll come to investigate, either to get the 'call bird' out or to see what it's got. The hope is that thry end up in the trap too. Because corvids are classed as pets it's illegal to tamper with a licensed larsen trap.

    Thanks as always for the lovely photos of the villages and towns you've been passing through - but please do find one with a well-stocked shop tomorrow!

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  15. Great blog and I'm loving following your walk as it happens. I'm only a year younger than you but massively less fit, and think you are inspirational!
    That poor magpie is a decoy bird. There is another compartment in the cage where another bird, lured down by the decoy is trapped and eventually killed.
    Wicked things used by (I assume) gamekeepers.

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  16. Thank goodness you are well! I'm very impressed with your fortitude, hope you are enjoying your journey despite the difficulties you've encountered. Please take care to eat enough so you don't scare us another time! :)

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  17. Keep eating some energy givers while walking - bananas, fudge, glucose tablets, and enjoy your walk, as we all enjoy reading your reports! - Paul H

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  18. I know you'll press on, so would I, but do take care, nourish and hydrate:)

    Jean x

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  19. Come on girl, eat!

    My you're tough! Wish I could walk along side you (except I couldn't keep up) as it looks so interesting.

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  20. Take care Ilona and enjoy the rest of your trip x

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  21. Take care of yourself dear Ilona. I enjoy reading about your adventures and your photos are awesome!
    AussieCheryl : )

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  22. You say dont worry but feeling faint is not good, so take care and don't go too far today.

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  23. Hi Ilona, hope you are feeling better and are taking it easy today. I read your blog every day and you have got me through some tough times so please look after yourself ;) L

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  24. Whew, lucky you found somewhere to stay and something to eat before that happened Ilona! thank goodness you were ok after all. Maybe you could carry glucose tablets or a small choc bar, for emergencies, when you are walking a long way and not finding a shop or a pub xx you don't want that to happen again!

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  25. Make sure you do make it an easy day. We do worry.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  26. Hope you are feeling better and have got a rucksack full of food to keep you going. Take Care. Sarah

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  27. The magpie in the cage is a decoy used in Larsen traps - other crows come along, detect a female bird plus a food supply, enter the trap and then can't get out and then the keeper comes along and kills them (presumably by wringing their necks). Any non-target birds captured can be released (or secretly killed in many cases) The corvids attack other birds nests, so they're seen as a pest where game shooting is concerned. As it happens, yesterday I saw a blackbird killing a chick from a nest and our local magpies had their nest raided by a squirrel, soo...... Looking forward to your report on your walk as it passes through the Dales!

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  28. Hi Ilona, Sounds like your blood sugar dropped precariously low, causing the faintness. That also happens to long-distance runners. You should carry a small bottle of Gatorade or another type of energy drink that contains electrolytes in your rucksack. Gatorade is the most popular one here in the states, not sure what kind you have there but get one. Also are you drinking enough water during your walk??

    I hope someone in England comments on the bird, which I think is a magpie, because I'm very curious to find out the story on that.

    Gail in NH

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  29. Hi Ilone,
    Where is everybody today? I want to say that I enjoy your posts and photographs. It amazes me that English villages are so numerous and most seem to be self-sufficient so to speak. When you get home do have your dizzy spell more thoroughly checked out. As we age so does our circulatory system and carotid arteries supplying our brains with oxygen can develop plaque deposits which might cause spells of dizziness. It happened to me about 15 years ago.

    Have a good walk home!

    Ann in Canada

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  30. Hi hun,
    Well done for keeping on going! Please look after yourself - have you checked that you are getting enough fluids? It doesn't sound like you are drinking alot. Looking forward to tomorrows story of your amazing walk. Take care, hugs Sue X

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  31. Sounds as tho the blood sugars got a bit low there Ilona, always try and carry a banana or even a few jelly babies in your pack(a diabetics life line) The pub looked lovely and the cheese roll looked very tasty. and trust you to find a place to stay that had a little pet for you to cuddle. Just take it easy and if you feel like going home early do it , theres always another day.
    Danneke in Scarborough

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  32. hallo Ilona, glad your walk is going well, am full of admiration for you. About the bird trap, corvids are things like jackdaws, crows, rook and magpies, these are often seen as pests as they eat smaller birds eggs and fledglings. The magpie in the cage is to lure other magpies in as they are sociable birds and like to be together. So, unfortunately you can guess what the outcome is going to be.....good luck with the rest of the walk, will be following online.

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  33. Hi, I'm really enjoying the photos and account of your journey; the first part being not too far away from me, and places I've visited. Do hope you've properly recovered and can enjoy the rest of your trip!

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  34. take care of yourself! and enjoy tomorrow. Hope you don't get the downpours that are forecast.

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  35. Oh my! Hope you looked after yourself.

    X x

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